Paul’s oncologist. Emma is an intelligent, caring, and judicious doctor. She helps Paul through his struggle with cancer in the same way that Paul aimed to help his own patients with their struggles with mortality. She strategizes about how to allow Paul to return to work, and to preserve the parts of his life about which he cares the most. At the same time, she refuses to give him the statistical probability on his survival, knowing that it is better to maintain optimism than to present dry and possibly inaccurate facts. Even though Paul at first tries to become an expert on his own treatment, eventually Emma provides him with the great relief of allowing him to be a patient and letting her manage his illness. She provides him not only with physical treatment, but also with vital emotional and mental care.
Emma Hayward Quotes in When Breath Becomes Air
The When Breath Becomes Air quotes below are all either spoken by Emma Hayward or refer to Emma Hayward. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Part 2
Quotes
The angst of facing mortality has no remedy in probability.
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The physician’s duty is not to stave off death or return patients to their old lives, but to take into our arms a patient and family whose lives have disintegrated and work until they can stand back up and face, and make sense of, their own existence.
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Emma Hayward Quotes in When Breath Becomes Air
The When Breath Becomes Air quotes below are all either spoken by Emma Hayward or refer to Emma Hayward. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Part 2
Quotes
The angst of facing mortality has no remedy in probability.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
The physician’s duty is not to stave off death or return patients to their old lives, but to take into our arms a patient and family whose lives have disintegrated and work until they can stand back up and face, and make sense of, their own existence.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
