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1) When we read how Ken behaved towards Nurse Sadler, we felt that he behaved in a sort of a ´perverted´ way. He doesn´t have any respect towards her, we can tell that by the way he speaks to her. Ken even called her a ´vestal virgin´
2) Dr Scott is a ´sympathetic´ person compared to Emerson. She really cared about Ken (and she even loved him). We can tell this in the following quote:´she turns to Ken as if to kiss him´. (p.76)
3) Dr Emerson is a dedicated doctor. However, when it comes to listening to his patients´ wishes, he´s quite heartless. He doesn´t listen to Ken because Ken "doesn´t have any experience as a physician"(p.69)
Agustina Gonzalez, Florencia Rivolta, Thiago Otero

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We both agree that although the ending was not what we expected, it was the most logical ending that the author could have written. We thought that maybe the judge would not let him leave the hospital, because even though it was his life and his choice, the doctors have a very strong position against it and we believed that the judge would have ruled in favor of the decision of keeping him in the hospital. In addition, the way we see it, the ending contributes to the play's message because we believe that as it is said by ken, “Dignity starts with his choice” (Page 74). Even though there were arguments for and against the idea of discharging from the hospital, we both agree that people should have the power to control their lives, if they want to jump, jump, if they want to run, run, and in this case if he didn't want to keep on living like that, so be it. To sum up, the message would´t have been the same because we think that one of the most important messages is that everyone should have the power to choose. “But it is my decision. (...) If you were sensible you´d ask for my professional opinion but if you were a mature adult, you´d reserve the right to choose for yourself” (Page 48). As for John's character, we believe that John has a big role in the book. He is the one that makes ken feel like a real human being with a mind of his own and not a hospital patience.

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CHARACTERS

1)We feel that Ken make a friendship with nurse Sadler very fast and give her advice but also mess with her and make sexual jokes about her.”Then you must answer “Nurse Sadler”with a smile that is full of warmth, but with no hint of sex.”(page 2). 2) We think Dr Scott is understanding from Ken's place, anyways she feels guilty about Ken's condition."You'll help him?, Yes I hope you're not sorry, I'm pleased".(page 52)
3) Dr Emerson doesn't even think abou Ken's thoughts, he just sees his position as a doctor wanting to save everyone. Until the last moment he hopes that Ken is going to change his mind. "Why are you doing it? Simple you might change your mind".(page 76)

Ornella Carazza and Victoria Otero

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1) When reading about the way Ken behaved towards nurse Sadler, we felt he was rude, impolite and what he said was really inappropriate. In the beginning of the play Ken tells Sister and Nurse Sadler: "Lying on bed being massaged by two beautiful women." (page 1). We believe this was really inappropriate as it was not the right place or time to say this, especially because Sister and Nurse were working and had to be professional about it.

2) In our opinion Dr Scott was a great doctor not only because she was professional but she also empathized with her patients. We can see this when she refuses to give Ken the drug when he said he didn't want to. In page 19 of the play, Dr Scott says: "He may be unqualified, but he is the one affected.". In this quote we can see how she has in mind what her patient, Ken, felt about this situation.

3) We would define Dr Emerson as a really professional person in his job and he prioritizes his job as a doctor over his patient ethics and morals. We can see this when Ken says: "I am afraid I must insist that you don't stick that needle in me." (page 22) and even if he told Emerson not to inject that needle, the doctor injected it anyway.

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1) No, because the play seemed to be a tragedy with a bad ending (which would be Ken getting transfered to a long-stay hospital) but it turned out being the opposite: he got the chance to die peacefully.
2) The story would´ve been way more depressive. However, there´s the chance that if he didn´t get formally discharged, he would´ve found another way to die. In our opinion, if the play ended with Ken not getting discharged from the hospital, the message of the play would be that doctors aren´t ethical at all.
3) He´s a secondary character, because the story wouldn´t change a lot if he wasn't in it. However, he does have some opinions about Ken (for example, he mentions that Ken should die because he uses a ton of resources which could be used for kids in Africa).
by Agustina Gonzalez, Florencia Rivolta, Thiago Otero

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We feel like he uses his sense of humor to deal with the situation he is facing. He flirts with her to feel like he is still a person and not something that can survive thanks to a machine. “Hello, I'm afraid I can't offer you my hand” (Page 1). We believe that dr scott wants to help him yet she is blinded by her superior and because her job depends on hime, she trusts his opinion. “What dose wai it you prescribes?. (...) That is very small. You might have to increase it to five milligrams. Yes sir.” (Page 12). She didn't complain about what she was told to do. We would define him as a very experienced and competent doctor, and that is why he doesn't want to let Ken leave the hospital, because he can't cope with the guilt of letting a patient die under his watch. “Because Mr Harrison is incapable of living outside the hospital and it is my duty as a doctor to preserve life” (Page 41).

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Felipe Jimenez, Salvador Brex, Sebastián Larocca, Tomás Bolis Wilson and Franco Hong

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Felipe Jimenez, Salvador Brex, Sebastián Larocca, Tomás Bolis Wilson and Franco Hong

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1) While we were reading, we felt Ken acts in a flirtious way towards nurse Sadler. He uses some phrases like: "you are a breath of fresh air" (p.3).

2) According to Dr Scott, we think that she is a sensitive person since she does not want Ken to kill himself because she thinks that "he´s so... bright... intelligent..." (p.35) and he can´t understand how a smart person like him want to commit suicide. Besides, she was really sad about it and she talks with him, trying to persuade him, but there was no way of changing Ken´s mind. Nevertheless, this doctor was pretty kind with Ken and a person who cares about him, so she was important for him.

3) Dr Emerson is an excelent proffesional in his job, as he wanted to help his patients as much as he can. We can prove this with his proposal towards Ken, that allows him to stay and die at the hospital since he wanted to kill himself. However, in some parts of the story, like when Ken talks to him to be discharged from the hospital, he acts in a quite reluctant way over his thoughts. This can be seen when Emerson says: "his knowledge isn´t based on experiemce of a hundred such cases. He can´t know enough to challenge our clinical decisions" (p.20).

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1) The ending of the play was not as we hoped as Ken, the main character, decided to stay at the hospital after all his efforts to be free and be discharged from the hospital. What we thought it was unexpected was when Ken said: "I wont change my mind, but Idlike to stay." (page 76)

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Sebastian Larocca, Felipe Jimenez, Frnaco Hong, Salvador Brex and Tomas Bolis

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Sebastian Larocca, Felipe Jimenez, Frnaco Hong, Salvador Brex and Tomas Bolis

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4) Habeas Corpus is a writ, which guarantees the previlege of the petition and sets the requirements for the execution. In this writ, the person is able to choose what to do with his own body. This can be aply to Ken "It is a question of dignity. Look at me here. I can do nothing, not even the basic primitive functions. I cannot even urinate, I have a permanent catheter attached to me (...) Only my brain functions unimpaired but even that is futile because I can´t act on any concusions it comes to. This hearing proves that."
(p. 73) Here, Ken was unhappy with his situation, saying he wasn´t in control of his body.

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1) The play can be called a good example of the theme as two points of view to the subject (which is if Ken should get discharged or not) are shown: the patient (Ken) and the doctors (Emerson, Scott).
2) Ken defines being professional (in the case of doctors) as treating a patient against their interests.
3) It can be seen via the use of a stethoscope (p.7), a valium tablet (p.13), the use of a needle with valium (p.21), a catheter (p.34), oxygen (p.62), drips (p.76), etc.
By; Florencia Rivolta, Agustina Gonzalez and Thiago Otero

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1) Ken and Doctor Scott seem to have a neutral relationship in the beginning of the play, but they start getting quite close. Dr. Scott loves Ken as well, as we can see in the following stage direction: ''She turnts and moves to Ken as if to kiss him.''
2) First of all, Kay seems to be a little bit less professional than Sister. We can see this in page 17 when she spends a long time with a steriliser. Sister also has way more authority and everyone seems to be scared of her. We can see this in the following quote. ''Nurse: She'll kill you; no-one ever sits on her chair.''
3) Ken let her fiancee go because he didn't want her to be stranded next to him all day. When it comes to his parents, he didn't tell his father what he wanted to do, but he told it to his mother as she understood him.
By: Florencia Rivolta, Agustina Gonzalez and Thiago Otero.

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1) Ken reacts to this optimism by answering a question that the nurse asked, as we can see in the following quote: ''Ken: You said: ''were you a teacher?'' You should have said: ''are you a teacher?''. I mean, you're now part of the optimism industry. Everyone who deals with me acts as though, for the first time in the history of medical science, a ruptured spinal column will heal itself(...)''. (p.2) In our opinion, he answered like this to the nurse due to the fact that he's exhausted of being treated like a dumb person.
2) Ken believes that tranquilizers are designed ''to insert rose coloured filters'' behind his eyes and to ''call me (Ken), soothe me, and make me forget for a while that you have a lovely body.'' (p.9)
3) The Mental Health Act of 1959 state that a doctor can keep a patient in a hospital against their will if the doctor considers that the patient is depressed.
4) Habeas corpus is a writ which helps with the release of people from a facility without a proper cause. In the case of Ken, it applies because he's forced to stay in the hospital even though he doesn't need to.
By: Florencia Rivolta, Agustina Gonzalez, Thiago Otero.

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1) How did you feel as you read about the way Ken behaved towards nurse Sadler? 2) What are your opinions about Dr Scott? 3) How would you define Dr Emerson?

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1) Is the ending what you hoped for as you read the play? Explain. 2) How would the story have been different if it had had a different ending? Would the play’s message have been the same? 3) How relevant is John’s character in the development of the story?

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1) To what extent is the play a good example of the IB theme “ethics”? 2) How does Ken define “being professional”? Do you agree with this definition? 3) How can scientific innovation be seen in the play?

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1) What do you think about the relationship between Ken and Dr. Scott? 2) What differences do you see between the new nurse (Kay) and Sister? 3) What do you make of Ken’s relationship with his fiancée and his parents?

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1) Ken calls the hospital staff the “optimism industry”. How does he react to this optimism? Why? 2) What are Ken’s views on the purpose of tranquilizers? 3) What does the Mental Health Act of 1959 state? 4) What is “Habeas Corpus”? How does this law apply to Ken?

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1)Yes, as he was suffering being there all day long, and having no hope of leaving that hospital or even walking, during the lecture I wished that Ken could accomplish his aims   . 2) Another ending for this play could be that the judge didn't let Ken die as he wants, in that case the message would be different because Ken would live suffering all his life. 3) John is not very relevant in the story but he helps Ken realize that at least one person treats him like a normal person and not like a disable person.
Ornella and Victoria

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We believe that the book is a good example of the IB theme “ethic” because it is discussed whether it is ok for Ken to be discharged, and from the doctors ethic it is no ok that he is discharged because for him patients should be alive, and for ken's ethics, his decision should be respected: “And morality, you must accept my decision. Not according to my morals. And why are yours better than mine? They´re better because you're more powerful. I am in your power” (Page 35). According to Ken, being professional is following your superiañs orders. We both agree that for us this definition is correct and also agree that  being professional also means doing what you think is best for the patient: ”It's called being professional isn´t it? (...) I don't want any more of that, it's horrid. Patients are requested not to ask for credits for their intelligence, as refusal often offends (Page 10)”. In the text is mentioned the valium which works by calming the brain and nerves. Another thing that is mentioned is: ”Miracle of modern science” (Page 34) that would help him read or to type.

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Paulina Prokopic, Zoe Gonzalez and Lucia Lobos Busoni

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Paulina Prokopic, Zoe Gonzalez and Lucia Lobos Busoni

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CHARACTERS

1. How did you feel as you read about the way Ken behaved towards nurse Sadler?

I felt awkward with the situation that he put her through. Ken was aware of the fact that the nurse was new in the hospital and that she was unsure of how things worked there; so it seemed like he was taking advantage of the situation. However, he did try to teach her some things, for instance, that she should not introduce herself to patients with her first name, but with her surname. For example, when he says: “Tut tut; second lesson. You mustn’t use the past tense” (Page 2). This shows how he telled her all the things she needed to change.

2. What are your opinions about Dr Scott?

She was the only one who was sympathetic towards Ken's situation and respected his dignity of choice, even though she obviously wanted him to live. This can be seen when she says: “He may be unqualified, but he is the one affected.” (Page 19), referring that he should also choose what to do with his life. She listened to him and tried to understand his feelings and intended for him to be comfortable and have what he wanted.

3. How would you define Dr Emerson?

A professional doctor that only followed the rules of the medicine and believed that all his patients must do what he told them; that is because the only one capable of making decisions were the doctors, who were the most informed. “Dr. Emerson: But in spite of two qualified opinions, you accept the decision of someone completely unqualified to take it.” (Page 19). This quote represents how he feels, he was questioning a doctor for considering an inexperienced opinion. He was paternalist, as he put his duty as a doctor before his sympathy, and thought that he was entitled to choose over someone else's life.

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1)Is a good extent because it tells how the hospital manipulates Ken so he wants to live more by giving him drugs that his body didn't need without his consent.
2)Ken defines ”being professional” by following the rules in the case of nurses and in the case of the doctors that they have to keep alive their patients no matter what they want.
3)Stethoscope(page 7), Valium(page 10), Enema(page 34) and drips(page 76)

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Ken reacts to the optimism industry as a fake thing because as he said: “ Everyone who deals with me acts as though, for the first time in the history of medical science, a ruptured spinal column will heal itself, it's just a bit of a bore waiting for it to happen”. (Page 2). He doesn't believe that his illnesses can be cured and there is no reason to be optimistic about that. Ken believes that tranquilizers affect his state of mind: ” My consciousness is the only thing I have and I must claim the right to use it, as far as possible, act on conclusions I may come to “. (Page 14). The mental Health Act of 1959 states the term of mental disorder for the first time: "mental illness as distinct from learning disability. The definition was “mental illness; arrest or incomplete development of mind; psychopathic disorder; and any other disorder or disability of mind”. Habeas Corpus is any of several common-law writs issued to bring a party before a court or judge. This can be related to Ken´s case because he can ask for an Habeas corpus to go to court so that a judge can decide whether he should be released from the hospital or not.

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1)They have a neutral relationship, they have always talked in a kind way and also Ken jokes about her. Dr Scott also supports Ken’s idea.”I’ve brought you something to help you(...), Only the best in this hospital, You’re spoiling me you know(...).(page 13).
2)First of all Sister is more professional and has more experience than Nurse Kay. Ken talks more to Nurse and jokes with her proving that he has a closer relationship with her than with Sister.3)Ken have a really good relationship with his fiancée and his parents.The reason that he does not talks with his fiancée is that he wants her to have a free life and not taking care of him all the time.

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1. They used to have a distant relationship with each other but as the time passed they connected more and so they began to flirt with each other. “But each part carries on bravely yearning for a woman in a white coat.” (page 7)

2. Nurse Kay is kinder, she is understanding with Ken, between them they have a much more relaxed relationship and conversation and she also treats Ken like a human and not like a patient: “An acolyte, bearing a cup. I beg your pardon?. Nothing. I was joking. It's nothing.It's coffee.You're joking now.” (page8)

Which sister does the complete opposite, she is more serious and strict with everyone. “I'm a Sister not a Madame” 3. Ken talked to his fiancée and decided to leave their relationship since he did not want to be a burden to her, and he didn't want her to be on his own.

Both of his parents know that he had an accident but they didn’t know that he wanted to get discharged from the hospital

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Felipe Jimenez, Sebastian Kim, Salvador Brex, Tomas Bolis Wilson, Sebastian Larocca y Franco Hong.

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Felipe Jimenez, Sebastian Kim, Salvador Brex, Tomas Bolis Wilson, Sebastian Larocca y Franco Hong.

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1) During the text, we can see that Dr. Scott an Ken have a very common and natural relationship since the beginning. Then, they start to get to know each other more and they become really close friends and have a good time.

2) The difference between Nurse and Sister is that the nurse is like the person who works at the hospital and Sister has a more important position and looks like more professional than the Nurse. We can see this in page N.1 thats says the following: "Can you manage for a moment Nurse"? After this, the nurse leaves. This is a clear example of how Nurse obeys Sister as if she was her boss.

3) Talking about his parents, Ken didn´t tell his father what he wanted to do but he did tell his mother as she understood him. Refering to his fiancee, he let her go because he did not wanted to see him in this situation and he did not wanted her to be next to him every day.

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PLOT

1. Is the ending what you hoped for as you read the play? Explain.

Yes, because as throughout the story, we got to see all the different points of view, and came to the conclusion that what Ken wished for, was a totally normal reaction to a really tough situation. Also, because he acted rational the entire time, you could recognize the fact that he was not depressed and actually wanted to stop living like that.

2. How would the story have been different if it had had a different ending? Would the play’s message have been the same?

The story message would completely change since Ken would have fought in vain and it would make the end more depressive and sad since the climax created a lot of tension and the readers would have gotten disappointed by the end.

3. How relevant is John’s character in the development of the story?

It wasn’t relevant to other characters but he had an important role in Ken's life because he was the only one who made him feel like a regular person who isn't ill. For example, when he joked about his condition using sarcasm and irony, something nobody also would even question to do out of pity.

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THEMES

1. To what extent is the play a good example of the IB theme “ethics”?

This play is a good example of ethics because it is shown in two points of view: the medical one, who strongly believed that Ken must stay alive since it’s their duty to save the patients; and Ken who claimed that it was his choice to make because it was his life who was at risk, dignity of choice.

2. How does Ken define “being professional”? Do you agree with this definition?

Being a professional for Ken is to act by following the rules without thinking about the patient's feelings and decisions, and only doing your work unsympathetically. We don't agree with this definition because it's not always accurate; being professional does mean that you have to follow the rules, however, not all doctors act unsympathetically as they professionally let patients have opinions.

3. How can scientific innovation be seen in the play?

The scientific innovation can be seen when the doctors tell Ken that he can keep living with new machines and artifacts that make it easier for him to do things such as reading. However, he refuses to live like a scientific experiment. When he is talking to Mrs Boyle, he jokingly asks if there is a machine that would let him read a book called “How to be a sculptor with no hands” (Page 29), as he used to be one before the accident and knew that he would never be able to dedicate to that again.

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RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN CHARACTERS

1. What do you think about the relationship between Ken and Dr. Scott?

The Relationship between Ken and Dr. Scott was really strong even though she always tried to be professional with him.She was very sympathetic and maybe that led Ken to mislead the situation. That is why Ken wanted to go out with her and got a bit jealous and sad when she had dinner with Hill, as he knew that he would never be able to take her on a real date because of his condition. We can notice this feeling when Ken says “I know I engaged him to act for me. I didn't realize he would see his duties so comprehensively.”

2. What differences do you see between the new nurse (Kay) and Sister?

The Sister had experience meanwhile Kay was new to the job. Meaning that the Sister sometimes knew how to handle some type of situations meanwhile Kay did not. The Sister handled her job more professionally and she knew Ken better than Kay. The nurse was more humanistic and many Ken's comments shocked her since she was not used to his humor.

3. What do you make of Ken’s relationship with his fiancée and his parents?

Ken didn't want his parents and fiancee to suffer, so when he made the decision to be discharged from the hospital, he chose to push them away, so that they wouldn't feel guilty and wouldn't try to convince him otherwise.

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GENERAL QUESTIONS

1. Ken calls the hospital staff the “optimism industry”. How does he react to this optimism? Why?

Ken expresses that everyone in the hospital is annoyingly optimistic as they keep trying to convince him to keep living by telling him that there is hope and he can survive with the help of technology. So, he believes that this “optimism” is annoying and irrelevant to his decision making. We can see this attitude in the following quote “Everyone acts as though, for the first time in the history of medical science, a ruptured spinal column will heal itself”.

2. What are Ken’s views on the purpose of tranquilizers?

He hated them because he said that they interfered with his consciousness, being that the only thing he had left since he could do anything else than thinking. He didn't want his mind to be disturbed.

3. What does the Mental Health Act of 1959 state?

Its main objective is to abolish the distinction between psychiatric hospitals and other types of hospitals and to deinstitutionalize mental health patients and see them treated more by community. In the play, it is used to keep Ken under the hospital's care, making the doctors able to choose what to do with his life, claiming that he was mentally unstable and therefore, unable to make a rational choice.

4. What is “Habeas Corpus”?

Habeas Corpus is a writ requiring a person to be brought before a judge or court, especially for investigation of a restraint of the person's liberty, used as a protection against illegal imprisonment.

5. How does this law apply to Ken?

This law applied to Ken as he was being wrongly held under Section 26, the Mental Health Act, because Dr Emerson claimed that he was mentally ill and unable to make a reasonable choice.