"Mrs Kelley's Monster"

"Mrs Kelley's Monster" by John Franklin was an interesting read that surely helped me understand what a profiling essay is supposed to be about. Throughout this article, Franklin tells not one but two perspectives of the surgery. He tells about the patient's and the doctor's standpoints and how each of them prepared and dealt with the reality and severity of the surgery. For example he tells that Dr. Thomas Barbee Ducker eats "waffles but no coffee. Coffee makes his hands shake," as well as emphasizing that Ms. Kelly tells that she is "not afraid to die" (3). In both of these quotes, the reader sees the emotions that go into this surgery. Ms. Kelly kisses her husband goodbye knowing it may be the last time they see each other, and the doctor uses his normal preparation techniques because for him, even though this particular surgery is out of the ordinary, it is still in routine for him to need steady hands.
The use of time that Franklin uses throughout the essay is a terrific reminder to the reader just how much time passes. It acts as a metronome, keeping the reader in sync with the surgery in process. This is a great reminder that within just seven hours a life can change forever. This also works with the "pop, pop, pop" of the patient's heartbeat, showing the severity of the situation as it progresses. Both are a reminder that the story can take on a much more lyrical or creative aspect than one may have thought.