Suffering as an Interpersonal Process. Making Sense in Richard Selzer's "Witness"

Research Paper (postgraduate) from the year 2012 in the subject American Studies - Literature, grade: 1, University of Innsbruck, language: English, abstract: This paper will be dealing with the process of making sense of suffering. On the basis of Richard Selzer's short story "Witness", an analysis will be given with the focus on the experience of the doctor as a witness of suffering. It will show that suffering is an interpersonal process and that, in order to understand and to make sense of it, it is important to share the experiences we make. To deal with the pain rather than to repress it is vital so one is able to learn from suffering. First, I want to try to give a definition of suffering, considering and comparing different perspectives on the topic. A short passage on the story and its author will follow. The main part of this paper will be the analysis of the process of making sense, which can be observed in the narrator of the story. Lastly, I also want to take a look at the situation of the parents, who already have found the meaning behind suffering and accepted the "gifts" it can bring.