Barbara Ehrenreich’s “Welcome to Cancerland”

Barbara Ehrenreich, an American feminist who was diagnosed with breast cancer, gives her brutally honest opinion on how corrupt the idea of breast cancer awareness has gotten in her essay “Welcome to Cancerland.” Once Ehrenreich was diagnosed with breast cancer, she was motivated to read up more about the illness. What she found online was endless blogs, sites, and groups dedicated to helping calm the nerves of other patients. Ehrenreich noticed an overall positive mood that people promoted; as she got deeper into her treatment she was directed towards a lot of support groups and came across countless programs that worked with companies who were advocating breast cancer awareness. Ehrenreich discusses how this is more of a way for people and corporations to help women without being a feminist. But what they fail to address is what Ehrenreich describes as the real issues; she believes that the focus of this “awareness” should be on the causes of breast cancer, like environmental effects, and on the problems with detection and treatment of cancer. Breast Cancer awareness has strayed from its initial purpose and has turned into a corporation’s way of milking people’s money.

Ehrenreich brings up very valid points throughout her essay, but for me it was not effective in making me want to believe her. Logically it makes a lot of sense; she discusses how some programs are “an inefficient way of raising money” and how “the benefits of routine mammography ‘are not well established.’” She makes it very evident that there are issues that need to be solved; there needs to be a more efficient way of raising money that will go straight to the American Cancer Society, and the science behind mammography needs to be solidified. Even though she incorporates these issues into her argument, she develops a very angry tone when discussing her objections. She claims that the groups of optimistic and upbeat survivors are “not my sisterhood,” and that “what sustained me through the ‘treatments’ is a purifying rage, a resolve, framed in the sleepless nights of chemotherapy.” She leaves the reader with a lasting impression when she exclaims that “I will not go into that last good night with a teddy bear tucked under my arm.” Ehrenreich gives off a very bad attitude that is not appealing to readers. She just seems bitter towards people that are actually trying to help and support her. She makes the reader feel bad, and almost guilty, that they ever thought that they were being supportive by helping raise money and awareness. She should direct her energy and frustration on convincing people to work towards a better understanding of what the intentions are of breast cancer awareness. There’s no sense in putting people and optimism down, especially those who are also struggling, just because she doesn’t agree with it. She might as well appreciate their positive attitude, and use that positivity to help readers realize what other wonderful actions, and more beneficial actions, they can take to help.