Defense of a Killer

A detailed Summary of Defense of a Killer


William Carlos Williams (1883-1963) was a Pulitzer Prize winning author whose

works included poetry, novels, essays, and plays. In addition, he was also a practicing

physician and he sustained his medical practice in Rutherford, New Jersey throughout his

life. The short story interpreted here is one based on his medical practice during America's Great Depression.

The story "Use of Force", published in the 1938 collection Life along the Passaic River, is about the relationship between a doctor and a patient who is terrified of him. The doctor's frustration over the deaths of at least two children drives his determination beyond reason in his desire to stop the disease and avert an epidemic. The girl's appearance, in addition to his obvious affection and admiration for her fighting spirit, masks the terrible disease that lies within and its epidemic potential. Being fully aware of the possible dire consequences of not making the correct diagnosis, the doctor resorts to behavior not uncommon when one encounters opposition to what is clearly against what is best for all concerned.

One element of the frustration that the doctor feels is that he has prior knowledge of the disease circulating through th


The doctor feels contempt for the parent's ineffectiveness at assisting him in restraining the child. When the doctor is close to viewing her throat the father releases her for fear of harming her. The mother's vain attempt to control the child consists of threatening her by saying," If you don't do what the doctor says you'll have to go to the hospital..." The doctor realizes that the threat is perceived by the child as idle and he is thinking, "Oh yeah? I had to smile to myself."

When Williams begins the story, he seems to be sympathetic towards the child as a doctor should be. He displays his affection for her when he describes his first impression of the girl, "an unusually attractive little thing ... She had magnificent blond hair... One of those picture children often reproduced in advertising leaflets and the photogravure sections of the Sunday papers." Williams is not revealing that the doctor may even sense that this examination is not going to be routine. When he entered the kitchen and surveyed the situation, he senses the nervousness of the family. The doctor is observant when he looks at the little girl and describes her as, " strong as a heifer in appearance."

The doctor has not lost his focus throughout the ordeal. The simple fact that he needs to see the throat behind that picturesque face has not changed. Th

Some common words found in the essay are:
Passaic River, Pulitzer Prize, Rutherford Jersey, America's Depression, Carlos Williams, little girl, doctor feels, medical practice, child doctor, beyond reason, throat culture,

Approximate Word count = 901
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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