The Topic of Cancer

Christopher Hitchens, one of the great intellects of our time, is extremely courageous in accepting and dealing with his cancer diagnosis. Near the end of his interview with Charlie Rose, he points out that “You should always know that your time is very limited, and you’re lucky to live in a time and place where you can be healthy until you’re sixty as I was.” Rather than cursing the fates for the pain he experiences each day, Hitchens is grateful for a lifetime of opportunities, and he has a surprisingly positive outlook. After mentioning his desire to be conscious at the moment he dies, he justifies his wish to a stupefied Rose by saying “I wouldn’t want to miss another experience… That’s very qualified when you think of how painful a cancer death can be. You might lose your ability to make an observation or lose your ability to be taking in the situation at all.” His optimism shines through, but he is still blunt and realistic about the horrors of cancer. The most intriguing section of the interview occurs when Rose prods Hitchens about oncoming mortality, his desire for knowledge, and what he plans to do with the short time he has left. Interestingly enough, Hitchens still coherently formulates political arguments, and has clearly kept up-to-date on President Obama’s agenda, but the brief period of reflection is both provocative and powerful. Keeping the end of life in mind, Hitchens is attempting to immerse himself in numerous literary masterpieces (and accentuates the fact that he is well-read by quoting famous authors throughout the interview). The primary regret he expresses is that he is unable to interact with people to the same degree that he used to, and thinks it unfortunate that “the party will go on without [him]… a horrible thought.” However, the prevailing theme is that Hitchens considers his life well lived. In conclusion, he remarks, “life is a terrible thing to waste, so I hope I haven’t wasted too much of it.” Judging by his success and resolve, which speak for themselves, Hitchens has definitely lived a remarkable life.

Given that the interview involves discussion of a life-threatening disease, there are some difficult moments, but Hitchens' authenticity and sincerity add emotional appeal. He doesn't compromise his personality or make a last-ditch religious effort, but instead shows great strength in acknowledging that his lifestyle almost certainly impacted his health. He also remains admirably low-key, and this shows him to be more concerned about living life than acting heroically for the media. At times, Hitchens is somber, but he nearly brought me to the point of laughter after having to continually point out that many provided questions were answered in his memoir, "Hitch-22", which was conspicuously located on the lap of Charlie Rose for the duration of the interview. Also, as a prominent journalist, Hitchens masterfully weaves emotions into "Topic of Cancer". It is not only poignant and heartbreaking, but is laced with dark humour. What other journalist has the moxie to critique hospital food in a cancer announcement? A major theme of the article is how he sees the tumour as a foreign invader, using a string of what Vanity Fair editors describe as "martial metaphors". The use of "alien" indicates that Hitchens is unwilling to let the tumour affect his insurmountable spirit, and in the later paragraphs, he adopts an attitude of wistfulness, which adds to the list of emotions Hitchens utilizes with great effect.

"But irony is my business and I just can't see any ironies here: would it be less poignant to get cancer on the day that my memoirs were remaindered as a box-office turkey, or that I was bounced from a coach-class flight and left on the tarmac? To the dumb question 'Why me?' the cosmos barely bothers to return the reply: Why not?"

This logical approach to life constitutes his positivity in facing the diagnosis. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, he creates counter-arguments that point out the futility of doing so. It also manages to follow a key lesson in journalism: presenting both sides of an issue. The above passage is simple, clever, powerful, and showcases Hitchens' wit and intelligence.