In this story, “The Mysteries of My Father’s Mind” by Rebecca Rotert, a whole complex of topics is raised related to the experiences of Alzheimer’s. The author describes the adult man whose brain is affected by the disease: it has a direct impact both on the man and on his family. This problem resonates with me because the question of relationships is of great interest for the research. A person whose memory is gradually deteriorating as a result of the disease may cling to some bright details surrounding his life.
The author’s essay aims to tell the story about the man whose life in recent years has been characterized by regular suffering. The author talks about the past, which preceded the onset of the disease, to emphasize how much the disease affects the character. Through the man’s relationship with his wife, who now goes to the opera with a friend instead of her husband, and the relationship with his son, who takes care about the father, the reader is exposed to the images of all the figures in the story.
The most crucial detail of the suffering man’s story is based on the concept of beauty. The son notes that beauty is the only thing that does not require a person’s memory. The father can forget the people living next door to him and forget where his wife is and whether he has a wife, but bright flowers will still make him admire.
Beauty can be the anchor that keeps people in the natural world. Feeling the failures in memory, the father can only cling to the bright details around him that will keep him in the world where such beauty exists. For this reason, the son supports his father by showing him the diverse and beautiful plants that grow near their home.
Alzheimer’s has no positive effect on the relationship between the patient and his family. Because of memory loss, the person forgets their loved ones and their home. However, one cannot forget the beauty, as it makes us feel admired every time. Rebecca Rotert writes that beauty can be the only thing that does not require a person’s memory. That is the reason why this work has had a significant impact on me, as it not only touched on the subject of relationships but also demonstrated the experiences of the patient.