In Emergency Sex, we are introduced to the humanitarian experience of authors, Kenneth Cain, Heidi Postlewait and Andrew Thomson. At first thought, I originally considered Heidi to have been the most changed from her humanitarian experiences, but after reconsideration, I wanted to discuss Andrews change throughout the book. I found that his shift was a more subtle and largely internal one, which later influenced his actions and thought processes by the end of the text. He also intrigued me the most out of the three of the authors as well although I felt they all experienced unfathomable things and each found it difficult and sometimes out of their hands to assist the people in the communities they were sent to help at times. Reading their personal accounts of what happened was intriguing.
At the start of the text, I think Andrew had found purpose from his work, but he also thought of himself as integral or necessary in addressing the present injustice. An admirable position, but he pours himself into it at his own expense. He makes mention of a never-ending tension with no one to pass the buck to (Cain 12) as well as stating that “contentment in life comes from serving others, not oneself (Cain 23).” Again, this is a position I commend, yet it’s also this engulfing idealism under the “missionary” umbrella from J’s humanitarian worker stages — Missionary, Mercenary, Mystic and Misfit analysis.
I think Andrew struggled with wanting to cure, or fix, everyone but knowing he couldn’t. Early on, he had to realize that he could fix one aspect of something, but still not necessarily have a beneficial, long-term result. He mentions a man whose leg he had to amputate to save his life, but states, “I’ve saved his life, but ruined his future (Cain 7).” He later accounts his time in the T3 National Security Prison in Cambodia where he was sent to treat the inmate’s disease outbreak of beriberi. All the while having to maneuver around the guard’s counterproductive measures, highlighting that, “The more I cure, the more they shackle (Cain 52).” And also later Andrew is integral in the release of 40 prisoners, but the subsequent crime wave negates that progress. Despite these setbacks though, Andrew seemed very fulfilled by this type of aid work.
Later in the text, while In Haiti, he is not tasked with providing medical services at first and consequently felt a gaping void. He only feels fulfillment again later after he is granted access to a prison and allowed to treat their prisoners. He states, “Do I need sick prisoners as much as they need a doctor? (Cain 142)” It appeared that he reveled in that codependency though, making a arguably unhealthy association with his medical aid work and his self-worth.
As the text progresses, we see this struggle Andrew faces with needing to be utilized as a humanitarian doctor, not just a doctor or just a humanitarian. However, he also sees what potential hindrances may result by his, or rather the U.S., presence. Towards the end of the book, I think Andrew was able to recognize his limitations in a positive way. That he could transfer from a macro to a micro way of treatment and still be fulfilled; and still be a humanitarian. That he doesn’t have to extend himself beyond his capacity.
I think Andrew cared more for inward self-identity than outward perception of himself since he equated his worth with his service. He would be praised by others but still feeling useless when he wasn’t doing work that made him fulfilled. When considering Andrews moral career, it appears that he considered himself a helper initially, then he alternated between a defender, a subordinate, a betrayer and a consultant but above all else, a doctor. From the missionary, mercenary, mystic and misfit stages model, we see him particularly go through the 1st and last elements. He wants to help everyone and thinks he will be fulfilled by serving others, similar to the concept of a missionary and later he experiences the feelings of being out of place both when he returns home and when he was overseas, except for Cambodia, where he eventually planned to relocate.
If I could meet Andrew, I would likely ask him what he would’ve done differently during his service overseas, if anything? I would ask if he thought he had elements of the white-savior complex in the beginning, and how/when he realized that he was considering people on these areas as a whole population and not as individual patients? Lastly, I would ask him if he felt that sacrificing himself was the only way to reach this commitment he spoke of?
Some quotes at the end really stood out to me from Andrew:
“I set out to save lives and have ended up collecting the dead. Somewhere along the line, I lost sight of treating people and became obsessed with my own grandiose ideals of service. But there is no redemption in this. I’ve worked myself into the ground only to end up doing the very thing my parents begged me to avoid. I’ve ended up serving myself (Cain 254).”
“I should never have joined the UN thinking we could make peace everywhere… To practice medicine you have to accept that there will always be disease. But because of what I saw on that operating table, I couldn’t accept that there will always be a war (Cain 293).”“While for me, with each successive mission, individuals somehow got lost; they became Haitians, Rwandas, Bosnians — populations, not people (Cain 293).”
“I tell her, ‘I just can’t do it. I’m a doctor, and this is a mission for a saint (Cain 289).”
Works Cited
Arcaro, Tom. “The Moral Career of a Humanitarian Aid Worker.” Aid Worker Voices, https://blogs.elon.edu/aidworkervoices/?p=414. Accessed 17 Mar. 2019.
Cain, Kenneth, Heidi Postlewait, and Andrew Thomson. Emergency Sex and Other Desperate Measures: A True Story from Hell on Earth. New York: Hyperion, 2004. Print.
J. Missionary, Mercenary, Mystic, Misfit. Evil Genius Publishing, 2013. Print.