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Diana Servin
Lasley
CTW I
26 October 2016
MBM Lense Essay
A key to understanding a person's behavior is getting to know them on a deeper level,
getting to know their past experiences, and who they were up to this moment. Amy E. Robillard
develops this idea that the past and personal history is part of human identity and influences
decisions in the present and the hopes for the future in her essay Its time for Class: Toward a
More Complex Pedagogy of Narrative. She further develops the importance of identity by
recognizing how vital identity is to understanding ones place in the world and how ones
perspective makes the perception of time different for every person. Her idea has much truth
when it comes to attempting to understand Paul Farmer, an infectious disease specialist that is
passionately devoted to helping the Haitian population among other underrepresented
populations fight Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. By understanding Robillards emphasis on the
past and how it shapes the future, it is possible to analyze Paul Farmer's life choices in Tracy
Kidders book Mountains Beyond Mountains. Understanding the motivation behind Farmers
sacrifice can be accomplished by taking into consideration his childhood and his upbringing
when judging his present decisions. Taking into consideration Robillard's emphasis on
understanding one's history to understand identity and time, the motives behind Farmers total
devotion to his patients can become apparent.
Parents influence the decisions of their children to a certain extent because they were the
ones who raised them. Farmer went to Duke for college but he did not let that define him or his

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attitude towards humanitarian work. Farmer grew up humble, lived in a bus transformed by his
father into a home. He was encouraged to do his best and had the support of those around him,
his family pushed him but made sure not to feed his ego. Someone who impacted Farmer greatly
was his father. Farmer was exposed to the dreamer side of his father, the Warden, in his
childhood the Warden had never gone out to see, but even back in Alabama he'd been buying
boating magazines (Kidder 51). Alabama is not precisely a boating town, but the Warden did
not let that stop him from pursuing his passion. The Warden went and bought a boat and
achieved his goal of sailing it and his family even lived in it. This influenced Farmer not to be a
sailor but it instilled that the determination and persistence exhibited by the Warden which
translates to that with which Farmer approaches the situation in Haiti. Farmer grew up around a
man that knew no obstacles and always pushed those around him to achieve in the highest degree
possible and this is the way Farmer runs Zamni Lasante, his clinic for tuberculosis in the Cange
in Haiti. He pushes his staff to do all they can in order to help a patient even if that means
traveling an immense distance just to make sure that they are following the strict regime that
could save their lives. Many would quit because the task of saving an entire nation from
Tuberculosis is daunting, but Farmer never quits and does not let any barrier diminish his passion
to help the people in need. The way in which parents influence their children could also be seen
in Its time for Class: Toward a More Complex Pedagogy of Narrative when Robillard
mentions in that she doesn't know how her mother developed the understanding of time that she
passed onto us (Robillard 84). Robillard was influenced by her mother's beliefs that time is
valuable and that being on time is an important skill. Both Robillard and Farmer mimic their
parents in their most predominant characteristics for Farmer it is persistence and for Robillard it
is time. It could be that her mother's emphasis on the importance of time is what led her to

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incorporate her career and an abstract concept like time into her paper. Similarly Farmer shares
that parental influence as he exhibits an unwavering determination to cure Haiti of a plaguing
disease. Growing up under enforced rules shapes the way which a person grows up because the
values instilled as a child become a part of the adult as they are implemented into their daily life.
The fact that Farmer reflects his father shows that Farmer was observant in the way in which his
father approached obstacles and life in general. Nothing deterred or frightened him, no challenge
was too big and these are some of the main drivers of Farmers success as a well rounded human
being. Without knowing a brief history about Farmer and who his father, the Warden, was as a
reader or observer of Farmers character one might be astonished and perplexed at how
nonchalant Farmer appears when faced with such a seemingly impossible task. When there is
background knowledge is becomes clear that yes, Farmer has an unwavering determination to
always do all he can and even more to save a patient but this key aspect of his identity is
somewhat borrowed from his father. Robillard stresses the importance of keeping the past close
in order to be able to develope one's identity, Farmers does this exactly. He never forgets where
he came from, his childhood, or his family which is what gives him that drive to do the
impossible and still go beyond that.
Despite his immense success Paul Farmer has a nagging feeling that there is still more he
needs to do in Haiti. Many look up to Farmer and admire him, treating him like a superhuman,
he is the one with all the answers and the cures. He does not let all the praise make him snobby
but rather he remains humble. He mentions to Kidder that People call me a saint and I think, I
have to work harder. Because a saint would be a great thing to be (Kidder 16). Farmer does
not take this compliment as a signal to quit because he has done so much already, he takes this
and makes it a goal to become as great as a saint. He gains the approval of the people and turns it

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into motivation to not let down the suffering people that have placed so much faith into his work
and himself.This a very clear example of one of Robillard's main point that the past dicates who
one becomes. He can remain humble because as a child all he ever wanted was the approval of
the Warden, which he did not receive until the Warden passed. Farmers father saw the greatness
and the immense potential that Farmer possessed, but did not want to spoil it by making Farmer
believe he was better than others. A key to the success of Farmer is that he remained grounded
and kept working hard even as he achieved great things. The fact that Farmer had to try
immensely for his father to tell him he was proud set Farmer's standards very high of what kind
of person he should be. Because his father had high standards for Farmer and his brothers,
Farmer is not satisfied with just saving one person he has to save everyone or else there is no rest
for him.
Another of Robillard's main focuses in her paper is that members of different
socioeconomic classes have a different perception of time. While all time elapses at the same rate
the value that it beholds varies with each person's individual perspective. Robillard grew up in a
working class family and she mentions how her focus was always on today, how to just get
through the day (Robillard 85). Her perception of time was motivated by her hourly wage and
because each minute counted to get the full day's wage not one minute was wasted. Similar to
Farmers perception of time, his was not so much motivated by wage but by death and survival.
Farmer was not just another American attempting to help and then leaving midway when he had
satisfied that need to help others. He cared for the people there he was horrified at their situation
and decided to do something about it, he never abandons a patient and takes every death to heart.
His sacrifice and ability to fully comprehend what solidarity means is what made him such a
beloved figure among the people. He was able to emerge himself in Haiti and because of this he

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had the same urgency that they did when they approached a new day as any day could be their
last because of the high rate of Tuberculosis, war, violence, and lack of sanitation. To Farmer,
every day, minute, second counted because every moment he was not treating somebody, that
person might die because of the delay or care or because they didn't get diagnosed in time. To
him every death was personal, it was always on him, he took the responsibility of saving
everyone knowing that time is limited and only so much can be done. In his case, time is a
precious resource and an unforgiving enemy, he has all the time in the world but that is not
enough, he sacrifices personal time because that is a luxury compared to what he could be doing
for the Haitian population. Many of Americans take time for granted as there is always a
tomorrow or a later, but for Farmer and the underdeveloped Haitians there is only the present and
the now because there is immense uncertainty whether they will be healthy enough to continue
onto the next day. On a trip to Cuba, Farmer declares to Kidder I can sleep here. Everyone here
has a doctor. (Kidder 196). Sleep is a luxury to Farmer and the perception of time is altered by
geography and the social structure in Cuba, while they don't have the most popular form of
government, they have high sanitation standards as well as enough doctors for every citizen to
get two. Cuba takes care of all the sick so time can slow down for Farmer he does not need to be
up every second of the day running around. He can enjoy the luxury of having time, time for
himself, time to chat, time to sleep. Here Famer can relax because everyone that needs care is
receiving it. His focus is still on helping the populations that have been pushed aside but for once
his time is his own to a certain extent, so he can take the luxury of sleeping, many might take this
for granted but Farmer needs it as he spends little time on himself and recovering so he can help
others to the best of his ability.

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The relativity of time comes in conflict with the widely accepted idea of delayed
gratification (Robillard 76). Robillard defines this term by saying that working class students
are taught to forget about the past and present and focus on what the future will bring. The future
is created by the past and present actions, therefore making students focus on the future by
forgetting their history, which might lead them to make bad decisions since there is no
foundation that they can hold on to or reference. The past mistakes are what will make the future
better. This idea of delayed gratification can not only be applied to a scholarly environment but is
rather a concept that is overpowering in every aspect of life, do good now and the rewards will
come later, follow the rules now and everything will work out in the future. The problem with
this is that some people do not have a future or do not have the right tools to stay on track and
wait for the rewards. In terms of the tuberculosis (TB) patients, they do not have a future without
the right treatment and the current treatment being administered by the World Health
Organization not working out for them, they are only getting sicker and they don't have to
luxury to wait for the government to stop turning a blind eye and face the fact that there must be
something done in the now not in the future. Farmer recognizes this in the underdeveloped
nations but it is more explicitly shown when he goes to Peru where it is apparent that the plan
developed by World Health Organization was profiting everyone except the sick. There was a set
plan to combat Tuberculosis, but it did not account for any mutations of the virus, which led to
the deaths of many people because there was no recognition of the programs past flaws. The
government and the people are waiting for the rewards but they do not seem to materialize. The
difference between the two is that the public is vocal and acknowledges that delayed gratification
is not coming, the treatment will not save lives instead death is taking their family member. The
government on the other hand does not want to admit to failure and is pushing the idea of health

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in the long run on the public. Here, this disconnect between the past and the present was deadly
since many suffered the consequences of the disregard of the past. Farmer knew who he was and
what he wanted to do since an early age, and it was this vast knowledge and experiences from
Haiti and medical school that allowed him to recognize what was wrong in Peru. Sonya Shin one
of the other doctors in Peru working with Farmer said The system couldn't do another regimen,
because of the fear that the would be admitting a bigger problem ( Kidder 144). The
government faces a fear of embarrassment and failure if they do admit that the plan that was so
largely enforced is not resulting in the most positive outcomes. They need this plan to work out
in the long run not only because of the many patients that are desperately in need of a cure but
also because their reputation is on the line. The gratification was supposed to come but instead
time brought them failure and a deadly pride to the nation. People who seeked treatment were
told to wait but waiting was not an option when their family members and loved ones were dying
right before their eyes. The fear and grief only intensified their urgency and their impatience for
a delayed gratification kind of solution. The plan was developed by those distanced and
unaffected by the problem therefore they have no urgency to update the plan at the speed that the
people most affected by the disease need it. Farmer lives among these people, he share tears of
joy and sadness with them, they have taken him in and he has accepted them and their problems
making them part of him.
Time and background are interrelated because one's perception of time is highly
influenced by where one grew up and where one lives. Farmer grew up in a working class family
and while now in his adult life he is a respected infectious disease specialist that could be living a
upper class life, he chooses to basically live in Haiti and sleep in a dentist chair. Farmer has
developed a different concept of time than that of someone like Ophelia, a fellow colleague of

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Farmer, might have because their backgrounds are different. Ophelia grew up in a household
where her parents were Roald Dahl the famous writer and her mother was Patricia Neal a well
recognize actress. Since Ophelia grew up with more privilege it has proven more difficult to
immerse herself in the urgency that plagues the Haitians and Farmer. She has not evolved her
concept of time to that which the Haitians need, the urgently need care and every second, minute
could be their last this is what makes Farmer so successful and loved among the Haitian
population. He understands the urgency and fear with which they live their daily lives, but he
also understands that they find joy in the little things as they do not have the luxury of wasting
time. In Haiti having down time is a luxury where as in the United States down time can almost
be perceived as a necessity. One of the doctors that feeds during turmoil in Haiti explains his
abandonment of the problem by yelling at Farmer I am an American ( Kidder 80). This
mentality allows people to be detached from their work and the suffering of other people. Their
nationality gives them the privilege to think these problems will never occur to them, the disease
will never infect them, the poverty never impact them, these problems are distant because they
are an American, there is no urgency to cure the disease. The time spent helping the Haitian
population could be spent helping others back in the US because to them the problem is not at
home and there is no rush to help because they did not take the time to develope a relationship
with the people or the nation as a whole.
The past can be difficult to remember and in some occasion one may not want to
remember the past but there is great value in every breathing moment. In education there is a
disparity in the value placed on personal narratives and in how time is relative, where the most
impacted and hurt by such indifference and inequality are the working-class or low-income
students. Robillard dissects this idea through her concepts of delayed gratification and by

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expanding on why background and history are key tools in analyzing a person's life decisions.
Through her ideas one can more clearly visualize what makes Farmers identity unique and what
forces drive his passion in helping the marginalized populations of the world. It is as if there is
no distance that he will not go to stretch out his hand in solitude and in support. He has become
to the Haitian people a hero because he has shown to them that he cares, that just because he is
light skinned does not mean that he cannot be a part of their community or that he will not fight
their fight. He stands up for them because they cannot do it themselves he has embodied their
pleads, their fear, their struggles throughout years of living among them that he is no longer just
an infectious disease specialist from Boston he is Dokter Farmer, the advocate of the Haitian
people, the founder of Zamni Lasante a health clinic that gives the people hope and life. This
Paul Farmer could not be without keeping close to his family, his roots and his identity. The way
with which he keeps his roots so close does not mean he is unfixable, he knows who he is and
what he values and applies that to the various situations that are placed before him and as a result
he has grown as a person because he allows himself to be molded by his surroundings to a
certain extent. He adds on to what he already knows constantly evolving in order for his work to
survive and also in order to help those around him survive as well.