Breathing Narratives

The narratives of breathing are the way societies enact and represent breath in art, literature, media, politics, science, and any other spheres of living.

The narratives of breathing are the way societies enact and represent breath in art, literature, media, politics, science, and any other spheres of living. Anthropologists study the stories and ideas about breathing because they show how people in different societies think about the human body and how we relate to each other. These researchers learn what is important to different groups of people and how they understand being alive, being connected, and facing danger or hard times simply by studying the diverse sociopolitical representation of breath. These representations help explain how humans share and make sense of their experiences with their bodies and with each other.

We see the narratives of breath in many ways. For example, in "The Scream" by Edvard Munch, the figure’s open mouth and visible tension give the viewer a surreal representation of gasp as an existential anxiety; in the film "Dancer in the Dark," Selma’s breathing under stress tends to show fear and endurance; and in Toni Morrison’s "Beloved," characters’ labored breath represents trauma, memory, and survival. Let’s look at these intersecting ideas a little deeper (Morrison, 1987; Munch, 1893; von Trier, 2000).

Therapeutic Narratives of Breath

Breath is one of the most basic signs of life. Its rhythm shows that we are alive. The first cry at birth and the final exhale at death mark the start and end of life. Breath gives life a story with a beginning and an end. Sometimes breath is missing. Silence, suffocation, or stillness can show how fragile life is. Breath also shapes smaller stories every day. A sigh can show longing or relief. A gasp can show surprise or fear. A whisper can show closeness or secrets. These moments carry meaning beyond words. They move stories forward and add emotion. Around the world, people relate to breath in many ways. Its presence or absence connects vulnerability, desire, and human connection.

There are many ways researchers study narratives of breath. For example, therapeutic letter writing is a way for researchers to explore the lived experience of breath and breathlessness, treating the act of writing as a narrative practice that reveals how individuals understand, negotiate, and give meaning to their breathing in both physical and cultural contexts (Penny & Malpass, 2019).

Vulnerability, Control, and Rhythm

Breath also shows the difference between vulnerability and power. Breathing freely mostly means health, safety, or empowerment. Struggling to breathe tends to show inequality, danger, or oppression. A worker exposed to dust, a protester affected by tear gas, or a patient on a ventilator show us how society and politics shape breathing. Who can breathe easily and who cannot tells us about justice, access, and control. Breath also shapes sociocultural practices. Its rhythm creates pauses and movement in speech, song, and stories. Silence can create suspense. Fast breathing can show fear or urgency. In books and films, a gasp, pause, or held breath draws attention. Rhythm, silence, and interruption help organize meaning and experience.

This is a growing area of research. For instance, medical humanities show that understanding experiences like breathlessness requires more than biomedical measures; cultural, emotional, and narrative contexts shape how breathing is experienced and expressed, telling us the limits of clinical approaches and the value of humanities-informed research (Macnaughton & Carel, 2016).

Concluding Remarks

Anthropologists and critical respiratory studies scholars have demonstrated that breathing is more than a body process. It is connected to social structures, embodied emotions, and power dynamics. As anthropologists, we study how breath appears in books, films, dance, and performances, as well as in spiritual spaces in all of the above (Selim, 2024). This shows how people use their bodies, share emotions, and organize lived experiences. Who breathes easily and who struggles reflects social and political problems. Breath marks life and death. It shapes beginnings and endings and connects people across time and space. Anthropologists use these stories to understand how humans live, relate, and give meaning to life.

References

Macnaughton, J., & Carel, H. (2016). Breathing and breathlessness in clinic and culture: Using critical medical humanities to bridge an epistemic gap. In A. Whitehead, A. Woods, S. Atkinson, et al. (Eds.), The Edinburgh companion to the critical medical humanities (Chapter 16). Edinburgh University Press. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK379257/

Morrison, T. (1987). Beloved. Alfred A. Knopf. https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/98/01/11/home/8212.html

Munch, E. (1893). The scream [Painting]. National Gallery, Oslo, Norway. https://www.nasjonalmuseet.no/en/stories/explore-the-collection/edvard-munch-and-the-scream-in-the-national-museum/

Penny, E., & Malpass, A. (2019). Dear breath: Using story structure to understand the value of letter writing for those living with breathlessness – a qualitative study. Arts & Health, 11(1), 20–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/17533015.2018.1555178

Selim, N. (2024). Breathing Hearts: Sufism, Healing, and Anti-Muslim Racism in Germany. Berghahn Books. https://doi.org/10.3167/9781805391982

von Trier, L. (Director). (2000). Dancer in the dark [Film]. Zentropa Entertainments. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0168629/

Dr. Nasima Selim is an interdisciplinary scholar trained in medicine, public health and anthropology. She is a breathworker, writer, researcher, and educator. Her books include “Breathing Hearts” (Berghahn 2024), an open-access ethnography, and "Ways of Breathing and Knowing" (Routledge, forthcoming), a volume of 12 interdisciplinary essays she co-edited with Dr. Judith Albrecht.