CABAUATAN, MA.

JEMARIE B BSED ENGLISH 3A

Pre-Writing Activity #
Read the essay titled, “Some Days You Can’t Save Them All” by Ronnie E. Baticulon and
provide an interpretation, analysis, and evaluation of the work by answering the following
question:

INTERPRETATION QUESTIONS:
- What does this work of literature mean?
The literature work entitled, “Some Days You Can’t Save Them All” by Ronnie E.
Baticulon simply mean that things may be arduous, but you don't have to quit. You may have
failed many times, and disappoint many people around you. You may have given all the best
that you can do in that certain situation, but still ended up as a disaster. And all those failures,
disappointments, and shortcomings may have made you doubt yourself, but the fact that there
are still people who believe in you, who give you meaning and purpose to still continue fighting
for your chosen profession is more than enough reason to not quit.

- What kinds of reasoning (historical, psychological, political, philosophical, scientific, etc) are
employed?
In my opinion, I believe that the kinds of reasoning which are employed in the essay
entitled, “Some Days You Can’t Save Them All” by Ronnie E. Baticulon are the scientific,
psychological, sociological. Historical simply because the author is a pediatric neurosurgeon,
and his essay was all about his experience as a pediatric neurosurgeon as well as his journey
towards that profession, in other word, his world. Psychological because the author being the
main character of his essay has undergone lots of hard decisions to make in life, and he was
also able to have many realizations in his life. And lastly, Sociological because in Mr. Ronnie E.
Baticulon essay, he also included the problems and issues many of us encountered when it
comes to the healthcare system of the Philippines.

- What debates were the author and the text engaging with at that time?
I believe that the debates were the author and the text engaging with at that time are
the issues in our healthcare system as well as the situations and hard decision making that the
doctors are experiencing most of the time in their chosen profession.

ANALYSIS QUESTIONS:
- What is the argument of the essay?
I believe that the very argument of the essay is that no matter how hard the situation is,
how messed up your decisions are, and how disappointing you see yourself is, always look for
the reason and purpose to fight, to continue and to live.
- What are the supporting points that create the argument?
CABAUATAN, MA. JEMARIE B BSED ENGLISH 3A

"I broke my promise to a little boy who wanted only to live, and several years
henceforth, I still do not know how to forgive myself."
"I wish I could say that I had it all figured out, but past the halfway mark, 1 did not
handle the pressure well. I became unforgiving of my failures..."
"In my patients' narratives, told with enthusiasm, pride, and gratitude, accompanied by
animated gestures, and sometimes, tears of joy, I found meaning and purpose."
"Some days, you could not save them all, but my patients with their promise of a good
story-reminded me that I should never stop trying."

- What techniques of persuasion (appeals to emotion, reason, authority, etc.) and rhetorical
strategies?
Appeals to emotion (He was the politest child I have ever had as a patient, and he died
two months later from overwhelming infection and tumor recurrence. In PGH Ward 11. Under
my care.)
Rhetorical question (I learned neurosurgery, but did I like the person I had let myself
become?)
Imagery and Figurative Language - Personification (The temptation to quit was a traitor.)
Connotation ("We are not here to do what is easy. We are here to do what is right.")

EVALUATION QUESTIONS:
- Is this a great essay or a rotten one? Why? 
In my perspective, this essay is a great work, because it motivates and inspires its
readers.

- Does this work have any value? Why? 

In this time of pandemic, work of literature like this is crucial . Yes, this work has a value
for it was able to enlighten its readers on what are the happenings inside the hospitals as well
as the challenges and struggles our doctors are experiencing in their chosen profession.

- What does this work of literature add – or subtract – from the world?
What I believe this work of literature add from the world is the fact that our healthcare
system as well as the life of most of the people here in the Philippines is very poor. Just like
what the author's thought in his essay, "What good was understanding the pathophysiology of
brain injury, or being able to enumerate the steps in evacuating an intracranial hemorrhage, if
in the end the patient would die anyway just because her family could not get to the hospital
on time? The sleepless nights that stretched all the way back to medical school, endured in the
hope of being able to save every valuable life, suddenly became worthless." Because of poverty,
many of us chose to give up the fight that involved money. We chose not to pursue anymore
CABAUATAN, MA. JEMARIE B BSED ENGLISH 3A

the life of our loved ones, because most of us struggle financially. And hospital expenses are the
things that many of us can't afford. Many healthcare workers wanted to serve our country and
its people, but because of the very poor healthcare system their desires to help us had become
useless.