Last week we finished Mrs. Dalloway and started on the new book Regeneration. The two stories fall in the same era and evolve characters who have been part of the war. Very interestingly both books have the complicated relationship between a doctor and a soldier. In Mrs. Dalloway, the doctor is Sir William Bradshaw and the patient is the insane Septimus Smith. Sir Bradshaw seems to be a good, respected psychiatrist and popular among upper class, however, Sir Bradshaw and the Smiths obviously do not get along very well. Dr. Bradshaw talks to Septimus for no more than ten sentences. In fact, when Septimus says that “I have-I have,” “committed a crime-” (96) and stammers “I-I-” (98), he is either ignored or stopped by Mr. Bradshaw who suggests him to “try to think as little about yourself as possible”. He only has a simple talk with Mrs. Lucrezia Smith before he makes decisions and dismisses (or even gets rid of) them with no further explanation than “trust everything to me” (98).
Compared to Dr. Bradshaw, Dr. Rivers, the psychiatrist in Regeneration is much more caring. He spends time with Sassoon and Captain Graves to gain a deeper understanding of the patient’s case. He cares about Burns and worries about Burns’s mysterious absence. One of the most interesting moments in the book is when Burns “realized he’d come back for this”: “waking up to find Rivers sitting by his bed, unaware of being observed, tired and patient” (40). However, one can say that Dr. Rivers cannot be defined as perfect because he allows the hospital to shelter “‘conchies’ as well as cowards, shirkers, scrimshankers and degenerates” (4).
What do you think about these two doctor-patient relationships? Between the gifted but arrogant psychiatrist, William Bradshaw, and the caring rule-breaker, Dr. Rivers, who do you think is overall a better doctor? What other interesting connections do you find between these two books?
Dr. Rivers seems to be a revolutionary in the field of medicine, compared to Dr. Bradshaw, who is old-school and backward. It is interesting that Dr. Rivers examines his own mind almost as much he does his patients'. He analyzes his own dreams and constantly thinks about the morality of his actions. Dr. Rivers is aware that "in advising [his patients] to remember the traumatic events...he was, in effect, inflicting pain, and doing so in pursuit of a treatment that he knew to be still largely experimental" (47). Dr. Bradshaw, on the other hand, does not seem to know or care that the pain he inflicts on Septimus led to suicide. Unlike Dr. Rivers, Dr. Bradshaw was entirely confident in his abilities and wanted to convert others to his beliefs. There is also a difference in the goals of the two doctors. Dr. Bradshaw was hoping to eventually lock Septimus away in an asylum if he failed to become normal again. Dr. Rivers, on the other hand, wants to work with his patients until they are ready to return to the real world.
ReplyDeleteI think both of you presented the two doctor patient relationships very nicely. I think it's interesting to look at the two doctors methods of treatment as a reflection of themselves. Though we do not find out that much about Sir WIlliam Bradshaw, he certainly comes across as not very caring as Sally said. However, Rivers seems to have some personal issues of his own that may come across in his methods of treatment. Prior even challenges Rivers in their meeting, saying "if your stammer was the same as theirs - you might actually have to sit down and work out what it is you've spent fifty years trying not to say" (97). It seems as though Prior suspects that Rivers is hiding something and may have issues of his own to address which is interesting considering that Rivers strongly encourages his patients to share their feelings. Towards the end of chapter nine, Rivers expresses his feelings about the feminine behaviors of men, talking about how he disliked being referred to as a "male mother" instead of a father. "The war that had promised so much in the way of 'manly' activity had actually delivered 'feminine' passivity, and on a scale that their mothers and sisters had scarcely known" (107). I thought Rivers' thoughts about male vs. female emotions were very interesting.
ReplyDeleteI like how this blog post focuses on a very modern and relevant topic such as medicine. The comparison of two doctors and how they differentiate is a good question to pose. As the two books are written in the same era of British Modernism, it is easier for us to see the strengths and weaknesses of the two doctors. Sir William Bradshaw, as Lydia and Ellie have stated, is an old school practitioner. Having received some of the highest accolades in medicine, there would have been much difficulty to argue against Bradshaw's reasoning and methods at the time. Woolf describes him, " which weariness, together with grey hairs, increased the xtraordinary distinction of his presence and gave him the reputation not merely of lightning skill, and almost infallible accuracy in diagnosis but of sympathy." (95). A reason why Bradshaws diligence has made him one of England's most revered is because he is so analytical. After seeing Septimus from a glance as he enters the room, Bradshaw is able to assess in his mind all the little issues he sees with Septimus. As they begin to chat, we see that Bradshaw is less focused on what Smith actually has to say and more on how he will tackle Smith's problem himself. "Trust everything to me." (98), he says, as Smiths issues are left unexpressed and unsolved. Bradshaw is a leader in the field of medicine, having no doubt accomplished many things for the good of society, but his goals as a doctor are no good on the personal level; his entire analysis of the situation is without Smiths consent. As Rivers is well aware of the importance of the patient however. Instead of supressing their desires to speak up or to act in some "insane" way, Rivers asks that they speak up and confront the things that haunt them. Unlike Bradshaw, Rivers knows he cannot feel or completely understand his patients, but he tries to make them understand themselves. The goals of these two doctors are slightly different. Bradshaw, having made his name as a doctor is trying to keep up his reputation as the all powerful and knowing; he cannot show weakness. Rivers goal is a much more difficult task. He has to essentially cure soldiers of all their emotional fears and psychological disorders only to send them back to the front. For taking on this task, Rivers is probably the most insane of them all. But Rivers isnt just in medicine for the fame, money or respect. By spending each day having the souls and torments of soldiers thrust upon him, Rivers is learning to value those who the British would call the "conchies" of their society. Rivers' take on human life could be considered the anti modernization movement of the time period in comparison to the haughty and serious Bradshaw.
ReplyDeleteI think that the two doctors are extremely different. I really like how Dr. Rivers builds a relationship with his patients before examining them and having them open up about their dreams. However, I don't believe that after Dr. Rivers has "cured" the hospital patients they should immediately be sent back to war, because then his work will have been pointless and it is very possible the cycle would just repeat. I think that in the time era these two doctors are in it is hard to completely understand the way the mind and body works, without technology and medicine. I think that Bradshaw did take a more harsh approach in helping Septimus. At the time, even though everyone acted like they knew what was going on and what they were doing, they didn't, and it was still an unsolved mystery. Life was still being discovered and it was a very rough time right after the war. I believe the two doctors both had their personal ways to cure and help the victims of war, and sometimes they contrasted. But I do think that they both had their patients best interest at heart and were trying to put all the knowledge they had to good use. Like Lydia said we see Dr.Rivers analyzing his own dreams and his own life and morals; to me this shows that he does not completely have a tight grasp on the situations he is faced with. I also tend to think that there is something Rivers is not telling the reader, some sort of secret, that may portray his actions to us more clearly.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Nina that Bradshaw and Rivers are not similar at all. Bradshaw may be liked by some people, but I feel that the majority of people do not like him. Clarissa at one point talks about how she wouldn't want to be in a room alone with him. I feel that as a doctor who is trying to help someone's mental state that people should feel comfortable around you and be able to open up around you. Bradshaw can't really diagnos all his patients in a matter of mere minutes if he doesn't have that one quality of being able to connect. This is his biggest difference from Rivers, who has great "bed side manner" and tries to connect with his patient with various methods so that he can actually learn about their experience and be able to help them. Another difference between the two is that Bradshaw pretty much just diagnoses his patients and then sends them somewhere else, he doesn't have to deal with them having issues such as nightmares, or mutism. Rivers on the other hand, diagnoses his patients and then helps with their recovery and other problems that arise along the way. Basically Rivers is much more invested in his patients than Bradshaw is.
ReplyDeleteI would first like to establish the fact that, although both doctors are well-developed, dynamic characters in their respective novels, whether Rivers’ theories and treatment are successful has yet to be determined in Regeneration. The character of Sir William Bradshaw embodies the patriarchal oppression of the British upper class, as he plays the role of an authority figure and scientist rather than that of a caretaker such as Rivers. Furthermore, Bradshaw’s theories are comprised of Proportion and the worship of Conversion, which mirrors the manner in which he addresses his patients. For example, Sir William Bradshaw views Septimus Warren Smith as just another mentally unstable patient who is a worthy subject to convert and control through his methods of isolation and patience. In contrast, Rivers utilizes a more altruistic and genuine method in his attempt to treat patients. Rivers’ emotional connection with his patients enables him to locate areas of horrific or sensitive memories and then to employ Freudian-based techniques, such as exposure, conversation and analysis, to treat them. In addition, unlike Sir William Bradshaw who is steadfast in his belief that his approach is the most effective, Rivers is open to alternative solutions that differ from his methods. For example, when Prior was struggling with memories and nightmares, Rivers granted Prior the opportunity to be treated with hypnosis by another doctor. This reveals Rivers’ recognition that a patient’s well being is more important to him than his image as a doctor.
ReplyDeleteIn Regeneration the characters are learning how to get over their terrible memories by interacting with the other patients. The most important part of their healing process and return to the war hinges mainly on this and the aid of Dr. Rivers. Sassoon helps Owen (Wilfred Owen) with his poetry and this turns into a flourishing relationship. They help each other with poetry and Owen is very hopeful that he will be able to learn much from an already published and renowned poet. Their relationship also shows that their connections create more feeling and hope for the inmates at Craiglockhart Mental Institution.
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