"The Use of Force"

William Carlos Williams, "The Use of Force" left me wondering with what the title stood for. Before reading the story, "The Use of Force" seemed like it would be a very violent story just by the title itself. Does "The Use of Force" might refer to the way the parents forced the doctor to come to the house, the actual force the doctor used, or the child's force in keeping her mouth closed so that the doctor could not check her. I think these are all possibilities in which the "Use of Force" could be talking about.


After reading the short biography about William Carlos Williams, I realize he may be talking about his own life experiences in this story. Was he trying to convey some of his feelings and emotions as a doctor? "I could have torn the child apart in my own fury and enjoyed it. It was a pleasure to attack her" (Williams 1172). These disturbing sentences led me to believe that the doctor knew he could use almost any force necessary against the child, and she would be completely defenseless. Although the young girl never hears the doctors innermost thoughts, I was able to see inside the mind of the doctor that came to the house. The doctor continued by saying, "It was a pleasure to attack her. My face was burning with it" (Williams 1172). It seemed as though the doctor in the story used possibly a little too much force to check the child's throat, seeing as she was bleeding before he could even get her mouth open. It was this force in the story that led me to believe that the doctor used his profession to hurt the child in some ways, for his own enjoyment. This story left me wondering if this story paralleled the life of William Carlos Williams.