Diving Bell and the Butterfly After 21 days in a coma, Bauby wakes up to find that he cannot move a solitary

muscle in his body save his left eyelid. An editor of the French Elle and a father of two children, the 45-year-old Bauby must adjust to living with a useless body after a stroke leaves him feeling as though he is weighed down like a diving bell, yet with thoughts and reflections that soar like a butterfly. Using winks to indicate letters, he describes his experiences with sardonic humor, lacking self-pity or religious tones one might expect from such a memoir, providing an inspirational read that defies expectations of a morose and broken man.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

1. Why do you think Bauby wrote this book? 2. Do you think Baubys response to his situation represents the norm? Explain. What was the role of friends and family in forming his outlook? How do you think you might respond if you found yourself in his situation? 3. Twice Bauby is transported to Paris for medical consultations. His response to familiar surroundings differs significantly from the first trip to the second. Discuss this change. 4. Why do you think the other patients undergoing physical therapy turn away from Bauby when he looks their way while strapped to his incline board? 5. Medical personnel treat Bauby in a variety of wayssome merely come in and silently complete their tasks, ignoring Bauby, while others make a point of interacting with him. Discuss the various responses and why you think they occur. 6. How do you think his locked-in persona differs from his previous personaaside from obvious? 7. Although Bauby has experienced a catastrophic and irreversible physical disability there is no discussion of assisted suicide. Why do you think this is the case? 8. What impact has Baubys story had on the way you think about people with disabilities?

9. How does the authors experience help you think about what it means to be human? How much can be taken away before too much is lost?

10. Would you say that Baubys book is life-affirming, inspirational..? 11. An award-winning film was recently released based on this book. If youve seen it, how does the movie compare to the book? Would you recommend this book (and/or film) to others? Why?