The process of writing the memoir “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” is an inspiring story in itself. The author, Jean-Dominique Bauby, editor of the French “Elle” magazine, suffered a stroke and was left completely paralyzed except for his neck and left eye. Although trapped in a shell like a diving bell, his mind was fully intact, still radiating with creativity and freedom like a butterfly. By the help of a speech therapist reciting the alphabet and the blinking of his eye, Bauby was able to craft his memoir letter by letter, word by word, chapter by chapter. His resulting work not only illustrates Bauby’s physical and psychological difficulties, but also the universal potential of the human imagination, and a passion for life.
The memoir is not a complete narrative of Bauby’s life, but rather a collage of memories, images, and fantasies that Bauby recalls during his stay at the hospital Berck-sur-Mer in Northern France. Although the content may be less linear than most other memoirs, Bauby is able to add depth and personality in all that he describes. Through events and images, Bauby introduces deeper ideas about life, relationships and travails: he associates a simple memory of shaving his father’s face to his conflict of being an absence in his family’s life, a visit to a church to a visit to Lourdes and his humanistic worldview. Through this unique perspective, the reader no longer sees memories and people, but symbols in an allegory of life.
A sense of purity and sincerity pervade the memoir. The writing style is concise and bare, allowing for meaning to strike directly into the reader. There are moments of guilt and sadness, but wit and humor balance those heavier emotions, showing the author’s dynamic personality. The organization of the memoir may be somewhat disorganized, but this nonlinear narrative illustrates the whimsy and freedom of Bauby’s mind. It gives the book a weightlessness that is both inspiring and charming.
Although Bauby died shortly after the publication of his memoir, “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” still stands as a lasting testament to the power of the human mind and the beauty of life.