Episode #178 - Susan Sontag - How much is your view of everything affected by metaphors?
Susan Sontag - How much is your view of everything affected by metaphors?
This episode explores Susan Sontag’s critical view on how metaphors shape public understanding of illness, often with unintended harm. Building on her work Illness as Metaphor, the episode examines how common comparisons—like describing cancer as a “battle” or the mind as a “machine”—simplify complex realities and reinforce social stigmas. From historical myths surrounding tuberculosis to modern narratives about cancer, AIDS, and COVID, Sontag reveals how cultural metaphors influence not only how diseases are perceived, but how patients are treated by society and medicine. Through real-world examples and cultural critique, the episode challenges listeners to examine the metaphors they use, encouraging greater awareness of how language can impact lives—especially in moments of vulnerability.
Further Reading:
Illness as Metaphor by Susan Sontag (1978)
Illness as Metaphor and AIDS and Its Metaphors by Susan Sontag (1989)
Metaphor in Illness Writing: Fight and Battle Reused by Anita Wohlmann (2022)
See the full transcript here.
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