"It's Never Just Heart Disease . . ."

Heart Disease is never really just "Heart Disease". Well what is it really? It symbolizes very important aspects of pieces of literature. Heart disease can symbolize bad love, loneliness, cruelty, disloyalty, cowardice, and lack of determination. Heart disease in literature is both a symbol and an actual thing. Authors use it because everyone can relate. We know when we are in love, when we get heartbroken. You feel the happiness in your heart. You can also feel that pain in your chest. You can feel that loneliness. Authors use this simple idea because that is one thing that separates us. That is one aspect that makes us human. The physical pain is a representation of the emotional struggle. It shows that the emotions felt by the characters were as strong and painful as if they were physical. Although it can be shown in different ways, heart disease should be associated with the intangible heart.
 "The Story of an Hour" where the woman is given the news that her husband has been killed in a train accident. She locks herself in her room and finds that she sees the world in a whole new light, she can almost taste freedom. At the end, her husband walks in and she dies on the spot of "a joy that killed." In reality, having freedom so unexpectedly thrust upon her and then yanked away again is what killed her.  It can be a vital part of understanding the true meaning of the novel. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, Ms. Dubose is ill and became an addict of the morphine she was taking. She is slowly deteriorating and she is well aware of it. The little boy neighbor Jem ruined her flowers and as a punishment he had to read to her. By reading to her, she did not think about her morphine, and slowly but surely she broke her habit. Everyday Jem read less and less to her, where eventually he stopped reading to her entirely. Shortly after, Ms. Dubose died from her agonizing sickness. Her sickness was a slow process. That’s significant in that it symbolizes the long pain-staking process it took for her to break her morphine addiction. Upon her death, Jem took great insight. He realized how courageous she was in starting a new goal even though she knew she was going to die. She wanted to end the addiction and cut it off at the roots before she left. Jem realized that the racism-taking place in the community had to be cut off at the roots or it would never end. Ms. Dubose meaningful illness and death developed Jem into a wiser and more understanding young man. He understands what courage is, and accepts his father's decision to help Tom. Lastly, from the book “Freak the Mighty” Kevin and Max become friends, soon closer than ever. They do everything together. One this is Max did not know that Kevin also known as Freak was dying of a disease causing his heart to grow abnormally. Before freak passed away he gave max a book to write their story. Once he passed away max goes into isolation and stops going to school. After a little motivation he begins writing the book of “Freak the Mighty” Not all heart diseases come with bad outcomes. Max realized he could have a friend and he wasn’t stupid like everyone was calling him. He now had a purpose. Symbolizing the growth of a friendship and a person.