The sense of our ending : mortality, narrative (in)efficiency, and autopathographical commitment in Paul Kalanithi’s When breath becomes air

Nazockdast, Sara (author)

The Medical Humanities underscore the pivotal role of autopathographies in understanding the impact of illness on the self, and the correlative senses of agency, autonomy, and identity for critical and practical insights. This study employs a multidisciplinary theoretical framework, aligned with the requirements of the Medical Humanities, incorporating cognitive approaches to life-narratives alongside Frank Kermode’s humanistic interpretation of storytelling to address two contestations with regard to the existing theories of narrative selves, particularly concerning narrative unity and totality. Paul Kalanithi’s When Breath Becomes Air is analysed as the quintessential autopathography that effectively responds to these challenges while adhering to the postmodern exigencies of its era.

• Language: English
• Keywords: autopathography, life-narratives, Medical Humanities, postmodernity
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 01.01.2025
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 113-129
• Numbering: Vol. 22, no. 2
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-180427
• UDC: 821.111(73).09-94Kalanithi P.
• ISSN on article: 1581-8918
• DOI: 10.4312/elope.22.2.113-129
• COBISS.SI-ID: 270940675
• Publication date in RUL: 09.03.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: ELOPE : English language overseas perspectives and enquiries
• Shortened title: ELOPE
• Publisher: Slovensko društvo za angleške študije, Slovensko društvo za angleške študije, Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete Univerze v Ljubljani, Založba Univerze v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 1581-8918
• COBISS.SI-ID: 212890112

Licences

• License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
• Description: This Creative Commons license is very similar to the regular Attribution license, but requires the release of all derivative works under this same license.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Smisel konca : umrljivost, pripovedna (ne)učinkovitost in avtopatografska zavezanost v When Breath Becomes Air Paula Kalanithija

Abstract

Medicinska humanistika poudarja ključno vlogo avtopatografij pri razumevanju vpliva bolezni na posameznika ter s tem povezanih občutkov tvornosti, avtonomije in identitete. Ta študija uporablja multidisciplinarni teoretični okvir, ki je v skladu s pristopi medicinske humanistike. Ta vključuje kognitivne pristope k življenjskim pripovedim skupaj s humanistično interpretacijo pripovedovanja zgodb Franka Kermoda z namenom kritične obravnave obstoječih teorij pripovednega jaza, zlasti pripovedne celovitosti. Knjiga Paula Kalanithija When Breath Becomes Air je analizirana kot tipična avtopatografija, ki se učinkovito odziva na te izzive, hkrati pa upošteva zahteve svoje – postmoderne – dobe.

• Keywords: avtopatografija, življenjske pripovedi, medicinska humanistika, postmoderna