Three Men in a Boat - Essay Example

Order 539083 Topic: Three Men in a Boat The wise saying goes that if health is lost everything is lost. The friends in “The Three Men in a Boat” precisely believe that. They are deeply worried about ‘the state of their health’ and feel that their bodies are afflicted with every type of diseases. For arriving at that decision, they have not consulted medical specialists, but made the detailed and profound self-study of the medical books in a library. Jerome K. Jerome (2010, p.5) writes about the observation of one of the friends thus: “I had walked into that reading-room a happy, healthy man.

I crawled out a decrepit wreck.” This situation happens when one tries to assimilate the knowledge on a subject on which one is not competent of assimilating! The contents of this book, written about a century ago are prophetic as for the thinking of majority of the humankind and the medical fraternity (especially the western medical system.) Even for small ailments people visit the doctors and the doctors create a grim situation on small health issues to extract as many dollars from the patients, as is possible!

The overall merit of the book is-- the serious issues are commented in a humorous style. It contains lots of practical philosophical advice, told in a subtle manner. The three men in the boat are George, Harris and the narrator, who are great hypochondriacs—they are convinced that they are suffering from every type of diseases, even though there is nothing wrong with their physical equipment as such. Even in the so-called grim situation of their lives, their-self assessment about the state of health evokes ironic laughter.

Jerome writes, “I sat and pondered. I thought what an interesting case I must be from a medical point of view, what an acquisition I should be to a class! Students would have no need to “walk the hospitals,” if they had me. I was a hospital in myself. All they need do is to walk round me, and, after that, take their diploma.”(p.4) To recoup their original health, the friends decide to take a cruise down the Thames in a rented boat, to remain one with the nature. The book contains many comical elements and situations, but from the point of view of present day life, which is the subject matter of this essay, I would say that poor understanding of their state of health is comparable to the present day health management understood and practiced by humankind and the medical fraternity.

The Victorian attitude towards health issues is corroborated in the book. That such an outlook about health matters should exist in the 1880s England is incredible. The book was written in the year 1888. It contains valuable piece of advice to individuals about taking proper care about health. For change of climate and for rest and recuperation, people go to hill stations in the present times. The three Victorian youngsters thought of a voyage through the Thames River, which was a good thought.

Boating and river environment is good for health, and the tired mind is invigorated. The author’s explanation about the poor imagination and knowledge of the youngsters about their health issues is comparable to the attitudes of the modern youngster. Consumption of junk food, not doing regular physical exercises, not taking seasonal fruits and vegetables, are some of the habits that extend invitation to illnesses. The Victorian youngsters also must be careless about their lifestyles. They lack discrimination and their serious belief that they have incurable ailments makes them to plan a remedial measure-- boating on the River Thames!

Works Cited Jerome, Jerome, K; Three Men In A Boat (To Say Nothing Of The Dog.); CreateSpace, October 18, 2010