2016 Paper 1 SL Exemplar

          “The London Review of Books,” a literary magazine, published an essay written by the writer Gavin Francis in 2014.  The essay revolves around the nature of the medical profession through a personal an imaginative account, but focuses on highlighting the interaction of this science with the artistic beauty in nature.  Francis is able to present this duality by adapting a multiple of elements in structure and linguistic devices; to further cement his depiction of the relationship between the scientific and the literary, the writer draws on his own experience and introduces an anecdotal component.  This essay’s audience would be a large, presumably British readership that is interested in reading articles on politics, history, science, and the arts.  Furthermore, this essay would appeal to medical practitioners and students given the perspective under which is was written.

            The structure of the essay is crafted by the writer Francis is such a way that the relationship between science and art is enhanced.  The first two sentences draw a parallel between these two ideas.  The first sentence is objective in that a factual claim is presented: “Before stethoscopes were invented, physicians’ would listen to their patients’ hearts by laying one ear…”  This is immediately followed by a sentence that incorporates dramatic and emphatic elements drawing the reader’s attention to the interplay between science and nature.  This is particularly illustrated in the second sentence through “…against the breasts of our lovers, our parents or our children…”  Francis uses the rule of thirds, a structural device, in introducing “lovers,” “parents,” and “children.”  In doing so, the writer is able to highlight the connotations of these ideas, that of love and intimacy.  Furthermore, the sentence begins with the word “we’re,” suggesting that this sensation of love and intimacy is something that unifies people.  By shifting the dynamic of his register in the first two sentences, Francis portrays the prevalence of beauty in art and science.  This notion would be received by the general British population with agreement and validity as there are many instances in which art and science intertwine, in day-to-day life and beyond.  The last sentences, again, is able to summarize the essence of the writer’s message through the structure of the text.  The closing phrase “two rhythms within one, two lives within one body” displays a parallel through the use of the comma.  In doing this, Francis compares “rhythm” and “lives,” suggesting they are “within one.”  “Rhythm” is most commonly associated with music and art while “lives” is a largely scientific concept under the context of this essay.  By depicting them as one, Francis typifies the nature of his essay in presenting his message surrounding the interaction of science and art.

            Linguistic and stylistic features are also prevalent throughout the essay.  In the first paragraph, the writer says “It’s an odd sensations – intimate yet detached – to apply your ear to the chest of a stranger.”  A gentle atmosphere, but also one of “oddness” and peculiarity is amplified by the writer’s placement of “intimate yet detached” in the syntax of the sentence.  The use of the dash to isolate the phrase from the rest of the sentence introduces a pause for the readers.  In doing so, readers are able to acknowledge the professionalism in a doctor “placing” his or her “ear to the chest of a stranger” while also paying attention to the dramatic or emotional components in this interaction.  This phrase is further placed in the middle of the sentence, and the writer almost expands and adapts the structure of the sentence to suit the message.  The placement suggests “intimacy” while the pause from the dash reflects the “detachment.”  The writer, later, also uses “in order to be mixed with vital spirit, or pneuma…” The word “pneuma” is italicized and contemporary readers would approach this word under a scientific lens, given that the word sounds like a medical prefix or something similar.  However, Francis defines “pneuma” as a vital spirit.  Under the context of the theory of vitality, the “vital spirit” was considered a Godly intervention, one of beauty.  Through this, the writer is able to draw the connection between science and art.

            Another interesting component of this essay is the division in the account.  The writer begins by presenting an introductory paragraph, following it with a largely informative section, and finishing the essay with an anecdote.  The anecdote allows readers to take away the essence of the essay; the writer talks about an instance where a woman came to him to check on her child’s heartbeat.  Francis uses the phrase “an allegro played over an adagio” to describe the foetal heartbeat.  Reverting from using traditional medical descriptions of heartbeats or sounds, the author ties this back to musical elements, redefining the beauty in medicine and science.  Furthermore, the anecdote revolves around a mother and her baby in the womb.  For readers, this immediately has the connotation of life and rejuvenation and birth, ideas that can be applied to both art and science.  This appropriately chosen story allows Francis to cement his message regarding the profound relationship between art and science.   

            Doctors and medical students may also be drawn to the large informative paragraph in the middle of the essay.  Even amidst complex descriptions of the “systole” and the “diastole,” Francis uses similes like “the harp strings” and descriptions like “a soft percussive noise.”  All of these have images of purity and beauty, and in the context of the paragraph, the writer is able to incorporate art and science.  This may perhaps appeal to medical practitioners to see the beauty in their work.

            In conclusion, Gavin Francis published this beautifully crafted essay to convey an important message relevant to society.  While professionals, teachers, and even projects themselves may see fit to distinguish between the fields of art and science, Francis argues that they are very much interrelated.  Through the use of structural, stylistic, and linguistic devices, the writer further reiterates and cements his claims about the interconnectedness of science and art.