What is the point of The Use of Force by William Carlos Williams?

What is the point of The Use of Force by William Carlos Williams?

People who read William Carlos Williams’s short story “The Use of Force” are inclined to describe it as a struggle of wills between the two main characters: an adult doctor, who finds himself increasingly unable to maintain his professional demeanor, and a sick girl who fights throughout her examination.

What is the central idea of the story The Use of Force?

The main themes in “The Use of Force” are necessary evils, power and control, and the limitations of consent. Necessary evils: The doctor rationalizes using force against Mathilda by convincing himself that it’s for her own good.

What is the conclusion of the story use of force?

Conclusion. In conclusion, the doctor justifies his actions by claiming that the goal was more important than the means used to attain it. The need to achieve a particular objective motivates an individual to use unconventional means to accomplish his or her aim.

What is the nature of the conflict in the story The Use of Force?

The main conflict in the short story “The Use of Force” is between a doctor and the young girl he is trying to examine.

Who is telling the story in The Use of Force?

The story is narrated in the first person by a physician, who is making a house call to tend to a sick girl. Fearing she may have diphtheria, the doctor decides to check her throat.

What does the silver spoon symbolize in The Use of Force?

The spoons represent the doctor’s loss of control. At the beginning, when he’s behaving professionally, he shows Mathilda that his hands are empty. Exactly when he takes out the wooden tongue depressor isn’t clear, but it’s not mentioned until he becomes furious.

What is the climax of The Use of Force?

The climax of the story comes when the doctor finally wrenches open her mouth and sees that she is, indeed, infected with the killing disease. The title of the story refers to both characters’ use of force.

Who is the protagonist in The Use of Force?

The short story “The Use of Force” by William Carlos Williams features the doctor as the protagonist, and Mathilda, a secondary character, as the antagonist.

Why did the doctor use the force on the child?

The doctor explains that he used force on the child because he was saving her from her own idiocy; he was merely trying to save her life. But still, we cannot take his actions as justifiable, since there was another way, the doctor says himself that he could have come back in an hour and tried later.

Why does Mathilda refuse to open her mouth when the doctor first asks?

There has been a diphtheria outbreak at Mathilda’s school, and the doctor suspects that Mathilda has contracted the disease. Mathilda refuses to open her mouth for a throat swab. When the doctor’s cajoling and stern rebukes fail, he resorts to using force. Mathilda does indeed have diphtheria.

What is the falling action of The Use of Force?

In the falling action, the doctor realizes that Mathilda has lied to her parents about having a sore throat, to avoid being seen by a doctor. The resolution shows Mathilda trying to attack the doctor again, angry that he overpowered her: “Now truly she was furious.

When did William Carlos Williams write The Use of Force?

“The Use of Force” is a short story by the American author William Carlos Williams. It was first published in his short story collection Life Along the Passaic River (1938); it is also available in The Doctor Stories (1984), a collection of Williams’ fiction that is still in print.

What is the structure of the use of force by Williams?

In terms of technical and narrative structure, “The Use of Force” by William Carlos Williams is a short, image-driven story told from the perspective of a first-person narrator. Williams eschews quotation marks in his text, instead allowing the doctor’s thoughts to mingle with his observations of the child and her parents.

What is the plot structure of the use of force?

In this section, we will highlight the elements of our analysis of “The Use of Force” by William Carlos Williams. The story follows a linear plot structure, while including narrative techniques like backstory and foreshadowing. The characters include the doctor, as the protagonist, and Mathilda and her parents, as secondary characters.

What are the sexual connotations of William Carlos Williams’the use of force?

In his interesting article on William Carlos Williams’ “The Use of Force,” R. F. Dietrich points out the sexual connotations of the story that “are there because they express the savagery in human nature that, lying so close to the surface, can erupt at any moment in a flow of irrational behavior …” ( Studies in Short Fiction, Summer 1966).

What is the main idea of the use of force?

The main idea in “The Use of Force” by William Carlos Williams is that the use of force itself, no matter how morally good the purpose, corrupts the user. The story starts out portraying the…

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