Mark Doty Heavens Coast

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The HIV/AIDS epidemic that was first introduced in the 1980s had a huge impact on individuals around the world. As with any other epidemic that takes place, it's difficult to reduce the spread of the disease due to limited information when first being introduced. Specifically, in the nineties, it was challenging to lessen the spread due to how quickly and easily the disease can travel. Mark Doty’s memoir Heavens Coast shows the spread and the effects of the disease. The memoir goes through the author's journey through grief after losing his partner, Wally, to HIV/AIDS. Doty shows his love and patience from the beginning of the memoir to the end where Wally experiences the effects of HIV/AIDS and Doty assists Wally in any way he can. Not only …show more content…

As far as we know, this disease is still commonly around today, with unfortunately no direct cure besides the development of medicine for the virus. HIV studies from researchers around the world have been happening for many years ever since Wally was exposed to it and is still happening due to the deadly effects this disease still has. These studies and explanations from the past are still available to us today and can teach us about the environment and how people in the nineties through the present time handled the widespread disease. As for Doty’s writing, the historical context of HIV/AIDS shows Doty’s tenacity and affects the way he writes about his journey due to the setting of the conflict as well as the interactions that Mark and Wally had. HIV/AIDS Epidemic The widespread epidemic was first introduced in 1959 when HIV/AIDS was present in a sample that was taken from a deceased man in Kinshasa, Congo. This man hunted down the chimpanzee, where he ultimately fell into contact with the blood of the chimpanzee. For instance, HIV is a human immunodeficiency virus that causes HIV/AIDS, which is a chronic immune system

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