Affliction (“Witness”)
The six year old boy in “Witness” is the epitome of illness. His body does not function optimally as he under distress from more than one ailment. It is tough to pinpoint exactly the cause of the boy’s conditions due to the array of ailments. The ailments turn the boy’s childhood into a wretched, excruciating life, therefore, he does not derive any pleasure in his babyhood.
Misdiagnosis (“Witness”)
In “Witness”, the doctor at first misdiagnoses the young boy with incarcerated hernia. Later on, after conducting a surgery the doctor recognizes that he was in the wrong about his diagnosis. The doctor’s concession is principled and he does not hoodwink the boy’s parents about his situation. Misdiagnosis of patients is rampant today, and it exacerbates the patients’ circumstances.
Depression (“Whither Thou Goest”)
Hannah is still miserable three years after suffering the loss of her husband. Selzer explains that “She had been living in this gray place unable to grieve or get on with her life because she no longer knew who or even what she was.” This quote recapitulates Hannah’s dejection. Her incapability to mourn takes a toll on her as she does not comprehend herself. The grayness of where she lives intensifies her melancholy. She has never failed to recall the sequence of events that ensued on the day that Sam lost his life. The recognition that her husband is half dead and half alive dampens her. Hannah bear a grudge doctors for tearing apart her husband's body.
Organ Donation (“Whither Thou Goest”)
The doctor dealing with Sam’s case requests Hannah for acquiescence to gather Sam’s organs before turning his life support off. After Sam’s death, his organs go to recipients in Texas. The organs that are donated include the kidney, the heart, the lungs and the corneas. The victory of the organ donation typifies the advances that contemporary science has made in upgrading the existence of the human race.
