"The Use Of Force" is a short story about a Dr. who makes a house call to a patient who he suspects might be suffering from diphtheria. When he goes to examine the girl she refuses to let him near her and even strikes out at him when he tries to come close. Faced with such strong opposition the Dr. has no choice but to use force. At first the use of force is all about the Dr. trying to diagnose the child and trying to open her mouth strictly for her own benefit. But as the minutes pass and she keeps refusing and refusing to let him examine her it becomes more of the need to overpower her by using force and getting her mouth open. The way the author describes the fury of the Dr. makes him sound like a ravenous beast who is looking to rip his prey part its sort of creepy. For example: "I could have torn the child apart in my own fury and enjoyed it. It was a pleasure to attack her. My face was burning with it."
Thursday, October 22, 2009
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