I make decisions throughout my entire life basing them on my personal values. Depending on what I value in my life is what contributes to whether my decisions are selfish or based on others as well as myself. Actions based on our decisions can also represent our personal self-esteem and our global awareness of organizations and support for illnesses. In the short story Cancer the author Janice Deal based the characters decisions and values as being very selfish and portrayed the character as having a low self-esteem.
I feel that in the short story Cancer, Janine made all her decisions based on selfish reasons and did not consider the consequences of her actions. Janine told all her friends that she was suffering from Cancer because she valued the attention from those around her. I do not understand why Janine could lie about suffering from a disease that kills thousands per year. I enjoy pretending to be the character in a story, thinking about how I would react in the situations of the character. I reacted very strongly when Janine actually stopped wearing makeup and physically began to make herself appear ill. I have never experienced cancer personally but my uncle is currently a cancer survivor. My uncle was diagnosed with cancer in his eye causing him to go through surgery getting his eye removed. I was only 8 years old at the time of the surgery but I remember all the stress and pain that cancer caused on my entire family. Even though I was young I tried to be a support for him and let him know I was praying for him. In Cancer, Janine did have support from her friends but the fact that she was lying made me react very negatively to the story. From a personal perspective I feel that allowing loved ones to believe you are suffering from a disease is worse then actually experiencing the disease. When my uncle was diagnosed with cancer there was not just pain that he was personally experiencing but my family and I were also dealing with pain and worry for someone we love. In this short story I really compared the plot to my personal experiences I have dealt with in my life. The author very much gives the audience a feeling of selfishness in the decisions and values of Janine. I interpreted from the author’s writing that Janine valued the advise from books and magazines as much as she valued the attention from others. I got the message that she needed to be the center of attention and very much valued that attention in her life. I have many personally values that are important to me including honesty, love, and support from my friends and family. Janice Deal did not give me the idea that Janine’s values were similar to mine. Janine obviously did not value honesty for she lied to all her friends and family about her physical health.
As I read a short story I try to understand the characters actions and decisions more in depth then just the obvious physical situations. I have read the short story Cancer quite a few times and I have realized that her value for personal attention may be more serious then just selfishness. I have personally experienced having a low self-esteem because I am scared I won’t be accepted as who I am as an individual. In the short story, The Michelle I Know by Alison Lohans, Michelle was actually suffering from Cancer. The author portrayed Michelle has having a low self-esteem because she had no hair and was no longer physically attractive. The Michelle I know allowed me to compare Michelle’s values to Janine’s in Cancer. Janine valued the attention from others and though I feel this is a selfish value it made me consider that that decisions represents a metal illness. I would personally never make a decision to lie about my physical health and Michelle, in The Michelle I Know would also never lie about suffering from Cancer. The author gave me the thoughts that Janine’s fake illness was based on a low self-esteem, a need for attention. In my opinion Janine’s lies represents a sign of a possible mental illness requiring professional help. A personal value represents who an individual is and Janine’s values were completely selfish and her decisions portrayed those values. When I first read this short story I was angry that Janine could be so selfish as to lie about having an illness like cancer. As I continued to reread the story and compare it to stories like The Michelle I know I realized that her decisions might represent a deeper personal problem. The other section of the story that the author gave the idea of a mental illness was when Janine said, “Stop eating doughnuts, no more popcorn at night, I have to lose weight- it is part of the dream”. Personally in my opinion Janine is actually convincing herself that she has cancer and is reenacting a dream. These statements, decisions and values portrayed throughout the story are more serious then her striving for attention. Janine’s actions represent a deeper problem and I really think she is suffering from a more emotional, metal illness and not a physical one.
Cancer is a disease that has killed millions of human beings all over the world. I have heard speeches and heard stories about young and old who have survived and lost their lives to cancer. Just recently I attended a leadership conference in Morniville where a presentation was given to teenagers all over Alberta on cancer. The women giving the presentation talked to us about cancer and organizations that help humans all over the world fight the disease. One of the main ways of support for cancer was shaving heads or dying hair pink. Globally around the world humans dye or shave their own personal hair to support and help those unfortunate enough to have to fight the illness. During the presentation that woman had her 8-year-old daughter up on stage with her. The daughter was a cancer survivor and having her up on stage really helped me understand the importance of organizations around the world. I have learned about so many global organizations that help cancer victims. My friends and I have discussed getting pink in our hair to show that we know about the global help and support needed. Cancer is a horrible disease and personally my values do include love, support, trust and care for every human being equally. Janine in Cancer did not have the same values as me because my personal values are based on others as well as myself and Janine’s values were based all on herself.
Janine’s decisions and values in the short story Cancer by Janice Deal were based on very selfish reasoning’s and decisions made portrayed Janine has having a very low self-esteem. Values are what personal decisions are based upon and those values are how I personally support my everyday decisions. Individuals are distinguished through values, and decisions. Decisions are based on values, which allows me to look at a decision and find possible personal problems through the actions of those around me.
