The Theme Of Oliver Sacks The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat

In His book entitled The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, Oliver Sacks tells 24 tales of various patients with neurological disorders. He breaks up his book into four parts to organize the stories based on the specific problems of the patients. These parts are called Losses, Excesses, Transports, and The World of the Simple. The story in which the book is named after, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, for example, is the first story in Losses. This is story was about a man by the name of Dr. P who “… never entered into relation with the picture as a whole— never faced, so to speak, its physiognomy” (Sacks 11). This man had a problem with keeping visual objects as a complete reality and would often forget certain things, such as the difference between his wife and a hat. Throughout the book, it is clear that the main reoccurring themes and points revolve around people with peculiar problems resulting from their brain disorders. Whether it be the loss of the function of a brain part, the excess functioning of a part, extreme dreams, or acts like a child, Sacks had to endure the various problems that his patients …show more content…
One meaningful quote to me was “Music has been the centre; now make it the whole, of your life” (Sacks 18). Sacks had said this to Dr. P because that was what kept him living. Music is a huge part of my life, and without it, my life would change completely. I feel that music keeps me sane and happy, and I feel upset and in despair without it. Music has brought me happiness, friends, new mentors, morals, and even a boyfriend. When I read that quote, I instantly thought how true this is. Psychologically challenged or not, music is a universal language; it works both sides of the brain and everyone around the world reads it as the same. You can give me anything, and I will make music with it; you can give me nothing, and