Another Paper!

ATTN: I am Nikki Hansen. This is MY blog. This is MY work. I post these AFTER I turn them in! Thanks :)

Nikki Hansen

Dr. Dan
10.12.09
ENGL 3001w.004
Nikki.m.hansen@gmail.com


“The Good Doctor”: The Fight between Carnival and Lent


“The Good Doctor” by Adam Haslett is similar in structure to a Russian nesting doll; there’s always something more. As a Russian nesting doll is taken apart, its pieces become smaller and smaller, yet the artistic details remain bold and significant. As “The Good Doctor” unfolds, multiple stories are uncovered until we are introduced to its final and seemingly least important piece: a painting titled The Fight between Carnival and Lent. This painting depicts a town square filled with “all manner of people” busying themselves with various activities from eating to praying, to vulgarity, resulting in a chaos that cannot be organized or undone. This painting is not only a symbol of the life of Mrs. Buckholdt, who combats poverty, illness, addiction and trauma, it also acts as a symbol of the story itself: bits and pieces of chaos that cannot be controlled.
The use of The Fight between Carnival and Lent in the story can first be compared to the lives of the characters within “The Good Doctor.” Doctor Frank Briggs, for example, is trying to solve and organize his own disorderly life: he has lost funding for his job, he hates his location, he is combating homesickness, and he has a hangover. At one moment in the story Doctor Briggs has an epiphany, he realizes why "he'd become a doctor: to organize his involuntary proximity to human pain." This “human pain” does not only emanate from his patients; to some length he is trying to organize his involuntary proximity to his own pain. Unfortunately, the only way he knows how to “treat” himself is by treating others. If he cannot diagnose, organize and treat Mrs. Buckholdt’s pain, then he will not be able to treat his own. At the end of the story Mrs. Buckholdt refuses Doctor Frank Brigg’s offer to help; she turns him down. At this moment, chaos is eminent yet again: “Frank’s stomach tightened, the panic beginning before his mind could form the though: he didn’t want to lose her, he didn’t want the telling to end.” But, for Frank, the stories have ended and this is not something that he can fix or control.
The story of Mrs. Buckholdt’s life is broken down into a tragic sequence of events that seem to come together in The Fight between Carnival and Lent. As she relays her story to Doctor Frank, she refers to the painting several times, reflecting on the way it makes her feel, and how she has changed her view of the painting so that she can like it. This reflects how she is forced to accept her current way of life. She makes the connection that her existence, like the painting, isn’t overtly lush, but she “see[s] how much there is, how much life” and is driven to continue living. At one point Mrs. Buckholdt says, “Brueghel was a moralizer, his paintings full of parables.” Mrs. Buckholdt’s life is included in this painting; her chaotic, tragic story is a parable just the same. And, while Mrs. Buckholdt appreciates what medication does for her on the days she needs them, she also states that she can “manage without them.” When Doctor Briggs pushes his treatment plan for her again, suggesting extensive therapy, Mrs. Buckholdt replies, “ Dr. Briggs… didn’t you hear what I said?” Her refusal of treatment from Doctor Briggs brings her life and the painting together one more time by suggesting that her life, full of tragedies, wonder, questions and heartache, poverty, addiction and trauma all contributing to an outrageously chaotic life cannot be undone or fixed by pills and talking, just as The Fight between Carnival and Lent, a painting full of the chaos of every day people living their lives, cannot be undone after it has already happened.
“The Good Doctor” is not a story about a good doctor at all. It is a story about how life is not fixed or controllable and how nothing can change the events that construct ones existence. It is a story, in a story, in a story, a parable in a parable that is hidden in a non-impressive, but nonetheless realistic painting. The Fight between Carnival and Lent encompasses all human life, from peasant to priest and from doctors to depressed mothers. While Doctor Briggs’ may not be aware, his life correlates to The Fight between Carnival and Lent in that he cannot undo the events in his life. He cannot bring funding to his program. He cannot leave desolate Nebraska. He cannot take back the phone call to his ex girlfriend. On the other hand, Mrs. Buckholdt is fully aware of her situation and is just trying to do the best she can on a day-to-day basis. Both of these characters are prime examples of how the chaos of everyday life cannot be re-written, no matter what you attempt. Together, these characters and this painting show us that these bits and pieces of chaos are the things are real and that as agonizing as living can be, there is no way to escape the things that have already been done.

The places we go.

Some people like to call me a racist.
Truth is, I'm not. I'm just incredibly critical (of everyone).
I am not against black people, or mexicans, asians, russians or whatever. I am, however, against people who can't give to others what is given to them.

Example:
Illegal immigrants. They work, tax free. They send the money back to Mexico, China, Vietnam - etc. Then, they are somehow magically granted free tuition for school and magical rights to vote. Hmm. Not even a citizen. Yes. They piss me off.

Example:
Refugees: I understand that we saved them... I am not for saving people. If the USA was in a huge crisis, I can guarantee that no one would step in and save us - and if they tried we would hate it.
Somehow, we continue to save the world. We grant our refugees 10,000 dollar housing allowances. They don't have to work for a period of time. They don't pay taxes for 7 years - but my taxes and yours buy their house, their food. Somehow they are granted magical voting rights and scholarships.
I don't like that.

If there is "racism" or "racial profiling" in this country, it's against white people. There is no white history month. There are no "just because you are white" scholarships. I can't get ANY aid because I'm white and because my dad makes over $70,000 a year. That's fair. Not. But I know, my taxes will pay for all the illegals, refugees, native americans (i am actually okay with that) and african-americans to go to school... for free. Oh, don't forget the athletes with 2.0 GPA's.
So I will work full time and keep my 3.5 so that you all can go to school for free. Oh, and when I need something - all those people certainly won't be there for me. Good thing I enjoy being "one for... one."

I am very much against socialism. Socialism is basically Communism's little sister. I don't want more taxes. I don't want to pay for your health care. I don't want to pay for bike paths, etc. America is on a slippery slope. It's corrupt.

I suggest following Glenn Beck or Sean Hannity.

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The Second Hand

A little red sprinter
Passing others quickly
Or, like a business man that’s trying to get to his meeting
On time.

This little red hand
The second hand
Measures every aspect of our lives
It touches everything.

It controls everything.

“When the red hand passes the 12, you’re late”
Who sat down,
Who created this little red life one day?
This eternal, little red life.

If I will it to stop
Or if I break it
Nothing will change.
There is no meaning in the red piece of plastic.

It’s what we can’t see.
That’s what we can’t control.