An Analysis Of Oliver Sacks The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat

The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat is an informative book by Oliver Sacks which discusses a wide variety of neurological disorders of his patients. The book is divided into four sections which are Losses, Excesses, Transports, and The World of the Simple. Each section has its own theme and set of stories with different main character. There is no main character throughout the book except for the author who is Dr. Sacks sharing the stories and experiences of his patients. The theme of the section called Losses is the lack of function in the brain through a neurological disorder. Many people have neurologicasl diseases or disorders which causes them the inability of a function of the brain. Some examples which Sacks included were Aphonia,

For example, in the story of “Witty Ticcy Ray,” it talks about Ray, a twenty-four year old man, who has Tourette’s syndrome and causes him to have excess energy and quick reflexes. The theme of Transport is about disorders dealing with dreams, feelings, imagination, or any other unconscious activity in the brain. This section discusses stories of Sack’s patients who have these disorders. One of Sack’s patient who was a twenty-two year old medical student and dreamt of being a dog. He also sniffed like a dog and had keen sense of smell like a dog. Additionally, the theme of The World of the Simple is about the patients who had a simple and innocent mind. “The Twins” is the story of twins who are able to remember algorithm and time without any

P had painted and they were put in chronological order. The earlier paintings looked very real and detailed and then the paintings towards the end of the wall were more abstract and less concrete. This showed how Dr. P’s disorder began to form and worsen over the years because the paintings at the end consisted of just lines and splashes of paint. It became completely “nonsense” as Sacks called it. As Dr. P was able to see things as a whole and view every thing properly, his paintings were more realisitc but over time, they became less detailed which meant that Dr. P did not have the keen visual capability as he once did. This quote is meaningful to me because when I read it, it stood out most to me. It is also meaningful because it talks about how the wall is an exhibit for neurology and not for entertainment or art which is saddening since it only proves the worsening condition of Dr. P. I feel sorrowful because just as how Dr. P loves to play the piano, but he cannot anymore, he cannot paint with such detail anymore either. Slowly, Dr. P is losing the capability to do the things he loves and that is just upsetting. It just makes me feel more thankful for what I have and how I am able to do the things that I love to do. This book definitely raised