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Seobon Kim
Professor Michael Lasley
ENGL 1A
3 November 2016
The Eyes of the Beholder
Perspective: dictionary.com describes it as the state of ones ideas, the facts known to
one, etc., in having a meaningful interrelationship(Dictionary.com). What exactly does this
mean however? In this world, there are so many different languages and cultures and even more
perspectives. The world that one person sees may be completely different compared to someone
elses. Doctor Paul Farmer from the novel, Mountains Beyond Mountains, has a very unique and
interesting perspective of the world which helps him pursue his passion for altruism at the
expense of his own health. For ordinary people, seeing the world through the eyes of Doctor
Farmer would be an impossible task as the comprehension that comes with Doctor Farmers
experiences and knowledge would not be utilized and understood by people without a clear
vision and drive. What Amy E. Robillard, the author of the scholarly argumentative work: Its
Time for Class: Toward a More Complex Pedagogy of Narrative, does however, is argue that by
utilizing personal narratives, readers can use the perspective lens of others and to apply that
specific set of lens to other peoples works to try and understand certain topics from a different
angle. One of the main points Robillard expresses in her research essay is that time is perceived
differently by disparate people due to factors such as socioeconomic class. This idea that time
can be perceived differently can be highlighted in the biography of Doctor Paul Farmer in the
novel Mountains Beyond Mountains. By utilizing the lens of Robillard and by looking at the
works of others, Robillard makes the idea that time is perceived differently digestible and

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understood by even those who do not share the same viewpoints. Her lens helps explain why
Paul Farmer lives in completely different notions of time depending on his hierarchical standing
of the situation he is in.
Time is not always a linear, never stopping entity. Its actually much more complex than
that. Robillard powerfully expresses her idea that time is a concept which can be perceived
differently. By utilizing Robillards lens, one can say that Doctor Farmer and his work with
tuberculosis and related diseases in impoverished countries was very different from his work in
America. However, to truly understand Paul, there are a few things about his life to take note of.
Paul had been a bright student ever since he was young. He was so smart he was placed in a
...gifted and talented class (Kidder 55). He also came from a rather unusual family. His father,
whom he refers to as the Warden, was an eccentric man who hated following the rules. Paul
would spend his eventful youth working jobs that went against the norm of what White people
were expected to do and had even spent some time of his life living in a bus with his family. A
similar trait that Farmer seemed to have inherited from his father was his willpower. One of
Pauls sister named Jennifer would say ...that her brother Paul and her father shared certain
qualities. Above all, she thought, once theyd focused on a goal, neither one would quit (Kidder
65). This coupled with Pauls fathers eagerness to help the poor and ability to accept people,
Paul was nurtured in an environment where diligence and success was coupled with humility and
respect for others. Much like his life near the beginning of his birth, where each day was filled
with change and eccentricity and often a lack of funds, Paul learned to respect time and its
importance. A few key ideas to highlight this main point would be to assert that in Haiti and
Cuba, Doctor Farmer and the citizens of these countries lived every day not fully knowing what
the future had in store for them. Compared to America where there are many chances to further

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ones educational career, Haitian and Cuban citizens did not receive the privileges that were
offered in America. As a result, many people lived their lives just holding on to what they had,
not daring and most importantly, not being able to have aspirations and plan ahead in life. We
can see this effect in Doctor Farmers life as well. When Doctor Farmer spends time in these
impoverished countries, he very much goes without a full and clear agenda. Rather, he spends
most of his time planning . He spends many sleepless nights and works himself dry. One reason
for this could be answered by Pauls eventful past. A willingness to complete anything he has set
his eyes on, and a love for helping people. Paul knew that for Haitians and other impoverished
groups of people, every second was important and thus, he also felt that his time was important
as well. The idea that time is understood differently in different situations really shows its face
with this example. For diseased people in lower socioeconomic classes, any day could be their
last. They do not have the luxury to look forward to tomorrow when they cannot even speak with
certainty whether they will be alive tomorrow or not. In this sense, their times are very presentoriented and people of lower privileges and socioeconomic classes have a very in the spur of the
moment connection with time. Any and all seconds count for them and they have to utilize each
second with precision and care. Doctor Farmer once berated one of his closer friends on a trip in
Haiti for her unnecessary want of a Diet Coke. Id love to get some Diet Coke, she said.
Paul said, We dont have time. We cant do it....He seemed to be saying that if he and the
peasantry could get along without things like Diet Coke, so could she (Kidder 108). Doctor
Farmer values time so much when he is in Haiti, each and every second, that he is willing to
anger his friend over something as simple as getting a Diet Coke. Clearly there is a sense of
urgency and short-sighted decision making involved when Farmer is in Haiti. There is a high
chance that he would have been much more than willing to stop to get some Diet Coke for his

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friend were he in America. However in Haiti, Doctor Farmers agenda consists of urgent
decisions made mainly on the spot. A very limited scope of time is in effect, and this effect is
ultimately created by his socioeconomic status or lack thereof, because in Haiti, Doctor Farmer is
not the renowned doctor he is in America. He is living his life to save lives without payment and
without compensation or honor. The sense of time that stems from Doctor Farmers experiences
and the different ways that time can be interpreted are highlighted in situations with people of
lower socioeconomic abilities.
There is a clear and inherent difference between those who are privileged and those who
are not. For people of higher socioeconomic classes, this very instrumental interaction with time
does not exist. For the higher classes, they do not have to worry about the now. They have the
resources and funds to be able to take care of housing and transportation and food. They also
have the funds to attend regular medical check ups and to rely on professional doctors to keep
them healthy. Compared to that, By American standards Cuban doctors lacked equipment, and
even by Cuban standards they were poorly paid (Kidder 206). Cubans and similarly
impoverished countries have much more to fear because if they get hurt or are hurt already, they
do not always have the resources or the equipment to get properly treated. As a result of having
a lot of their spur of the moment needs met and fulfilled, people from higher echelons of society
tend to gravitate towards thinking about the future more. This is because their lack of current and
urgent needs are already stabilized and thus, the only thing left for them is to work for tomorrow.
Their relationship with time is wholly less interactive then with the Haitians and similar groups.
People with more leeway to think about their futures are also able to dream and help themselves
to this idea of living for the future. Even Farmer, who despite being someone that has experience
with time in a more interactive way, when he is attending meetings with influential professionals

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in their field and attend basically higher socioeconomic events, develops the concept of time
slowing down. Thus, Farmer often makes many long term decisions while he is in America or
while in a professional setting. Despite this, Farmer truly does not like leaving places like Haiti
but does acknowledge that there is merit when he isnt working at the front lines. When Farmer
had left Haiti, he told Kidder, I mean, I feel guilty. I feel guilty leaving, but Im going to try to
raise money for Haiti while Im here (Kidder 208). This really shows that for Doctor Farmer,
Haiti is not a place where he can easily slow down and have time to do things such as
fundraising for the future. He also had to organize a lot of different fundraising of all types. He
spent a lot of time in America to get to know possible patrons to help his cause. One of these
people is Tom, a man who spent his entire fortune to help Pauls cause. If Paul had not been
willing to spend some time to quietly think about the future and plan ahead, he would not have
been able to receive the funding that he had. Furthermore, Paul was able to obtain medical
supplies and knowledge from the schools that he went to. To Paul Farmer, his stays in America
are mainly provided to maintain the future of his altruistic endeavors in different countries. He
truly wishes to stay in Haiti and offer aid to these underdeveloped countries more than he wishes
to stay in America, but he chooses to come back to the US in order to maintain certain things
such as funding for medical supplies and similarly related items. He himself knows that in Haiti,
he will be stuck in an endless cycle of spending each and every day without much progress
overall. Therefore, Doctor Farmer makes sure that his stays in America are as effective as he can
make them. Another really important thing to notice is that Doctor Paul Farmer utilizes his time
in higher societal settings to rest. For example, Paul had once been sent on a forced vacation
with his wife Didi. That was his first vacation in years. Nine months later he had a daughter
(Kidder 164-165). It is ironic to me that, despite sacrificing most of his efforts and time into

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Haiti and these similar countries, Doctor Farmer is able to look into the future for such acts as
creating a child during vacations and times where he would be considered middle class or higher.
As a lot of people know, Deciding to give birth is a huge time commitment and is a plan for the
future. This specific notion of time is very deeply contrasted by the Paul Farmer in Haiti. The
Doctor Farmer from Haiti is very different from the Doctor Farmer from America.
Socioeconomic factors or just a mental acceptance of a socioeconomic factor plays a huge role in
understanding time, as clearly seen
Ultimately, the best way to truly realize this difference in time would be to compare the
way Doctor Farmer views time with the way normal people view time. Take for example the
average college student. Most average college students are considered to be of middle class or
higher. Robillard herself does not even question how the average college student may look like.
She assumes that Academics are middle class and higher. She considers herself a lucky person
who has the ability to identify both as part of the working and middle class as a result of her
formal education. Typical middle class and higher peoples ways of looking at the world are
definitely different from say the people of Haiti. When people read the story of Doctor Paul, they
will realize that there is a clear difference in the way they perceive time from the people living in
Haiti or Cuba. College students generally have to worry about classes and getting to school on
time and thinking about their future. College in itself is a transitory period focused mainly on
obtaining the skills needed to enter into the professional world. Given that college is usually a 4
year affair, the very act of entering college with an intent to finish the education is proof that
people who can afford to go to college have a very forward looking viewpoint on life. Compared
to the people living in Haiti and Cuba, these students are very privileged and they lead lives that
are less stressful and strenuous. College students think a lot of their futures. College students also

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tend to have a more future oriented notion of time while the people living in Haiti and similarly
impoverished areas really view time as more valuable. For example, the people who were living
in Cuba were not given this privilege at all. From the family whose daughter was saved by
Doctor Paul Farmer to the boy that was given treatment, Doctor Farmer saw the girl who was in
critical condition and disregarded the boy. Sadly enough, all of these people do not have a future
awaiting them within their own countries. It is the now that they all struggle with. This very
difference can be easily distinguished between different people and the socioeconomic factor is
what plays such a huge role in this distinction. Not only college students, but society as a whole.
People in middle class and higher work jobs in hopes of receiving promotions and raises to
further elevate their statuses. There is a fundamental difference not only in the ways the people
of different social classes view time but there is also a difference in how they look upon life as
well. To people living more privileged lives, the entire notion and goal of life is to advance.
Stability is often the most sought after aspect of any students and middle class peoples dreams.
A stable job, a stable life. However, they rarely have to think about living life where each and
every second could mean the difference between life or death.
Overall, despite Doctor Paul Farmers very unique and hard to understand story, by
taking Farmers story piece by piece through the lens of professor Robillard, different concepts
not easily comprehensible before, such as the different ways of viewing time, are able to be
clarified and taught to people who do not sympathize in the least with Doctor Pauls story. The
differences between the notion of time was highlighted very clearly through Robillard's
explanation and by offering different ways of looking at it through the examples of doctor
Farmer from impoverished places to the Doctor Farmer from America compared to normal
students, there is a distinction in how these people view time. However, by utilizing the lens of

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Robillard, there was a way to make sense from this otherwise confusing affair of different
information. The power of a lens is highly underrated in schools K-12. However, by utilizing the
differences that can be offered by students that come from different backgrounds and cultures,
there is much to be learned.

Works cited

Kidder, Tracy. Mountains beyond Mountains. New York: Random House, 2003. Print.

"The Definition of Perspective." Dictionary.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2016.

Amy E. Robillard (2003) Its Time for Class: Toward a More Complex Pedagogy of
Narrative. College English, 66.1 : 74-92.