![]() He has disregarded the fact that she is from a dysfunctional family and still cares for her to the best of his ability. 72) In this instant he is displaying his interest in her case and his desire to improve her condition as soon as possible. He demonstrates his eagerness to treat her when he says, “I wanted to incise the drums, especially the left, and would have done it only the night superintendent came along just then and made me call the ear man on service.” (Williams, pg. At the time when the doctor initially examines Jean, he concludes that she has a case of broncho-pneumonia. She arrives in a grim condition – just skin and bones. Of all the cases the doctor has seen, he describes Jean Beicke as being the worst. He continually does all that he can for his patients and does not allow their possible futures to impede his medical judgment, which makes him a good doctor. It is simply a thought that goes on in his mind, but not an action that he actually takes. Although he sometimes bounces this idea around, he never acts on it. Perhaps if they are deformed or have serious conditions they should just be put out of their misery. He often questions whether or not it is right from medical practitioners to save children who are along the path of living a very difficult life. 71) In this quote the doctor is making a very controversial claim and although what he is saying seems cruel, he is actually making a very valid point. You actually want to see them pass out, especially when they’re deformed or – they’re awful sometimes.”(Williams, pg. One example of this is when the doctor is talking about his patients and says, “Poor kids! You really wonder sometimes if medicine isn’t all wrong to try to do anything for them at all. Although at times the doctor believes some of his patients are better off dead, he never lets his personal views affect his practice, proving our narrator – a seemingly harsh man – in reality a better doctor than he might first appear.Īt various times in the story, the narrator’s morals can often be questioned by the reader. I agree with Becca Dobyns who claims that the narrator is a good doctor because he treats Jean without allowing his views of the outcome to impede his medical judgment. Due to all this evil that the doctor is forced to witness, he sometimes makes rude remarks about the children and even has negative thoughts about their future based on their current situations. The doctor’s and nurses’ duties are to take the children in, diagnose their condition, and do all they can to ensure the survival of these innocent babies – even knowing that there is a good chance that, once returned to their parents, the young ones may soon arrive back at the clinic worse than when they first arrived. Most children are from households that simply neglect their responsibilities as care givers and show no concern for their children’s well being. ![]() At times, some even arrive at the brink of death. The doctor, who is also the story’s narrator, treats children with a variety of maladies – including malnourishment, neglect, and the effects of the squalor in their surroundings. During this time period, there are many unwanted children who end up in this ward, who arrive in completely inhumane conditions. The short story Jean Beicke by William Carlos Williams depicts the story of a doctor practicing at a children’s health clinic during the Great Depression.
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