Significance of Title

The title Bitter Medicine is significant for two direct reasons. The most obvious of these, once having read the memoir, is the numerous medications Olivier has to take as his doctors try to figure out the proper medical regime for him to follow. This is an arduous task for Olivier that frustrates not only himself but also his family, including his brother Clem. The various medications and the frustrations they bring mirror a distraught child having to take supposedly helpful medicine from an authority figure. It draws parallels to the phrase "Bitter Pill" as the Martini family sees no real beneficial change with all of the medications.

Keeping to the "Bitter Pill" phrase comes the second reason. Years after the main events of the memoir transpire Clem Martini discovers an article discussing one of the previous medications Olivier use to take. At the time it was prescribed there were no known side effects, but the article Clem reads reveals that the company manufacturing the drug concealed increased likelihood of patients taking their medication soon being diagnosed with diabetes. Olivier did get diabetes in Bitter Medicine and now Clem realizes it was likely due to the drug his brother was prescribed. Though Olivier does become part of the class action suit against the company there is no real resolution. Instead of a proper conclusion Olivier and Clem are only left with "Bitter Medicine".