Alzheimer's Disease In Still Alice
Alzheimer's is described as a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. Victims lose the whole essence of who they are and slowly deteriorate while remaining powerless. Tragically more than 5.3 million people fall victim to Alzheimer's disease and it is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States (alz.org). Yet, it still cannot be cured, slowed, or prevented. The disease is often seen as a result of old age and not taken seriously. Typically, by the time the victim is diagnosed, the disease has already progressed beyond return. Learning about this incurable disease, that is too often brushed aside, is extremely important.
Alzheimer's disease is found at the center of Lisa Geneva’s novel, Still Alice.
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In the novel, Alice learns that life with Alzheimer's has meaning and she is not worthless. Readers will see the struggle Alice goes through to make this realization, but that is the great premise of the novel. The novel does not alleviate the effects of the disease and shows how hard it is to live with the disease. The theme is best expressed through one of Alice’s last speeches, “And I have no control over which yesterdays I keep and which ones get deleted....My yesterdays are disappearing, and my tomorrows are uncertain, so what do I live for? I live for each day. I live in the moment. Some tomorrow soon, I'll forget that I stood before you and gave this speech. But just because I'll forget it some tomorrow doesn't mean that I didn't live every second of it today. I will forget today, but that doesn't mean that today doesn't matter” (Genova). Alice understands that her life is going to be cut short and she will not remember, but it does not mean it was worthless. She makes this speech at the Alzheimer’s Society and explains how she is living a life with moments of pure happiness while struggling. Alice realizes her worth, however, she makes it clear that she does not want anyone else to struggle through this disease because there can be a
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