The Doctor's Word
BOUQUET OF STORIES
THE DOCTOR’S WORD- R K NARAYAN
The Doctor’s Word, a short story in the collection “Malgudi Days” by R K Narayan first published in
1943. A born story teller, R K Narayan’s short stories have a captivating feeling. Between the title
sentence and the end, he provides the reader a complete insight into the lives of his characters. His
third person narratives help to maintain a detached position and provide a more authentic and realistic
narration. His typical style is to begin with describing the characters first and slowly he brings in
situations and the development of the story is based on how the characters react to the situation they
are put in. Narayan’s unique ability to fuse characters, actions and situations together has created
some of the best tales in Indian literature.
Dr. Raman, a fictitious physician in the imaginary South Indian city of Malgudi that is the microcosm
for many of Narayan's stories, is renowned for his diagnostic acumen and "certain curt truthfulness;
for that very reason his opinion was valued; he was not a mere doctor expressing an opinion but a
judge pronouncing a verdict." He is one of those few doctors who are honest and direct. Dr. Raman
has a unique capability. He could diagnose whether the patient would survive or not. Once he decided
that the patient could be saved he would take up the case and invariably succeed. His consultation
fee was high enough barrier but even more than that, people did not like to admit to themselves that
the time had come to consult him! People considered something ominous in his association. People
initially never come to him for his reputation of being a doctor of patient’s last phase. He would often
complain that the patients were brought to him too late! He believed in the truth and was not
interested in giving his patients false hope.
When Dr. Raman is called upon to make a house call and subsequent operation on his dearest friend,
Gopal, he faces a very difficult professional ethical dilemma. Since, the doctor’s word is taken for
granted as being true, he hesitates whether to tell the truth that there is little hope for his friend or tell
a lie and create hope in the patient. One thing about Dr. Raman was he did not believe in mincing
words. But What will be his attitude for his dearest friend Gopal? which gives the plot of the story.
Gopal and Dr.Raman are friends from childhood over forty years. It was friendship standing
untouched by changing times and circumstances.
For Gopal is very sick (dying in Dr. Raman's judgment) and requests a truthful prognosis in order to
settle his will and avoid the "endless misery for his wife and children" that an unsettled will would
entail. Yet, if Dr. Raman reveals his pessimistic opinion, which he does to his assistant, that is Gopal
will not survive the night, then it would "virtually mean a death sentence and destroy the thousandth
part of a chance that the patient had of survival." Furthermore if the will is to be signed then it should
be in next two hours or never, but that would crush the slightest chance of the survival of the patient.
So he decided to fake his words to save a life as he is renowned for that. Dr. Raman does "a piece of
acting" and assures his friend and patient that he will live. Gopal replies, "If it comes from your lips it
must be true . . . . " Gopal lives and Dr. Raman remarks to his assistant, "How he has survived this
attack will be a puzzle to me all my life."
In The Doctor’s Word by R.K. Narayan we have the theme of honesty, friendship, uncertainty, letting
go, fear, connection, trust, compassion and conflict. Taken from his Malgudi Days collection the story
is narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator and after reading the story the reader realises
that Narayan may be exploring the theme of uncertainty.
Dr. Raman is uncertain as to how Gopal has survived when the reality was he truly expected Gopal
to die. It is also interesting that Gopal trusts Dr. Raman’s word and believes everything that he tells
him. However it is noticeable that Dr. Raman lies to Gopal prior to leaving him for the night. This lie is
interesting as Dr. Raman appears to be in conflict with himself. Professionally he doesn’t hold out
much hope that Gopal will survive. However personally he longs for Gopal to survive. So attached is
Dr. Raman to his friend. It might also be important that Gopal’s wife is full of fear that Gopal might die
as it suggests that she loves Gopal very much. That they have a happy marriage. There is also a
sense that Dr. Raman’s patients appreciate his honesty. It is as though they are sure of where they
stand with Dr. Raman. It is also noticeable that Dr. Raman doesn’t see any point in lying to his
patients however as mentioned when it comes to Gopal, Dr. Raman is torn between telling him the
truth and lying.
There is also a sense that Dr. Raman does not wish to let go of Gopal. He is exceptionally fond of him
and scolds Gopal’s family for not notifying him earlier about Gopal’s illness. It is for this reason and
possibly to comfort Gopal that Dr. Raman might have decided to lie to Gopal about how serious his
condition was. Though honesty would be considered to be a prerequisite when it comes to friendship.
Dr. Raman cannot bring himself to tell Gopal just how bad his condition is. Even though matters are
so serious that Gopal wishes to sign his will before he dies Dr. Raman does not allow him to do so.
Dr. Raman has become emotionally involved with his patient (Gopal) and it is something that a doctor
must strive to never do as it can and does affect their professionalism. Dr. Raman really does find
himself in a difficult position as his professionalism is being challenged by his friendship with Gopal.
It is also interesting that Gopal does not fear dying. However he does fear what Subbiah and his gang
might do, if he not sign his will. This may be important as it suggests that Gopal is prepared to make
sure that his family are looked after. Though he is near dying his number one priority is his family.
Something that is also noticeable with Gopal’s wife. Throughout the story she shows genuine concern
for Gopal. In fact she is afraid of him dying which suggests a strong connection between both Gopal
and his wife.
The end of the story is also interesting as Dr. Raman fully expects Gopal to be dead when he visits
the house in the morning. However when he discovers that Gopal is still alive and getting better he
can’t figure things out. Dr. Raman had lied to his friend to ease Gopal’s mind and now the reader finds
that it is Dr. Raman’s mind that is at ease. His word has not been broken even though he knows he
has lied. The trust he has with not only Gopal but all his patients remains intact. Dr. Raman is still a
man of his word though he does remain puzzled as to how Gopal has survived through the night. It is
also noticeable that Dr. Raman was willing to show Gopal compassion. Something that the reader
becomes aware of when Dr. Raman tells his assistant to bring a tube of medicine with them should
Gopal’s pain become too much. This level of compassion is interesting as Dr. Raman most likely does
not want any of his patient’s (friends or not) to suffer when their time comes. Throughout the story Dr.
Raman’s main concern has been his patients. He has shown a dedication and professionalism that is
unmatched by the other doctor who had been caring for Gopal. Though Dr. Raman may have lied his
lie was an act of compassion for not only a friend but for one of his patients. The reader is also left
assured at the end of the story by the fact that though Dr. Raman does not know how Gopal survived
he is still nonetheless relieved and happy.
A doctor’s word is usually something that a patient can trust. Doctors are obliged to tell their patients
the truth no matter how unpleasant the truth may be for a patient. Dr. Raman does not do this as he is
torn between his role as a Doctor and his friendship with Gopal. He does not want to hurt Gopal.
However he is obliged to tell him the truth. So, Dr. Raman is in conflict with himself over being
professional and honest and not telling Gopal that he is ill. Dr. Raman is a kind, considerate man who
will go against his own beliefs in order to help a friend. One thing he realizes is that his intuition as a
doctor cannot always be right. A Doctor’s word can often be taken as having sufficient meaning to be
true. It is a fact. Yet in the story Gopal does not die. Narayan may be using the title of the story to
introduce irony into the story.
This story adroitly tackles truthfulness in the physician-patient relationship as well as the intricate
associations between truth-telling, prognosis and hope. Additionally it raises, in a minor way, the tricky
problem of a professional relationship with a good friend. It often happens that one becomes friends
with a patient. But to initiate a professional relationship with a long-standing friend (they have been
friends for 40 years) may not always be wise. It is clear in this story that Gopal's original physician
was not his friend Dr. Raman but a "doctor in the next street," a physician Raman does not know.
In other words, this story's concern is not only with professional ethics but also with the tension that
often arrives when personal ethics and professional ethics intersect and conflict. since it is clear that
Dr. Raman violates his usual practice of truth-telling in the interest of his friendship. Dr. Raman tells
the patient's wife and patient only what he wants them to hear since the truth as he perceives it would
be damaging to the patient's outcome. People trusted the doctor’s word because he has been proved
correct in the past. It is this honesty in the earlier instances that created the confidence in the friend’s
mind and this mental conviction cured the physical ailment.
In Narayan’s stories it has been observed that the stories begin with the characters but in a skilful
manner during his narration of the character, Narayan plants a situation. The build-up generally deals
with how a character reacts in that situation. Critics have noted that Narayan's writings tend to be
more descriptive and less analytical. The setting for most of Narayan's stories is the fictional town of
Malgudi. His narratives highlight social context and provide a feel for his characters through everyday
life. He has been compared to William Faulkner , who also created a fictional town that stood for
reality.
http://sittingbee.com/the-doctors-word-r-k-narayan/
http://ravibhaliya.blogspot.com/2015/09/doctor-word-short-story-by-r-k-narayan.html
THE DOCTOR’S WORD- R K NARAYAN
The Doctor’s Word, a short story in the collection “Malgudi Days” by R K Narayan first published in
1943. A born story teller, R K Narayan’s short stories have a captivating feeling. Between the title
sentence and the end, he provides the reader a complete insight into the lives of his characters. His
third person narratives help to maintain a detached position and provide a more authentic and realistic
narration. His typical style is to begin with describing the characters first and slowly he brings in
situations and the development of the story is based on how the characters react to the situation they
are put in. Narayan’s unique ability to fuse characters, actions and situations together has created
some of the best tales in Indian literature.
Dr. Raman, a fictitious physician in the imaginary South Indian city of Malgudi that is the microcosm
for many of Narayan's stories, is renowned for his diagnostic acumen and "certain curt truthfulness;
for that very reason his opinion was valued; he was not a mere doctor expressing an opinion but a
judge pronouncing a verdict." He is one of those few doctors who are honest and direct. Dr. Raman
has a unique capability. He could diagnose whether the patient would survive or not. Once he decided
that the patient could be saved he would take up the case and invariably succeed. His consultation
fee was high enough barrier but even more than that, people did not like to admit to themselves that
the time had come to consult him! People considered something ominous in his association. People
initially never come to him for his reputation of being a doctor of patient’s last phase. He would often
complain that the patients were brought to him too late! He believed in the truth and was not
interested in giving his patients false hope.
When Dr. Raman is called upon to make a house call and subsequent operation on his dearest friend,
Gopal, he faces a very difficult professional ethical dilemma. Since, the doctor’s word is taken for
granted as being true, he hesitates whether to tell the truth that there is little hope for his friend or tell
a lie and create hope in the patient. One thing about Dr. Raman was he did not believe in mincing
words. But What will be his attitude for his dearest friend Gopal? which gives the plot of the story.
Gopal and Dr.Raman are friends from childhood over forty years. It was friendship standing
untouched by changing times and circumstances.
For Gopal is very sick (dying in Dr. Raman's judgment) and requests a truthful prognosis in order to
settle his will and avoid the "endless misery for his wife and children" that an unsettled will would
entail. Yet, if Dr. Raman reveals his pessimistic opinion, which he does to his assistant, that is Gopal
will not survive the night, then it would "virtually mean a death sentence and destroy the thousandth
part of a chance that the patient had of survival." Furthermore if the will is to be signed then it should
be in next two hours or never, but that would crush the slightest chance of the survival of the patient.
So he decided to fake his words to save a life as he is renowned for that. Dr. Raman does "a piece of
acting" and assures his friend and patient that he will live. Gopal replies, "If it comes from your lips it
must be true . . . . " Gopal lives and Dr. Raman remarks to his assistant, "How he has survived this
attack will be a puzzle to me all my life."
In The Doctor’s Word by R.K. Narayan we have the theme of honesty, friendship, uncertainty, letting
go, fear, connection, trust, compassion and conflict. Taken from his Malgudi Days collection the story
is narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator and after reading the story the reader realises
that Narayan may be exploring the theme of uncertainty.
Dr. Raman is uncertain as to how Gopal has survived when the reality was he truly expected Gopal
to die. It is also interesting that Gopal trusts Dr. Raman’s word and believes everything that he tells
him. However it is noticeable that Dr. Raman lies to Gopal prior to leaving him for the night. This lie is
interesting as Dr. Raman appears to be in conflict with himself. Professionally he doesn’t hold out
much hope that Gopal will survive. However personally he longs for Gopal to survive. So attached is
Dr. Raman to his friend. It might also be important that Gopal’s wife is full of fear that Gopal might die
as it suggests that she loves Gopal very much. That they have a happy marriage. There is also a
sense that Dr. Raman’s patients appreciate his honesty. It is as though they are sure of where they
stand with Dr. Raman. It is also noticeable that Dr. Raman doesn’t see any point in lying to his
patients however as mentioned when it comes to Gopal, Dr. Raman is torn between telling him the
truth and lying.
There is also a sense that Dr. Raman does not wish to let go of Gopal. He is exceptionally fond of him
and scolds Gopal’s family for not notifying him earlier about Gopal’s illness. It is for this reason and
possibly to comfort Gopal that Dr. Raman might have decided to lie to Gopal about how serious his
condition was. Though honesty would be considered to be a prerequisite when it comes to friendship.
Dr. Raman cannot bring himself to tell Gopal just how bad his condition is. Even though matters are
so serious that Gopal wishes to sign his will before he dies Dr. Raman does not allow him to do so.
Dr. Raman has become emotionally involved with his patient (Gopal) and it is something that a doctor
must strive to never do as it can and does affect their professionalism. Dr. Raman really does find
himself in a difficult position as his professionalism is being challenged by his friendship with Gopal.
It is also interesting that Gopal does not fear dying. However he does fear what Subbiah and his gang
might do, if he not sign his will. This may be important as it suggests that Gopal is prepared to make
sure that his family are looked after. Though he is near dying his number one priority is his family.
Something that is also noticeable with Gopal’s wife. Throughout the story she shows genuine concern
for Gopal. In fact she is afraid of him dying which suggests a strong connection between both Gopal
and his wife.
The end of the story is also interesting as Dr. Raman fully expects Gopal to be dead when he visits
the house in the morning. However when he discovers that Gopal is still alive and getting better he
can’t figure things out. Dr. Raman had lied to his friend to ease Gopal’s mind and now the reader finds
that it is Dr. Raman’s mind that is at ease. His word has not been broken even though he knows he
has lied. The trust he has with not only Gopal but all his patients remains intact. Dr. Raman is still a
man of his word though he does remain puzzled as to how Gopal has survived through the night. It is
also noticeable that Dr. Raman was willing to show Gopal compassion. Something that the reader
becomes aware of when Dr. Raman tells his assistant to bring a tube of medicine with them should
Gopal’s pain become too much. This level of compassion is interesting as Dr. Raman most likely does
not want any of his patient’s (friends or not) to suffer when their time comes. Throughout the story Dr.
Raman’s main concern has been his patients. He has shown a dedication and professionalism that is
unmatched by the other doctor who had been caring for Gopal. Though Dr. Raman may have lied his
lie was an act of compassion for not only a friend but for one of his patients. The reader is also left
assured at the end of the story by the fact that though Dr. Raman does not know how Gopal survived
he is still nonetheless relieved and happy.
A doctor’s word is usually something that a patient can trust. Doctors are obliged to tell their patients
the truth no matter how unpleasant the truth may be for a patient. Dr. Raman does not do this as he is
torn between his role as a Doctor and his friendship with Gopal. He does not want to hurt Gopal.
However he is obliged to tell him the truth. So, Dr. Raman is in conflict with himself over being
professional and honest and not telling Gopal that he is ill. Dr. Raman is a kind, considerate man who
will go against his own beliefs in order to help a friend. One thing he realizes is that his intuition as a
doctor cannot always be right. A Doctor’s word can often be taken as having sufficient meaning to be
true. It is a fact. Yet in the story Gopal does not die. Narayan may be using the title of the story to
introduce irony into the story.
This story adroitly tackles truthfulness in the physician-patient relationship as well as the intricate
associations between truth-telling, prognosis and hope. Additionally it raises, in a minor way, the tricky
problem of a professional relationship with a good friend. It often happens that one becomes friends
with a patient. But to initiate a professional relationship with a long-standing friend (they have been
friends for 40 years) may not always be wise. It is clear in this story that Gopal's original physician
was not his friend Dr. Raman but a "doctor in the next street," a physician Raman does not know.
In other words, this story's concern is not only with professional ethics but also with the tension that
often arrives when personal ethics and professional ethics intersect and conflict. since it is clear that
Dr. Raman violates his usual practice of truth-telling in the interest of his friendship. Dr. Raman tells
the patient's wife and patient only what he wants them to hear since the truth as he perceives it would
be damaging to the patient's outcome. People trusted the doctor’s word because he has been proved
correct in the past. It is this honesty in the earlier instances that created the confidence in the friend’s
mind and this mental conviction cured the physical ailment.
In Narayan’s stories it has been observed that the stories begin with the characters but in a skilful
manner during his narration of the character, Narayan plants a situation. The build-up generally deals
with how a character reacts in that situation. Critics have noted that Narayan's writings tend to be
more descriptive and less analytical. The setting for most of Narayan's stories is the fictional town of
Malgudi. His narratives highlight social context and provide a feel for his characters through everyday
life. He has been compared to William Faulkner , who also created a fictional town that stood for
reality.
http://sittingbee.com/the-doctors-word-r-k-narayan/
http://ravibhaliya.blogspot.com/2015/09/doctor-word-short-story-by-r-k-narayan.html
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