Doctors’ Images in Ray Bradbury’s "Chrysalis"

Abstract

Representations of a literary image in the national literature directly reflect the society’s ideas and attitudes toward their real-life prototypes at a certain period of time. The present paper focuses on the literary depiction of medical practitioners in Ray Bradbury’s "Chrysalis". The story features three images of physicians who face an unusual medial case and demonstrate different professional and moral features. The condensed inhuman models of the physicians in Ray Bradbury’s "Chrysalis" are used as allegorical representations: physicians are essentially the major vehicles of spiritual and intellectual values at all times, and descriptions of their degradation into callous and indifferent examiners is actually the author’s powerful tool for exposure and denouncement of the societal vices. By using the dehumanized images of doctors who show little interest in their patient’s problems and concerns, Ray Bradbury warns the reader about the danger of losing one’s empathy and humanity in the world wars of the 20th century.