The Exploratory Essay was an essay that use Freud and your chosen short story, as well as analyzing in-depth two to four passages from that story. You must use Freud to support your argument. Also, the focus should be your argument based on your chosen story, analyzed through a Freudian lens. Consider the motives of the characters and how we can understand them further by looking at them through a Freudian lens. That should be the foundation of your argument.

My Exploratory Essay was based on the story “A Country Doctor” by Franz Kafka

*Free write why I chose “The Country Doctor*

Free Write 10/06/2021

The reason why I chose the country doctor as my story for the essay is that the story showed parallels between the doctor’s moral code and his true feelings which made it more interesting to analyze especially using Freud’s ideas. Furthermore, the country doctor was a complex but eventually captivating short story. In a much more obvious sense, the story made it easier to analyze through a Freudian lens due to the personal battle the doctor finds himself in throughout the story.

First Draft of The Exploratory Essay:

Franz Kafka, known for his short stories and novels, in his short story, “A Country Doctor” Kafka argues that individuals are often consumed by their wishful impulse, which connects to Freud’s theories. Kafka supports his argument by illustrating the Doctor’s shameful desires and actions through the character known as the Groom and during the Doctor’s examination of his sick patient. Kafka’s purpose is to open his reader’s eyes to the reality that wishful impulses and thoughts have the potential to consume any individual, regardless of their occupation or moral code. In the short story “The Country Doctor,” Kafka develops an analytical and overwhelming tone to illustrate the battle The Doctor constantly finds himself against his desires, also known as Freud’s wishful impulse/dreamwork theories, which represents one of the flaws that exist in human beings.

Doctors are known to be selfless and ethical. However, The Doctor in “The Country Doctor” shows signs of un-moral thinking and shameful desires due to the doctor’s wishful impulse. The wishful impulse concept comes from Sigmund Freud, which describes individuals who have hidden desires/wishes that don’t correlate with their moral code. Freud states in his speech, “Five Lectures on Psych-Analysis,” “All these experiences had involved the emergence of a wishful impulse which was in sharp contrast to the subject’s other wishes and which proved incompatible with the ethical and aesthetic standards of his personality” (Freud 2212). Freud’s wishful impulse concept is reflected in the short story “The Country Doctor” through the character known as The Groom. The Doctor’s wishful impulse to be in a sexual relationship with Rose is symbolized through The Groom because The Doctor is willing to put his long waiting wishful impulse first and risk his respected status as the “ethical doctor.” For example, “The Country Doctor” states, “I’m not thinking of paying for it by handing the girl over to you.” Gee up! he said; clapped his hands; the gig whirled off like a log in a freshet; I could just hear the door of my house splitting and bursting as the groom charged at it and then I was deafened and blinded by a storming rush that steadily buffeted all my senses” (Kafka  2). The Doctor’s inability to stop the horses from leaving represents his moral code escaping his concussions. And instead of being a respected, unharming, and loving doctor, The Doctor lets his shameful wishful impulse consume his mind and body, transforming him into The Groom. Overall, The Doctor’s willingness to put his wishful impulse first has led him to throw away his moral code and become a lust-seeking person, known as The Groom. 

Notes: there should be a clear relation to the thesis. 

Free Write on the challenges I’m facing while writing the Exploratory Essay:

Free Write 10/13/21

The biggest annoyance in my sources is finding a clear quote to use because, in The Country Doctor, many of the phrases are complex to understand and have double meanings in the overall context. Furthermore, another annoyance of incorporating sources in my writing is often not explaining them in my own words, and just summarizing the quote or even worse, not explaining or summarizing the quote, leaving the quote a “hit and run” quote. 

Second Draft of The Exploratory Essay

Franz Kafka, known for his short stories and novels, in his short story, “A Country Doctor” Kafka argues that individuals are often consumed by their wishful impulse, which connects to Freud’s theories. Kafka supports his argument by illustrating the Doctor’s shameful desires and actions through the character known as the Groom and during the Doctor’s examination of his sick patient. Kafka’s purpose is to open his reader’s eyes to the reality that an individual’s desires have the potential to consume any individual, regardless of their occupation or moral code. In the short story “The Country Doctor,” Kafka develops an analytical and overwhelming tone to illustrate the battle The Doctor constantly finds himself against his repressed desires, which through Freud’s wishful impulse/dreamwork theories, illustrates to the readers one of the flaws that exist in human beings and The Doctor. 

Doctors are known as selfless and ethical individuals, The Doctor in “The Country Doctor“, however, shows signs of un-moral thinking and shameful desires due to his wishful impulse. The wishful impulse concept comes from Sigmund Freud, which describes hidden desires/wishes. Freud states in his speech, “Five Lectures on Psych-Analysis,” “All these experiences had involved the emergence of a wishful impulse which was in sharp contrast to the subject’s other wishes and which proved incompatible with the ethical and aesthetic standards of his personality” (Freud 2212). The quote makes it evident that human beings are double-faced and their hidden motives and actions do not correlate with their moral code. Freud’s wishful impulse concept is reflected in the short story “The Country Doctor” through the character known as The Groom. The Doctor’s wishful impulse to be in a sexual relationship with Rose is symbolized through The Groom because The Doctor is willing to put his long waiting wishful impulse first and risk his respected status as the “ethical doctor.” For example, “The Country Doctor” states, “I’m not thinking of paying for it by handing the girl over to you.” Gee up! he said; clapped his hands; the gig whirled off like a log in a freshet; I could just hear the door of my house splitting and bursting as the groom charged at it and, then I was deafened and blinded by a storming rush that steadily buffeted all my senses” (Kafka 2). The Doctor’s inability to stop the horses from leaving represents his moral code escaping his consciousness. Instead of being a respected, unharming, and loving doctor, The Doctor lets his shameful wishful impulse consume his mind and body, transforming him into The Groom. Overall, the symbolism in “The Country Doctor” opens the readers’ eyes to the strength of their wishful impulse and the ability their wishful impulse has to dominate their ethical lifestyle. Furthermore, the reader experiences a feeling of realization because they understand the selfish flaw in humans and The Doctor from the short story “A Country Doctor.”

Freud classifies dreams as a method of the unconscious mind to express hidden desires. Freud uses a concept known as dreamwork to discover the real meaning of dreams. Freud’s speech “Five Lectures on Psycho-Analysis” states, ” Among these freshly discovered psychical processes those of condensation and displacement are especially noticeable. The dream-work is a special case of the effects produced by two different mental groupings on each other – that is, of the consequences of mental splitting; and it seems identical in all essentials with the process of distortion which transforms the repressed complexes into symptoms where there is unsuccessful repression” (Freud 2223), the idea of condensation, turning many ideas into symbols, is seen in Kafka’s “A Country Doctor.” Using condensation from Freud’s dreamwork concept, it is clear The Doctor’s desire/dream was fulfilled and expressed as a form of condensation. The short story “A Country Doctor” states, “In his right side, near the hip, was an open wound as big as the palm of my hand. Rose-red, in many variations of shade, dark in the hollows, lighter at the edges, softly granulated, with irregular clots of blood, open as a surface mine to the daylight. That was how it looked from a distance. But on a closer inspection there was another complication. I could not help a low whistle of surprise. Worms, as thick and as long as my little finger, themselves rose-red and blood-spotted as well, were wriggling from their fastness in the interior of the wound toward the light, with small white heads and many little legs” (Kafka n p.g). The picturesque imagery of the sick boy’s open wound symbolizes female genitalia, which indicates the Doctor’s fascination with his sexual actions on Rose. By using condensation to reveal the true meaning of the sick boy’s wound, it is clear that The Doctor is consumed with a sense of satisfaction by the way he admires and describes the final result of his sexual actions with Rose. Individuals, like the Doctor, are blindsided by their wishful impulses and feel a sense of achievement, which continues to show the critical flaw that exists in human beings and what human beings are willing to do to fulfill their wishful impulse.

In essence, the vivid imagery and symbolism in Kafka’s short story, “The Country Doctor,” shows the fulfillment of The Doctor’s sexual wishful impulse with Rose. However, using the Freudian wishful impulse/dreamwork idea, it’s evident one’s willingness to fulfill their wishful impulse is a flaw many human beings carry.  

Notes

(Describe the feeling of satisfaction to guilt.) 

 Old thesis:

Through the incorporation of Freud’s theories in “The Country Doctor”, Kafka develops an analytical and overwhelming tone to illustrate the battle the Doctor constantly finds himself against his wishful impulses; which represents the flaws that exist in human beings.

Final Draft of the Exploratory Essay:

Desires; The Ticking Time Bomb

Franz Kafka, known for his novels and short stories, “A Country Doctor” Kafka argues that individuals are often consumed by their desires, which connects to Freud’s theories. Kafka supports his argument by illustrating the Doctor’s shameful desires and actions through the character known as the Groom and during the Doctor’s examination of his sick patient. Kafka’s purpose is to open his reader’s eyes to the reality that an individual’s desires have the potential to consume any individual, regardless of their occupation or moral code. In the short story “The Country Doctor,” Kafka uses an analytical tone and descriptive imagery to illustrate the battle The Doctor constantly finds himself against his repressed desires, which through Freud’s wishful impulse/dreamwork theories, illustrates to the readers one of the flaws that exist in human beings and The Doctor. 

Doctors are known as selfless and ethical individuals, The Doctor in “The Country Doctor“, however, shows signs of un-moral thinking and shameful desires which show signs of Freud’s hidden wishful impulse concept. The wishful impulse concept comes from Sigmund Freud, which describes hidden desires/wishes. Freud states in his speech, “Five Lectures on Psych-Analysis,” “All these experiences had involved the emergence of a wishful impulse which was in sharp contrast to the subject’s other wishes and which proved incompatible with the ethical and aesthetic standards of his personality” (Freud 2212). It is clear that human beings are double-faced and their hidden motives and actions do not correlate with their moral code(Freud 2212). Freud’s wishful impulse concept is reflected in the short story “The Country Doctor” through the character known as The Groom, which symbolizes The Doctor’s desire to be in a sexual relationship with Rose. For example, “The Country Doctor” states, “I’m not thinking of paying for it by handing the girl over to you.” Gee up! he said; clapped his hands; the gig whirled off like a log in a freshet; I could just hear the door of my house splitting and bursting as the groom charged at it and, then I was deafened and blinded by a storming rush that steadily buffeted all my senses” (Kafka n p.g). The Doctor’s inability to stop the horses from leaving represents his moral code escaping his consciousness. Instead of being a respected, unharming, and loving doctor, The Doctor lets his shameful wishful impulse consume his mind and body, transforming him into The Groom. Overall, the lecture and short story help determine the symbolism in “The Country Doctor” which, opens the readers’ eyes to the strength of their wishful impulse and the ability their wishful impulse has to dominate one’s ethical lifestyle. Furthermore, Freud’s wishful impulse exposes the selfish flaw in human beings and The Doctor, which gives the reader a feeling of realization on how easy one crumbles to the temptation of their hidden desires.

Freud classifies dreams as a method of the unconscious mind to shed light on one’s wishful impulse/hidden desires and uses a concept known as dreamwork to discover the real meaning of dreams. Freud’s speech “Five Lectures on Psycho-Analysis” states, “Among these freshly discovered psychical processes those of condensation and displacement are especially noticeable. The dream-work is a special case of the effects produced by two different mental groupings on each other – that is, of the consequences of mental splitting; and it seems identical in all essentials with the process of distortion which transforms the repressed complexes into symptoms where there is unsuccessful repression” (Freud 2223), the idea of condensation, turning many ideas into symbols, can be used to analyze Kafka’s “A Country Doctor.” Using condensation from Freud’s dreamwork concept, it is clear The Doctor’s desire/wishful impulse was fulfilled and expressed as a form of condensation. The short story “A Country Doctor” states, “In his right side, near the hip, was an open wound as big as the palm of my hand. Rose-red, in many variations of shade, dark in the hollows, lighter at the edges, softly granulated, with irregular clots of blood, open as a surface mine to the daylight. That was how it looked from a distance. But on a closer inspection there was another complication. I could not help a low whistle of surprise. Worms, as thick and as long as my little finger, themselves rose-red and blood-spotted as well, were wriggling from their fastness in the interior of the wound toward the light, with small white heads and many little legs” (Kafka n p.g). The picturesque imagery of the sick boy’s open wound symbolizes female genitalia, which indicates the Doctor’s fascination with his sexual actions on Rose. By using condensation to reveal the true meaning of the sick boy’s wound, it is clear that The Doctor is consumed with a sense of satisfaction by the way he admires and describes the final result of his sexual actions with Rose. Individuals, like the Doctor, are blindsided by their wishful impulses and feel a sense of achievement, which continues to show the critical flaw that exists in human beings and what human beings are willing to do to fulfill their wishful impulse.

In essence, the vivid imagery and symbolism in Kafka’s short story, “The Country Doctor,” shows The Doctor’s shameful actions and his commitment to fulfilling his sexual wishful impulse with Rose. However, it’s evident, using the Freudian wishful impulse/dreamwork concepts, The Doctor and human beings are willing to lose themselves to finally attain their true desires which, expose the selfish flaw that exists in human beings and The Doctor.  

Citations

Freud, Sigmund. “Five Lectures On Psycho-Analysis.” FIVE LECTURES OF PSYCHO-ANALYSIS, Clark University, Worcester Massachusetts, Sept. 1909, https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/b446/cfb00094a2e62f82e8c8e430581891ca4e47.pdf?_ga=2.153662776.1893964575.1597526595-1709737971.1597526595

Gilman, Charlotte Perkins, and Ann J. Lane. The Yellow Wallpaper. New York: Pantheon Books, 1980. The-Yellow-Wall-Paper_Original.pdf 

Kafka, Franz, et al. “A Country Doctor”. Selected Short Stories of Franz Kafka (Modern Library). Reissue, Modern Library, 1993, bbhosted.cuny.edu/bbcswebdav/courses/CTY01_FIQWS_10008_HA8_1219_1/A%20Country%20Doctor.pdf 

Self Reflection of The Exploratory Essay

After gathering evidence and developing multiple theses, the genre that worked well with my essay was persuasive and direct. The reason is that having a persuading paper allows the reader to agree with my connections and analysis of The Doctor’s hidden motives and desires. Which prompted me to reveal to my audience that human beings carry selfish flaws caused by their desires/wishes by using The Doctor from Kafka’s “The Country Doctor” as an example. Using The Doctor’s motives/actions from “The Country Doctor,” I  was able to help the audience realize that human beings are willing to do anything to fulfill their desires. Overall, the purpose of the Exploratory Essay was to use The Doctor from “The Country Doctor” to show the selfish flaws that exist in human beings through a Freudian lens. The Exploratory Essay’s genre and purpose were used to help persuade the audience, which consisted of my classmates and Professors Von Uhl and Alyssa Yankwitt. The audience, being my classmates and Professors Von Uhl and Alyssa Yankwitt, all shared some prior knowledge about some Freudian Concepts and on Kafka’s “The Country Doctor.” However, throughout my Exploratory Essay, I incorporated brief definitions of Freud’s concepts and a summary on “The Country Doctor” to help audience members who may not have a full understanding of specific concepts I used to support my thesis. Overall, the Exploratory Essay helped build a stronger connection with my audience, my classmates, because I communicated a similar yet different perspective on The Doctor from “The Country Doctor” and the true meaning behind his actions throughout the short story. 

In essence, the Exploratory Essay helped me use Freud’s concept/ideas as supporting evidence for my thesis, rather than use Freud’s concepts/ideas as the main focus of my paper. Which allowed me to demonstrate my knowledge of Freud to my audience and teach them about Freud’s concepts/ideas.