Other questions about the film:
- What are "magic bullets" and why are they so appealing to scientists? Is it likely that one will ever be found?
- What was your reaction to the early explorations for cancer cures?
- Cancer is a vast umbrella term for a wide range of diseases. It's potentially so big that we could talk about it in abstractions. How does the film make it a human story?
- How, if at all, has cancer touched your life?
- How does this film fit into the class theme, "Why me?" How is it different from previous texts we've read?
- The film makes this a human story because it's speaking on the real issues that these kids faced with cancer. And how many scientists tried to help cure these diseases so that the kids can be healthy and moving like they were before they were diagnosed.
ReplyDeleteThey focus more on children because they the adults have lived their life. But the children are still young. I feel like there were always people who tried to invent new cures or drugs for many disease. Eventually they find a cure for the disease though at first a lot of people die. This film relates to our class theme why me because the people that suffer from cancer have question on their mind that why are they suffering from cancer.
ReplyDeleteI believe the reason why the documentary focused on children was because it proved the cliche that cancer is never out of grips for anyone. The use of the children pain and suffering made the matter of greater urgency, being so young and innocent and having to go through such a tremendous ordeal resonates in the mind of people causing cancer to be seen as a great evil.
ReplyDeleteAt first it just looked like they were just experimenting on the children because trying to completely cure cancer was almost an impossible thing to do because of the limits and how limited they are with the things to try. As time goes on curing cancer was not just a dream it turned into something possible. The efforts that scientists and doctors put into really helped the future for cancer.
ReplyDeleteWhen watching the film, I noticed that the early explorations for cancer cures all started out with kind of grouping drugs together and experimenting on the children. I feel that Sidney Farber was on the right path to ultimately find a cure but in the process of doing so, he was experimenting on the ill children who would eventually die. Personally, it was wrong in many ways to just experiment on a sick human already knowing what will eventually happen. Cancer is not destined or called for, it simply just appears to the best of us. The film fits into the class theme "Why me" because the individuals diagnosed with cancer are essentially not even aware that this uncalled for, horrific illness would enter their life. Someone is not simply chosen as the "unlucky chosen one", it happens randomly and the question "why me?" lingers throughout their time being ill. No one deserves cancer but it's an unfortunate sickness with no cure to be found as of yet.
ReplyDeleteMy retraction to the early explorations for cancer cure was sad to know that cancer is difficult to be cured. Moreover when seeing young children in the film suffering from cancer at a young age makes it more sad. At young age when they are suffering from cancer it is really hard for them because they don't know what is wrong with them or how they are feeling. In addition that is why I think doctor have to explore different treatments that will help cure the children that are suffering from cancer. Most of the treatments won't be successful but being able to treat one or couple of them makes their family happy and also newly cure will be discover which can help to treat other children suffering from cancer.
ReplyDeleteMy reaction to the early exploration of cancer was thrilling and normal. It was normal because it didnt shock me too much that the scientists were using almost anything to try to find a cure for cancer. It was thrilling to me because I got to see how they were able to find a cure, all the trials and errors that came with that, and finding out which chemicals worked and which didnt.
ReplyDeleteThe film fits into the topic of why me because the relatively common reaction to having cancer is, why me? Why did I have to get cancer? It differs from previous texts that we've read because this type of pain is a more physical and psychological more impacting on an individual than going to jail in "Picking Cotton" Unlike other texts this situation is out of someones hands and is more of trying your luck. Not in the sense of you're purposely trying to get cancer but more of you never know if you'll get cancer or someone very dear to you will get cancer. I think in the sense of the film, getting cancer is more severe than it is going to jail and its hard to see the pain and anguish the individual and loved ones go through
ReplyDeleteThe film gives cancer a human essence by emphasizing the severity of it and that its a real problem that people ignored for so long. Its the enemies in the backyard
"Magic Bullets" means the perfect cure for a disease without any side affects. I believe that we have already found the "magic bullets" but the government is keeping it a secret because of profit. If the cure for cancer is revealed then so many private hospitals and public hospitals will lose money. Chemotherapy and radiation coast a lot of money and the discovery of the cure would eliminate the two procedures which generates a lot of profit. This film fits into the class theme "Why me?" because cancer can happen to anyone. It doesn't matter if your parents and great grand parents never had it, you are still able to get cancer.
ReplyDeleteThe documentary spent so much time on children because it was affecting all these other children in the early 1920s to late 1970s. In the beginning of the documentary, it was mentioned that leukemia was the beginning form of cancer. That traced into other forms of cancer. Children were the general population that was being affected compared to other cancers like breast cancer. Its show all these children suffering and dying from cancer because throughout those times all these different researchers and doctors were doing everything they can to save these children. These children were the future and suppose to be enjoying life and playing around with toys or in their homes. Through these children they were able to save other children with the same disease under different conditions. Demonstrating that cancer can affect anyone rich or poor.
ReplyDeleteHow, if at all, has cancer touched your life?
ReplyDeleteCancer being the emperor of all maladies has touched me profoundly. In those moments and long stretches that seem to keep leading towards worst moments, I would lean on a thought to push on. I would tell myself that I should be thankful, someone else has it worse or had it worse. Watching this video and being more experienced as a man who was born in 1992, I see how cancer not only touches those surrounding the victim. Then I see the despair of the victim, and unwillingness to relate to those around. I see the relation to the them of our course, 'Why Me', and wonder. An victim of illness is tested on. The question I have is does the victim see it as being tested.
This film fit into the class theme why me because the children suffering from cancer and their parent will say to god why me. The parent of the children suffering from cancer will say why does my child have to have cancer. This is different from the previous text that we read because this children do not know why they have cancer, could this be a way god trying to teach them a lesson, or could this be god will
ReplyDeleteCancer is something that affects hundreds of thousands of people on a daily bases. Even after all of the advancements in Cancer treatments it can still be viewed as the unknown. In the film they talk about cancer as a whole but concentrated on Childhood Leukemia. They try to make it as " human " as possible by including stories from real people-parents, doctors, patients- about cancer and how it has affected them in their lives. I think that was a real important factor in this film. To see these children who are suffering from this life threatening disease, and to hear their parents story is really heartbreaking but it allowed me as a viewer to really feel for these people and basically relate to what was going on in their life. Cancer has come a long way but it it still has some things about it that we don't understand as a race but I'm sure the advancements in Cancer is going to continue progressing.
ReplyDeleteThe documentary spends a lot time on focusing kids because I think that in kids the cancer is commonly found disease many kids in this world are suffering from cancer. kids recover more faster than adults, when kids get in contact with any drug as their cells are new and are growing faster the kids show signs of improvement faster than adults.
ReplyDeleteI think the the film fits into the theme "why me" because it shows that how kids are suffering from this dangerous disease at such a small age what they have done so bad that they have to go through this much pain.
-I felt as if the first attempts in curing cancer were extreme, for example high frequency of x rays for instance on children and adults was hurtful to watch because some of these patients had burned skin. Also when doctors cut off parts of the body from patients to
ReplyDeletesupposedly stop cancer from spreading was extreme. Though this was the start of changes in cancer cure.
- I believe the film focused on children because it shows that cancer can start at a very young age and from the film there was a lot of research and experiments done for and on children