Looking into the modern medical field, doctors and researchers are developing new treatments and medicines constantly. They have discovered stem cells and progressed over the years to a greater understanding of how they can be used to save lives. Some of the uses that have been developed are within the heart, blood, bone marrow, and lungs. Two sides exist on this research, there are those that support the advances of medical technology, and there are those who oppose the idea of artificial organs and being able to produce them. Many people do not know enough information regarding the heart to fully understand the progress and impact. There are still many things that we do not know about the heart. In“Joyas Volardores” Brian Doyle explains the complex workings of the heart and how every experience impacts it. Doyle expresses the many vulnerabilities of the heart by comparing the different types of hearts. Furthermore, he upholds that all hearts are the same no matter how palpably different they are.

The first heart that Doyle talks about is that of the hummingbird. He illustrates the size of the hummingbird’s heart and describes in detail their fast-paced lifestyle. Through these details, Doyle is able to create a clear image within the reader’s mind to symbolize the vulnerability present in their lifetime. Doyle then refers to the title of the piece “Joyas Volardores” and connects the words to the hummingbird. When we translate the phrase, it means ‘flying jewels’. The use of the word ‘flying’ can be interpreted as speed and the use of the word ‘jewels’ can be interpreted as a precious object. By connecting this phrase to the hummingbird, Doyle presents the idea of the lifetime of the heart. “The price of their ambition is a life closer to death,” (pg 95) he says. The quote reveals the idea of the heart’s lifetime within the hummingbird being short because of the intense pace that it works. Doyle references the idea that all hearts have a set number of heartbeats within a lifetime, and that the way that those heartbeats are spent cannot always be controlled. In this section of the work, Doyle expresses vulnerability by emphasizing how intense the heart of the hummingbird is working so that it becomes weaker quicker, and is more susceptible to heart conditions and death. Moreover, the use of the title of the piece within the context of the hummingbird supports the idea that all hearts are defenseless in the end.

The second example that Doyle uses is the blue whale. The blue whale possesses the largest heart and it is known that their calls can be heard for miles throughout the ocean. In this section of the work, Doyle emphasizes that we really do not know much about the lifestyle of these animals. This brings up the idea that of the largest hearts in the world, we know the least. By bringing up this point, Doyle implies that not all hearts are perfect. Just because we do not know much about the hearts of the blue whale does not mean that they do not have their own stresses placed upon them. Just like the hummingbird, the blue whale’s heart is not shielded or protected from everything. The blue whale may not have the stress of flying or the intense conditions of life that the hummingbird does. It is said that one of the few known facts is that blue whales travel in pairs, and the heart of the blue whale could be damaged through the process of finding a mate and staying together. This can be similar to the dating process that we experience in our lives. The blue whale heart demonstrates what can be considered human characteristics within their heart to provide a bridge between non-human hearts and human hearts. Therefore, no matter the physical differences of the heart, all hearts function in the same way.

In the final paragraph of his work, Doyle states, “We open windows to each but we live alone in the house of the heart,” (pg 96). In this quote Doyle uses a house to represent the heart. Hearts have rooms, whether it is four, like mammals, or one, like insects and worms. Our interactions and emotions are experienced through our hearts, just like the house that we live within and occupy. The heart is also the structure that we base our lives upon. “Follow your heart,” is a common phrase used within our society that advances Doyle’s idea that the heart has the structure of a house within our lives. In looking at the words of the quote, Doyle first addresses that we can be open to others, such as a spouse, friend, or family member, by allowing us to open the windows of our house. In the second part of the quote, Doyle concludes through the word “alone” that despite being able to open windows, we could never be capable of opening the door and letting another into our house. One of the main ideas that the heart is associated with in our society is emotions. Our emotions are driven by the heart and what is seen as the most common damage that the heart experiences is heartbreak. Therefore, the human heart cannot be shielded or protected from the damages that life brings upon it.

As Doyle mentions in the work, “We all churn inside,” (pg 96). In this statement, Doyle expresses the similarities between all human and non-human hearts. It is also implied that all hearts work the same and that we all have this in common. Moreover, throughout this piece Doyle establishes and proves his idea that all hearts are the same fundamentally through the examples of the hummingbird and the blue whale in comparison to the human heart. The hummingbird represents the physical stresses on the heart and the blue whale represents the emotional stresses on the heart. Doyle proves that all of these stresses impact both human and non-human hearts through the natural examples. In conclusion, all hearts are complex and fragile despite how hard we try to protect it.