The Power of Language: German Cancer Metaphors

Graduate student Amy Jones interviewed Jill Jones (‘20), who completed an independent study with Dr. Stefani Engelstein, focusing on historical and contemporary German metaphors for cancer. (Photo at right, from left-right, Jill's friend Hannah, Jill Jones, Jill's host sister, and Hannah's host sister watching Germany win the 2014 World Cup.)

***

Amy: Tell us about your independent study! What was a question (or questions) that you wanted to answer? How did you come up with the project?

Jill: I did the Power of Language FOCUS my freshman fall, and that program opened my eyes to the true power our word choice has in influencing how we perceive ourselves and the world around us – and how others perceive us. As a cancer researcher, my FOCUS experience made me particularly curious about how the language physicians and scientists use to talk about disease affects public and patient perceptions of health conditions, cancer in particular.

Since I’m proficient in German – and Germany has been a hub of cancer research since the 1800’s – I proposed an independent study with Dr. Engelstein, who specializes in science studies. Ultimately, I designed a three-period case study of German metaphors for cancer: throughout the nineteenth century, the Nazi period, and present day. I pulled from resources in the Rubenstein library, interlibrary requests, and online journal articles and textbooks to conclude that one metaphor stood out above all the rest: independence. Across time, many German scientists and physicians have discussed cancer cells and tumors in terms of being “autonomous,” “independent,” “self-sufficient” – even revolutionary/rebellious. This realization led to a comprehensive term paper and a presentation that was accepted by the first annual Richard Macksey National Undergraduate Humanities Research Symposium at Johns Hopkins. It also furthered my desire to pursue interdisciplinary research in the future!

Amy: What connections do you see between your other fields of study (neuroscience and linguistics) and German? Did the project help you find any new ways of thinking about these connections?

Jill: I’m double majoring in neuroscience and linguistics and minoring in German. I am fascinated by what it means to be human, and that’s why I chose these fields; the human brain and language are two critical ingredients for humanity, and studying German has complemented my studies of these entities by allowing me to unpack my own (my ancestry can be traced back to Germany).

But I’m particularly fascinated by what happens when humanity is taken away. Knowing someone with pediatric cancer drove me to understand how tumors do this. As I became more involved with cancer research at Duke (I’m a member of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Lab) and started to write and present about my work, I drew ever more from my background in linguistics/language studies to decide how best to communicate my science to diverse audiences.

My German independent study allowed me to explore how other cancer scientists think about cancer (neuroscience) and write about it (linguistics) in German (my minor!) – and in that sense, it provided the perfect opportunity to connect all my academic interests. Through my project, I gained an appreciation for the implications “cancer language” can have – especially how it can reflect or impact the sociopolitical context in which it is used. For example, it was fascinating to study how independence metaphors for cancer in the Nazi period – which talked about cancer cells as revolutionaries, and Jews as tumors – mirrored the antisemitic and anti-Bolshevist attitudes that overwhelmed the Third Reich.

As an aspiring physician-scientist, my project helped me realize the power my language will have in impacting how patients and their caregivers think about their disease – and has ultimately made me more conscious of the words I use, making me a more attentive listener, writer, and speaker overall.

Amy: How did you get interested in German?

Jill: My family history! Long story short, my mom grew up in foster care for most of her life and never met her biological father. In 2011, we discovered that my mother’s biological father was a Holocaust survivor, and that almost all records of his life were in German (Nazi documents from his childhood). That same week, I was required to sign up to take a foreign language in high school… and, naturally, I chose German!

In the years that followed, I helped my mom translate the documents on her father and unraveled most of my family’s history along the way. I then had the opportunity to study abroad in Summer 2014 and Summer 2015 through the AATG/PAD Study Trip Award and GAPP, respectively, and was fortunate to be able to further my study and love of German at Duke!

Amy: Tell us your favorite German word!

Jill: Wissbegierig! This roughly translates to “inquisitive” or “thirsty for knowledge,” which is a characteristic I strongly identify with ? I also love the word “Knie” because in German you pronounce the “k” unlike in English!

Amy: If you could travel to any German-speaking city for a weekend, where would you go and what would you do there?

Jill: Kastellaun, in Rhineland-Palatinate! Kastellaun is my family’s hometown, and my mom and I have wanted to see the town since we found out it existed in 2011. My ancestors have Stolpersteine (“stumbling stones”) there, and the house they owned before the Holocaust is still standing – so I’d want to see those. I’d also love to meet up with my host sisters from summers in high school if possible! (They live in Schwetzingen and Kulmbach.)