The Use of Force

The central theme of "The Use of Force" by William Carlos Williams is the conflict between the professional duty and personal emotions of a doctor. The story examines the use of authority and the...

The doctor's violence towards Mathilda in "The Use of Force" is justified. The story argues that the force is necessary to diagnose a potentially deadly disease, diphtheria, which the girl indeed...

Mathilda resists the doctor's examination because she wants to keep her diphtheria a secret from her parents, fearing the consequences of revealing her illness. She perceives the doctor as a stranger...

"The Use of Force" illustrates how force can evoke primal, animalistic instincts in both the doctor and the child. Initially, the doctor attempts persuasion to examine the girl's throat, but resorts...

The setting of "The Use of Force" by William Carlos Williams is primarily a small, modest kitchen in the home of a rural family. This intimate and confined space heightens the tension and intensity...

In “The Use of Force,” the main conflict of the story is between the doctor and Mathilda Olson. The doctor wants to examine Mathilda to see if she has diphtheria, but Mathilda refuses to let him...

In "The Use of Force," power is crucial for the doctor and the child, Mathilda, as it defines their ability to control the situation. For the doctor, power is tied to his authority and professional...

Three reasons that "The Use of Force" is narrated from the doctor's point of view are that this point of view separates the doctor from the other characters, highlights the doctor's growing...

In "The Use of Force," the parents do not fully trust the doctor, yet they feel compelled to rely on him due to their daughter's illness. Their anxiety and distrust are evident, as they are cautious...

In "The Use of Force," the parents, child, and doctor all use force due to necessity and emotional reactions. The parents and doctor restrain the child to examine her throat for diphtheria, a...

William Carlos Williams employs various literary techniques in "The Use of Force," including metaphors and similes. Metaphors, like the child "eating" the narrator with her eyes, convey her intense...

In the short story "The Use of Force," the doctor’s increasingly angry and violent attitude toward the girl makes the reader a bit uncomfortable. He first views her as a pretty little object in a...

The moral of "The Use of Force" is that when authorities are empowered to use force, they may overstep rational limits and become sadistic. The story illustrates how the doctor's frustration with...

In "The Use of Force," effective examples of details include the vivid descriptions of the doctor's struggle with the sick child. Figurative language is evident in the doctor's internal conflict,...

The title "The Use of Force" explores the ethical implications of using force, particularly in a medical context. It reflects on the necessity and consequences of force, both on the recipient and the...

The tone of "The Use of Force" evolves from informal and superior to brutal and aggressive. Initially, the narrator, a doctor, conveys a sense of superiority over the parents, but as the situation...

The major conflict in "The Use of Force" is between the doctor and a young girl who resists a necessary medical examination to diagnose diphtheria. The conflict arises from the child's fear and the...

Throughout “The Use of Force,” the doctor changes by losing his professional detachment and becoming angry and violent toward his patient. The more the young, uncooperative child resists, the angrier...

The doctor's violent actions in "The Use of Force" reveal his predatory and aggressive nature. Despite his initial concern for the girl's health, he derives pleasure from overpowering her, suggesting...

In "The Use of Force," dialogue lacks quotation marks to emphasize the deeper themes of the story. This stylistic choice contributes to a dreamlike atmosphere, distancing the narrative from a...

Mathilda's parents in "The Use of Force" are concerned and caring, as evidenced by their nervousness and attempts to persuade her to cooperate with the doctor. They express fear and apprehension...

The girl in "The Use of Force," Mathilda, lies to her parents about having a sore throat because she is aware of a diphtheria outbreak at her school. Although she may not fully understand the...

The doctor in "the Steel Windpipe" is professional. He tries to be as kind as possible, but he is also firm and will protect his patient against family members who want him to let the child die.

In "The Use of Force," the doctor employs both verbal persuasion and physical coercion to examine Mathilda's throat for diphtheria. Initially, he attempts to coax her verbally, but when this fails,...

In "The Use of Force" by William Carlos Williams, the girl indeed has diphtheria. The doctor, concerned about an outbreak, confirms the diagnosis after forcibly examining the girl's throat and...

"The Use of Force" by William Carlos Williams primarily uses simple and direct language, avoiding extended metaphors. However, the story can be seen as a quasi-metaphorical "battle" of wills between...

The opening of the story, as well as the doctor's questions about Mathilda's sore throat, invite us to wonder what she's hiding. As we go through the exam and learn that there is a fight between the...

Both "The Use of Force" by William Carlos Williams and "The Giraffe" by Mauro Senesi explore themes of ignorance among children and adults. In "The Use of Force," a sick child and her parents are...

A strong thesis for a comparative essay on power and ignorance in "The Use of Force" and "The Giraffe" could assert that both stories illustrate how ignorance can be manipulated by power, with adults...

The doctor in "The Use of Force" identifies more with the patient, Mathilda, than her parents because he admires her self-possession and tenacity. He sees himself in her strength and perseverance,...

Both "The Use of Force" and "The Giraffe" explore themes of ignorance, but they do so differently. In "The Use of Force," ignorance is portrayed through the parents' inability to comprehend the...