The Use of Force

Many children are afraid of doctors. Many children will lie to their parents to avoid seeing one. Here we have a very typical child when it comes to a doctor. Uncooperative and fiesty. The child, Mathilda is young but old enough to be in school. Old enough to perhaps remember a bad experience with a doctor. Is this why she is hiding her sore throat? Perhaps she is old enough to be conscious of what she may have, diphtheria,and is afraid to know for sure. The doctor had mentioned there had already been a number of cases at her school. He also mentioned that he had seen a couple of dead children from it. It is possible that she knows one of the dead children. This could be a reason she would be so afraid to hear she has the same sickness. The doctor is more impressed by the child than her parents. I though it interesting that he likens her to animals in several descriptions "as strong as a heifer in appearance." As he moves closer to her to examine her throat "with one catlike movement both her hands clawed." He also calls her a "savage brat." Still even as he starts to grow impatient with her and says he could tear her apart and enjoy it, there seems to be an understanding of why she is acting so. Her parents become contemptible to him and become "crushed and exhausted" in the challenge of the examination while Mathilda "rose to magnificent heights of insane fury." I think he admires her stubbornness. The doctors terminology sometimes has sexual overtones such as the afore mentioned "magnificent heights." That part left me slightly uncomfortable but I don't think they're supposed to be truly sexual in nature. Geez, at least I hope not.