ems the use of force and writing prompt

Bellringer

Some people think it’s okay to hurt someone in order to help them. Especially when the “someone” is a child who doesn’t understand or an animal. What do you think about this? Write 20 or 30 words.

Control yourself.Cooperate with me.Continue the march.

Mr. Bartlett’s English Class Presentation 15354 Version 34

What Are We Doing Today?


You’ll meet the writer William Carlos Williams


You’ll meet the writer William Carlos WilliamsYou’ll read his short story “The Use of Force.”


You’ll meet the writer William Carlos WilliamsYou’ll read his short story “The Use of Force.”You’ll answer some questions along the way.


You’ll meet the writer William Carlos WilliamsYou’ll read his short story “The Use of Force.”You’ll answer some questions along the way.Then you will respond to a writing prompt…


You’ll meet the writer William Carlos WilliamsYou’ll read his short story “The Use of Force.”You’ll answer some questions along the way.Then you will respond to a writing prompt…And that will be all for today.

William Carlos Williams


American writer (and doctor!)


American writer (and doctor!)Born 1883, Died 1963 (age 80)


American writer (and doctor!)Born 1883, Died 1963 (age 80)Best known as a poet


American writer (and doctor!)Born 1883, Died 1963 (age 80)Best known as a poetHe also wrote a lot of short

stories and a few novels

Today’s Reading by William Carlos Williams

The Use of Force

Name Quiz 15354

They were new patients to me, all I had was the name, Olson. Please come down as soon as you can, my daughter is very sick.

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When I arrived I was met by the mother, a big startled looking woman, very clean and apologetic who merely said, You are the doctor, and let me in.

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Question 1: Who meets the doctor at the house? (a) the daughter (b) the son (c) the mother (d) the father

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In the back, she added. You must excuse us, doctor, we have her in the kitchen where it is warm. It is very damp here sometimes.

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The child was fully dressed and sitting on her father's lap near the kitchen table.

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He tried to get up, but I motioned for him not to bother, took off my overcoat and started to look things over. I could see that they were all very nervous, eyeing me up and down distrustfully.

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Question 2: Who is sick? (a) the father (b) the mother (c) the daughter (d) the son

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As often, in such cases, they weren't telling me more than they had to, it was up to me to tell them; that's why they were spending three dollars on me.

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The child was fairly eating me up with her cold, steady eyes, and no expression to her face whatever.

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She did not move and seemed, inwardly, quiet; an unusually attractive little thing, and as strong as a heifer in appearance.

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Question 3: Where is the patient waiting for the doctor? (a) In the kitchen (b) In the bedroom (c) In the attic (d) In the front yard

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But her face was flushed, she was breathing rapidly, and I realized that she had a high fever. She had magnificent blonde hair, in profusion.

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She was one of those picture children often reproduced in advertising leaflets and the photogravure sections of the Sunday papers.

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She's had a fever for three days, began the father, and we don't know what it comes from. My wife has given her things, you know, like people do, but it don't do no good.

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Question 4: How much does the doctor visit cost?(a) $2 (b) $3 (c) $5 (d) $25

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And there's been a lot of sickness around. So we tho't you'd better look her over and tell us what is the matter.

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As doctors often do I took a trial shot at it as a point of departure. Has she had a sore throat?

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Both parents answered me together, No . . . No, she says her throat don't hurt her.

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Question 5: How long has the patient had a fever? (a) All day (b) Two days (c) Three days (d) A week

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Does your throat hurt you? added the mother to the child. But the little girl's expression didn't change nor did she move her eyes from my face.

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Have you looked?

I tried to, said the mother, but I couldn't see.

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As it happens we had been having a number of cases of diphtheria in the school to which this child went during that month and we were all, quite apparently, thinking of that, though no one had as yet spoken of the thing.

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Question 6: The patient says that her throat… (a) don’t hurt her. (b) feels funny. (c) hurts a lot. (d) needs to be looked at.

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Well, I said, suppose we take a look at the throat first? I smiled in my best professional manner and asking for the child's first name I said, Come on, Mathilda, open your mouth and let's take a look at your throat.

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Nothing doing.

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Aw, come on, I coaxed, just open your mouth wide and let me take a look. Look, I said opening both hands wide, I haven't anything in my hands. Just open up and let me see.

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Question 7: What disease is present in the patient’s school? (a) dysentery (b) dementia (c) dermatitis (d) diphtheria

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Such a nice man, put in the mother. Look how kind he is to you. Come on, do what he tells you to. He won't hurt you.

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At that I ground my teeth in disgust. If only they wouldn't use the word "hurt" I might be able to get somewhere.

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But I did not allow myself to be hurried or disturbed but speaking quietly and slowly I approached the child again.

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Question 8: What does the doctor ask Mathilda to do? (a) get some medicine (b) get a spoon (c) open her mouth (d) hop onto the table

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As I moved my chair a little nearer suddenly with one catlike movement both her hands clawed instinctively for my eyes and she almost reached them too.

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In fact she knocked my glasses flying and they fell, though unbroken, several feet away from me on the kitchen floor.

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Both the mother and father almost turned themselves inside out in embarrassment and apology.

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Question 9: The mother refers to the doctor as… (a) a nice man. (b) a quack. (c) a cruel man. (d) hopeless.

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You bad girl, said the mother, taking her and shaking her by one arm. Look what you've done. The nice man . . .

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For heaven's sake, I broke in. Don't call me a nice man to her. I'm here to look at her throat on the chance that she might have diphtheria and possibly die of it.

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But that's nothing to her. Look here, I said to the child, we're going to look at your throat. You're old enough to understand what I'm saying.

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Question 10: The girl knocks the doctor’s ____ to the floor. (a) glasses (b) stethoscope (c) bag (d) hat

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Will you open it now by yourself or shall we have to open it for you?

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Not a move. Even her expression hadn't changed. Her breaths however were coming faster and faster. Then the battle began.

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I had to do it. I had to have a throat culture for her own protection. But first I told the parents that it was entirely up to them.

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Question 11: The mother calls her daughter… (a) a good girl. (b) a bad girl. (c) a sick girl. (d) a lost girl.

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I explained the danger but said that I would not insist on a throat examination so long as they would take the responsibility.

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If you don't do what the doctor says you'll have to go to the hospital, the mother admonished her severely.

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Oh yeah? I had to smile to myself. After all, I had already fallen in love with the savage brat, the parents were contemptible to me.

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Question 12: The doctor says he has to have… (a) a drink. (b) a throat culture. (c) a kitchen pass (d) a stainless steel spoon.

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In the ensuing struggle they grew more and more abject, crushed, exhausted while she surely rose to magnificent heights of insane fury of effort bred of her terror of me.

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The father tried his best, and he was a big man but the fact that she was his daughter, his shame at her behavior, and his dread of hurting her made him release her just at the critical time.

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It was when I had almost achieved success; I wanted to kill him.

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Question 13: The mother threatens the child with a trip to… (a) the hospital. (b) school. (c) the clinic. (d) the woodshed.

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But his dread also that she might have diphtheria made him tell me to go on, though he himself was almost fainting, while the mother moved back and forth behind us raising and lowering her hands in an agony of apprehension.

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Put her in front of you on your lap, I ordered, and hold both her wrists.

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But as soon as he did the child let out a scream. Don't, you're hurting me! Let go of my hands. Let them go I tell you! Then she shrieked terrifyingly, hysterically. Stop it! Stop it! You're killing me!

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Question 14: The narrator says that the girl’s father is… (a) a strong man. (b) a big man. (c) a weak man. (d) afraid of his daughter.

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Do you think she can stand it, doctor? said the mother.

You get out, said the husband to his wife. Do you want her to die of diphtheria?

Come on now, hold her, I said. Then I grasped the child's head with my left hand and tried to get the wooden tongue depressor between her teeth.

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She fought, with clenched teeth, desperately! But now I also had grown furious--at a child. I tried to hold myself down but I couldn't. I know how to expose a throat for inspection. And I did my best.

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Question 15: Who screams “Don’t, don’t, you’re hurting me!”? (a) the mother (b) the father (c) the son (d) the daughter

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When finally I got the wooden spatula behind the last teeth and just the point of it into the mouth cavity, she opened up for an instant.

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But before I could see anything she came down again and gripping the wooden blade between her molars she reduced it to splinters before I could get it out again.

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Aren't you ashamed, the mother yelled at her. Aren't you ashamed to act like that in front of the doctor?

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Question 16: The father tells his wife to… (a) get out. (b) get a cloth. (c) get a spoon. (d) get the child dressed.

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Get me a smooth-handled spoon of some sort, I told the mother. We're going through with this.

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The child's mouth was already bleeding. Her tongue was cut and she was screaming in wild hysterical shrieks. Perhaps I should have desisted and come back in an hour or more. No doubt it would have been better.

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But I have seen at least two children lying dead in bed of neglect in such cases, and feeling that I must get a diagnosis now or never I went at it again.

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Question 17: What does the child bite down on? (a) A wooden spoon (b) A silver bullet (c) A rag (d) A piece of meat

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But the worst of it was that I too had got beyond reason. I could have torn the child apart in my own fury and enjoyed it. It was a pleasure to attack her. My face was burning with it.

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The damned little brat must be protected against her own idiocy, one says to one's self at such times. Others must be protected against her. It is a social necessity.

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And all these things are true. But a blind fury, a feeling of adult shame, bred of a longing for muscular release are the operatives. One goes on to the end.

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Question 18: How many children does the doctor say he’s seen die of diphtheria? (a) 2 (b) 3 (c) 5 (d) 12

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In a final unreasoning assault I overpowered the child's neck and jaws. I forced the heavy silver spoon back of her teeth and down her throat till she gagged.

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And there it was--both tonsils covered with membrane. She had fought valiantly to keep me from knowing her secret.

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She had been hiding that sore throat for three days at least and lying to her parents in order to escape just such an outcome as this.

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Question 19: The doctor says that the child must be protected against… (a) her disease. (b) her own idiocy. (c) her parents. (d) her society.

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Now truly she was furious. She had been on the defensive before but now she attacked.

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Tried to get off her father's lap and fly at me while tears of defeat blinded her eyes.

The end.

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Question 20: How long does the narrator say the girl hid her sore throat? (a) 1 day (b) 3 days (c) 5 days (d) 10 days

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Good.Pass your answer sheets forward.

Then get out a sheet of paper, please.

You buy a bracelet at a flea market for $1. Then you discover that if you touch someone while you’re wearing it, you can hear their thoughts. What do you do?

Write 200 words.20 min.

ems the use of force and writing prompt

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