Back to: UP Board Class 12th English Guide and Notes
Table of Contents
Introduction:
‘I am John’s Heart’ is a famous article written by J D Ratcliff. It talks about a human heart is personified. It talks about hearts in general ought to be maintained in order to lead a healthy, happy life.
About the Author:
J D Ratcliff (1967-) is notable for his essays and articles on topics around science. He is known for writing in an engaging manner. ‘I am John’s Heart’, his well-known article, was published in the ‘Reader’s Digest’.
Theme:
The theme of this article is maintaining good health. By donning the voice of the heart, the author details on the dangers and precautions to be undertaken for maintaining and leading a healthy lifestyle.
Summary:
Dedicated Slave:
John’s heart describes itself to be a dedicated slave. Here, it shuns the romanticized notions revolving around it and refuses to calls itself a ‘beauty’ and instead describes itself to be ‘pear-shaped’. Further, it details itself using precise numbers, ranging from its weight of 340 grams to the supposed distance it travels though the blood vessels.
John’s perception:
Despite it being such a vital, much more hard-working than other organs, John perceives it to be ‘fragile and delicate’, much to its annoyance. However, it is pleased by John’s lack of thinking about it in general as him being calm is what is good for his heart. His heart attempts to dismiss his occasional concerns, deeming it as normal functioning of a heart. Despite this, John is seen to be blaming everything on his heart, even a false anxiety of a heart attack, when it has nothing to do with it.
Nourishment:
The heart then details on how it gets nourishment. It gets nourishment from blood. ‘Coronary arteries’, it states, are its ‘weak spot’. For when these are blocked, it leads to a heart attack.
Heart attack:
The heart then goes on to state how John had had a heart attack five years ago and isn’t even aware of the fact. John takes lightly the fact that he is from a family that is prone to heart attack and the fact that he is overweight. He ignores his blood pressure and his habit of smoking too, unknowingly increasing his risk of getting a heart attack sooner than later. Again, his constant fretting and anxiety invariably leads to this too.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the main point the heart tries to make through John is this: It relaxes when its body does. It firmly asserts that exercising and diet, done on a regular, normal basis, would help with maintaining its health. Lastly, it states that in addition to this, should John quit smoking, it can take care of him just the way he does.
