OVERALL ANALYSES

 

CHARACTER ANALYSIS

 

Paul Farmer

It would be difficult to analyze this great man in just a paragraph when the whole book was written to show what he has achieved in his life. However, there are some important aspects of his character to remember. First, he believes he can win the long defeat, his way of saying that he can overcome impossible odds to save the poor of the world. Second, he believes he can give up time with his family and put the guilt aside, because it's his job to help the poor and the very ill. Third, he believes in the simple mantra: He is sick and I am a doctor. He was born for the work he does and is obligated to do it. Last, he can put aside his anger at a world that isn't doing its job of helping the poor and ill, because he has no time for the anger. He must do his work which also includes lobbying the world and shaking it up in order that it pays attention to what it wants to forget.

Tracy Kidder

He is the author of this book, but he is also one of its main characters, because it is he who must document what he sees by living and working with Paul Farmer. He is a bit of realist and a pessimist who constantly wonders why Farmer continues his work in the face of almost certain defeat. It's only at the end when he finally realizes that Farmer's determination to win over the long defeat is what makes him great. It goes back to the axiom that having tried is just as important as winning.

Ophelia Dahl

Being the daughter of famous people, you might expect Ophelia Dahl to have been perfectly content to live her life among the wealthy. But her family faced a great deal of adversity as well, and so it is not unusual that she found herself in Haiti helping Paul Farmer. She didn't like it there, but she.......

 

PLOT STRUCTURE ANALYSIS

The novel is divided into twenty-six chapters beginning with the first time Kidder met Farmer in 1994 when the United States......... h

 

THEMES - THEME ANALYSIS

 

The poor deserve decent health care and living conditions

The first theme - the poor deserve decent health care and living conditions - is the very essence of this book. The entire documentation of the work of Paul Farmer reflects this idea, one which will probably never be completely attained, but which is well worth the fight to attain it. Farmer learns in his work that it starts with the individual patient and ends with the wealthy individual who chooses to close his eyes to the misery around him. It is a constant struggle, but if even one person's life is changed as a result, it is worth the struggle and despair.

The Long Defeat

Kidder comes to realize that Farmer has spent his entire life trying to win the long defeat. This means that the doctor.......

 

The complete study guide is currently available as a downloadable PDF, RTF, or MS Word DOC file from the PinkMonkey MonkeyNotes download store. The complete study guide contains summaries and notes for all of the chapters; detailed analysis of the themes, plot structure, and characters; important quotations and analysis; detailed analysis of symbolism, motifs, and imagery; a key facts summary; detailed analysis of the use of foreshadowing and irony; a multiple-choice quiz, and suggested book report ideas and essay topics.