BBS Second Year English Business Communication

Summary/Theme/Interpretation

 The Use of Force by William Carlos Williams

Central Theme of the Story The Use of Force by William Carlos Williams.

Analysis of the the Story The Use of Force.

Do you think a doctor’s use of force like this on a patient is justifiable? Give reasons for your answer.

Ans: Carlos is a modernist writer therefore we find the use of straightforward ideas in his literature. He presents everyday experiences in  this story to capture the realities of his contemporary society. We find some autobiographical element in this story because he has used his experiences as a doctor.The doctor in this story uses physical force to examine his patient Mathilda.The story highlights the theme that if we use force for good purpose then it is ethical as well as justifiable.

We know that using physical force is not justifiable act in day to day life. But in doctor’s profession it is ethical and justifiable when it is used for positive outcomes. The doctor uses the force for positive motives. He wants to save her patient Mathilda from the dangerous disease Diphtheria. It is necessary to use force to save someone’s life.

The doctor is a social person. He has responsibility to save his patients by hook or crook. He does what is needed for a patient. He faces a conflict with Mathilda’s parents. Her parents doesn’t want to hurt her. They love their child very much. It is a basic human instinct to love one’s child. But they were unaware about the deadly disease of her daughter. They hate the doctor’s use of force. But the doctor doesn’t focus on immediate pain of Mathilda. He wants to cure her for her future. Therefore, the use of force by the doctor is justifiable because it’s for her own good.  

Summary of the Story The Use of Force

The Use of Force” is a short story. The story presents a doctor’s interaction with a patient. The doctor goes to the Olson house when he is called to examine Mathilda. She is suffering from a high fever since three days. Medicine doesn’t help her to reduce her fever. The doctor wants to know if she had a sore throat but her parents were unknown about it.

They haven’t checked her yet because of the fear that they may hurt her. Mathilda has lied to her parents, saying she is not suffering from a sore throat.  The doctor uses force to examine Mathilda Olson because she doesn’t want to be examined. Mathilda rejects his attempt to obtain a throat culture. Mathilda’s parents are concerned about outbreak of diphtheria at her school. Therefore, they call a doctor to examine her. The doctor doubts that she may have contracted the disease. The doctor wants to do a throat swab but she doesn’t want to open her mouth.  At last, the doctor uses physical force to examine her.

Mathilda attacks the doctor’s eyes with her nails when he asks her to open her mouth. Her parents tries to console her by saying that the doctor will not hurt her because he is a nice guy. The doctor is not happy with their words. The doctor doesn’t find any way to open her mouth. Therefore, he decides to use force. He considers using force for good purpose is ethical. He has no choice rather than to leave her to die.

The doctor uses force to look into her throat but her father releases her suddenly thinking that the doctor may hurt her. The doctor becomes angry with their restless behaviour. On next try, he uses wooden depressor to open her mouth but she breaks it with her flat teeth.  Her mouth starts bleeding. Later he becomes successful when he uses the spoon. He comes to know that she has a sore throat. His doubt was true. She is also a victim of diphtheria like other students of her school.