Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Still Alice, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Ambition and Success
Loss of Identity
Illness, Marriage, and Family
Alzheimer’s, Quality of Life, and Happiness
Summary
Analysis
Back in Dr. Davis’s office, Alice feels “emotionally weary and intellectually trapped” after finishing the neuropsychological tests. She had struggled to make sense of what she was being told and asked to do and isn’t looking forward to talking with Dr. Davis. He asks her to spell “water” backwards, which is something she used to do easily. Now, however, it takes a lot of effort. Although she is proud and Dr. Davis looks pleased, John only manages a “dispirited smile.” Alice struggles through the rest of the tasks, some of which she cannot do.
The emotional toll the neuropsychological tests take on Alice stand in stark contrast with the confidence she had in her ability to pass them just six months before. Her inability to successfully complete so many of the tasks, and the childlike joy she experiences at being able to complete just one of them, also show just how low a bar she currently sets for her mental performance compared to just a few months prior. John, however, is unable to celebrate these small accomplishments with Alice, as he’s clearly still struggling with the idea of her intellectual and mental decline.
Themes
John asks Dr. Davis if Alice should “be like this” already. Dr. Davis explains that her symptoms had probably been present for a long time, but because she is “incredibly bright,” she has many more synapses that lead to the right piece of information than the “average person.” Now, however, Alice has almost completely lost her short-term memory and is “losing self-awareness.”
Alice had always prided herself on her above-average intelligence, but, ironically, it was this very thing that prevented her from developing noticeable symptoms of Alzheimer’s for a long time. Time, of course, is extremely precious for Alzheimer’s patients because early intervention can delay the start of symptoms and slow progression of the disease. In Alice’s case, high intelligence was more of a curse than a blessing.
Themes
Dr. Davis asks Alice if she still goes on runs, but she tells him she doesn’t because she’s too uncoordinated and John has a busy schedule. Before excusing them, Dr. Davis asks Alice about her upcoming presentation at the Dementia Care Conference, which draws in a large crowd of doctors, neurologists, and social workers. Dr. Davis says he will be there and tells Alice she’s a “brave and remarkable woman” in a “genuine and not patronizing” way. John, however, only offers a “clenched smile that confuse[s] her.”
Dr. Davis’s compliment boosts Alice’s sense of pride in herself, something which John is unable to do because, at best, he can only muster a “clenched smile” that Alice recognizes as disingenuous. This shows how poorly John has adapted to Alice’s condition. He is unable to adjust his expectations of her capabilities, which means he does not recognize her small victories as victories but sees them instead as signs of defeat and of all that she can no longer do.
Themes
