Criticism on story The Use of Force by William Carlos Williams

         This story is an example of modernism. The short story The Use of Force answers the question “What are the outcomes of overpowering others?” In the story, the narrator who was the doctor has a battle within himself. The two conflicts of the story is man to man which is an external and man versus himself which is internal. The external conflict which is the doctor’s battle with the child is less significant than the internal conflict because as being emphasized by this fiction, the doctor’s battle within himself, his urge to hurt the child and the drives to do his duty as a doctor resulted to something that that is positive and human values are implied. The narration was not the same with other short stories, dramatic presentation was not used. Though the actions and lines of the other characters were present, still it was from the perception of the narrator or the doctor. The narrative device that the author used in the short story was the stream of consciousness wherein the narrator has an interior monologue, which means a direct introduction of the reader into the interior life of the character. In the story we can see how the doctor narrates and puts the situation on his own perception and thoughts relating only to other characters. The artistry and style of the short story was promoted through the way the author presented the story, he just simply let it flow without any interventions and dialogues from the character. He just based it on the perception of the doctor and in that case, the conflict of the story, the actions of the characters, and the use of language were developed and contributed to the concept of the story. The story started with the description of the doctor to the setting, the characters, and the situation. The struggles and the frustrations of the doctor were defined from what the child, the parents, and the situation provoked. From the conflict to the climax we can see how the doctor fought his urges in alignment with the ethics of his profession and his concern with the child.