Most people have heard the age old question asking whether a tree falling in the woods actually makes a sound if no one is there to hear it. The more important question, however, is whether or a not a sound is even worth making, or a sentence even worth speaking, if no one is making an effort to listen. The story “Auscultation” by Steven Church is split into four sections labelled as chambers. Chambers one and four are about instances in which miners have been trapped and either saved or not, and chamber two and three are about the symbolic value a stethoscope and a heartbeat hold. Within these chambers lies the main message of “Auscultation,” which is that it is important to listen instead of just hearing because listening comes with a presence, helps people learn new…show more content… Parents are now able to hear their unborn baby’s heartbeat if they listen closely enough “The first thing we did … was listen. All together. We awaited the news of life” (Church 187-189). One could never imagine that they could possibly hear their baby before they are even born, but the simple act of listening allows so many parents in so many places such an amazing opportunity. Moreover, hearing the heartbeat of your baby has an implication that makes the experience even more unique. Hearing a heartbeat is just that - hearing a heartbeat. The familiar thump may not seem special to anyone at first, but if one actually listens to a heartbeat, they are listening to life. “A baby’s heartbeat is … often the first moment that a father begins to think of the fetus as a child” (Church 194-197). One who hears life by listening to a heartbeat is one who gives themselves the chance to literally hold life in their hands just by holding their child. When people have the opportunity to interpret situations in their own way, it allows them to understand and relate to the experience in a more authentic
