Essay on T'Pol's Struggle with Pa'nar Syndrome: A Vulcan Taboo

T'Pol is a Vulcan sub commander who got diagnosed with pa'nar disease. The pa'nar syndrome is a Vulcan fatal neurological disorder transferred from one individual to another through mind-meld. The transmission of the disease through the mind meld got regarded as a taboo in the Vulcan homeworld. In the movie, the Vulcanicians get described to be people who lived by logic and little interference from emotion. T'Pol got diagnosed with this fatal syndrome from members of the rebellious Vulcan sect, which had denounced the system of logic and experimented with mind meld and emotions. At first, Vulcans did not know that T'Pol got diagnosed with pa'nal syndrome, and only the Doctor Phlox was aware of the T'Pol condition and kept the information as secret. Doctor Phlox, who used to offer medical treatment to the sub commander, realized with the time the cure for the syndrome was becoming ineffective. Doctor Phlox then decides to make an interspecies medical conference with the Vulcan doctors to seek for the possible treatment. Before doctor Phlox leaves for the meeting, his second wife, Feezal, arrives at aide in the installation of the new microscope, doctor Phlox is pleased to see his wife, but the conference he had attended raised a troubling issue. Phlox is the only person who is aware of the T'Pol medical condition and that she must get provided supplemental mediation to keep her alive. He considered the conference as the right chance to speak to the Vulcan physicians and find out if they had a way of treating the disorder. Doctor Phlox consulted the Vulcans while keeping the T'Pol diagnostic condition as a secret so that the high command cannot learn the medical condition of the sub commander (Annesley,2010). Unfortunately, the inquiries made by Phlox in the conference the Vulcan got a piece of suspicious information, and the doctor Yuris was able to ascertain that T'Pol was suffering from pa'nar syndrome. When the Archer got the information about the condition T'Pol, he became furious and compelled her to divulge to the Vulcans how she obtained the disease. T'Pol explains that the syndrome carries a stigma on Vulcans, and she got it in a fusion without the knowledge of the danger and freely participate in a mind meld that was initiated by Toraris.

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The pa'nar syndrome is a neural disease that is caused by the degeneration of the synaptic pathways to the Vulcan people and also affects the endocrine and body immune system of the Vulcan natives. Just like the HIV/AIDS transmission, the pa'nar get transmitted through close contact with an infected person. It is a viral disease that initially had no cure, just like HIV/AIDS. The pa'nar syndrome got mainly caused by improperly trained melder, a practice that was unacceptable in Vulcan society. Individuals that suffered from the disorder were isolated from society, and they could not be allowed to participate in the critical activities of the Vulcan people. The patients were stigmatized in the community as the disorder got regarded as taboo. In America, individuals who contract HIV/AIDS through sex or drug use are treated with a lot of respect and get provided with the medical guidance in the health centers to sustain their living. The Americans who have HIV/AIDS are educated on the measures to prevent the spread of the disease to the health citizens.

T'Pol, who is the victim of the Pa'nar syndrome when she gets coerced to tell the Vulcans how she obtained the condition, she refuses to avoid the shame on the Vulcans as those that carry the disease face prejudice. She is, therefore, not ready to consent to how she obtained the disorder. T'Pol was likely to lose her commission should the high learn her medical condition. Archer requests the T'Pol to inform the high command that she got compelled to meld, but she declines to prevent fueling their bigotry.

In the movie, the commander, Trip Tucker, is a polygamous practice that was acceptable in the Denobulan culture, and everyone was allowed to marry more than one wife. In the USA, social norms, there is the freedom of engaging in an open relationship. The citizen has the privilege of dating more than one partner. The practice of monogamy and polyamory get accepted in the United States. The belief of individuals is shaped by the method that is generally accepted by a large group of people (Thuren,1995). The norm that is governing the US sexual script is constrictive one. The citizens view the act of polyamory not forthcoming in the development of the population. The rules usually shape the beliefs of the group of people if they have a positive impact on their life.

References

Annesley, T. M. (2010). The discussion section: your closing argument. Clinical chemistry, 56(11), 1671-1674. Annesley, T. M. (2010). The discussion section: your closing argument. Clinical chemistry, 56(11), 1671-1674

Thuren, L. (1995). Argument and theology in 1 Peter: the origins of Christian paraenesis (Vol. 114). A&C Black.