Ambition and Success
Dr. Alice Howland and Dr. John Howland are very ambitious, career-driven people. The married couple are both tenured professors at Harvard University, and they have devoted their lives to their research, Alice in psycholinguistics and John in biology. Their children—Anna, Tom, and Lydia—have inherited their parents’ drive and stubborn determination to accomplish their goals. When Alice is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s, however, she gradually loses her ambition and is soon confronted…
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Loss of Identity
At just 50 years old, Dr. Alice Howland has achieved tenure at Harvard University, published dozens of articles, given speeches all over the world, written and published a book with her husband, John, and made a real and meaningful impact on the field of psycholinguistics. In her personal life, she has raised three children (one a doctor, one a lawyer, one pursuing acting in Los Angeles), has a successful marriage, and enjoy a close…
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Illness, Marriage, and Family
Although Still Alice primarily follows Alice Howland’s individual experience with Alzheimer’s, her marriage, family, and the ways her illness changes her relationships are some of the most important elements of the book. Both Alice and her husband, John, have worked their whole lives to accomplish their goals and give their three kids the best possible life, even though sometimes they disagree about what that means for their youngest daughter, Lydia. As Alice…
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Alzheimer’s, Quality of Life, and Happiness
Alice Howland was, according to her own approximation, in the best physical condition of her life when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. She regularly takes long runs, eats healthy foods, never drinks to excess, and doesn’t smoke. She feels “young, strong, and healthy,” even at 50. Alice has enjoyed good health, so her Alzheimer’s diagnosis takes her completely by surprise and leaves her wondering how much of her future will be worth living for as…
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