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The Use Of Force By Williams Carlos Williams

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In Williams Carlos Williams short story, “The Use of Force,” the overall theme of the story is that when people are dying they become in denial. Williams uses a lot of elements in the story to help create meaning to the story. By him doing this he is also engaging the reader and providing examples that relate to the theme of the story. Some of the elements he uses are plot- the sequencing of events, character, and figurative language. The story could be considered a traditional western narrative since it contains an exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and a conclusion. The exposition would be how the doctor is going to a house to check on the girl. The rising action would be that the doctor was able to put a wooden spoon in her mouth but she chews it up. The climax is when the doctor is finally able to open up her mouth “in the 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” (848). This clearly shows how hard she was fighting for the doctor to not see her mouth, he had to resort to a silver spoon. The falling action is that the doctor sees that she is sick. Finally, with a conclusion of the girl crying because her family now knows that she is in fact sick. She was in denial the entire time and now she has to admit to herself that she has the sickness. William uses foreshadowing in the story, when the girl doesn’t open her mouth and doesn’t talk. This
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