Outcome 3:
Annotations help develop an understanding and enable us to engage with the reading. There are different kinds of annotations, but personally, I like to write a short summary of what I read on the side. It can be a phrase or a few sentences. This allows me to look back at it and understand the reading. It also allows me to find important parts of the reading easily. For example, in my annotations for Leslie Jamison’s writing, “Devil’s Bait”, I noted the different patients with Morgellon she talked to as she was trying to develop her definition of empathy. Jamison goes through a process of confusion and questioning trying to find a definition for empathy but she also talks about her experience with patients. My annotations consisted of notes about whether Morgellon was a real disease and whether Jamison is being empathetic or not. I questioned Jamison’s actions because I didn’t understand why she was trying to get involved with these patients. I noted Jamison’s actions, for example, “I nod. Nodding offers me a saving vagueness”, compared to the patient’s actions such as that of Kendra or Dawn.
These annotations helped set me up to write my blog post because the blog is about Jamison’s alternative way of relating to, understanding, and caring for others that expands upon and challenges the definitions of empathy. My annotations provided examples from her experience with the Morgellon patients that have shown how Jamison treated them and listened to their stories. Jamison says “ I tell her I don’t think her face is anything to be embarrassed about ‘It’s harder when it’s your own body,’ I add awkwardly. ‘I know that.’” This quote from my annotations shows how Jamison is trying to relate to the patients even though she has different experiences than them. Noting these examples allows me to easily find the points that support my argument. That shows how she is finding connections without having the same experiences as the patients.
