THE RUNAWAY

The Runaway

Promise Her Anything but Give Her Arpege -- the sort of ad the doctor would approve.

The busy doctor uses any means necessary to get his patients to do what he wants.

Fox, finches, fairs are all dangled in front of the boy's eyes to convince him to let his mother go home and stay at the hospital.

We are way out in the country -- and peasants are showing up after trekking for miles and miles. Most get insulted by Dr. Don Rickles when they get their chance.

Cruel to be kind? Or just frustration? The doctor is an old fashioned country doctor who is not politically correct but he genuinely cares about his patients and only wishes they'd listen to his advice.

Chekhov was a doctor and I imagine he used his experiences to fashion this tale. But what is this story about?

At first glance, it is a description of how medicine is practiced in the countryside -- where resources are limited and people like the doctor are doing amazing work with little credit.

The story is told through the eyes of a boy. This is an adventure for him. His elbow is in bad shape because his mother delayed in taking him to the hospital and he is now in danger of losing the arm. The operation is his last shot.

All seems dandy to the boy -- he gets good food and a nice bed -- but he keeps waiting for the doctor to fulfill his promise of finches, foxes and fairs -- and when he loses hope he goes out and takes a tour of the hospital before he gets whacked in the head.

So is this story telling us we are all fed false promises when we are young of how life is going to be before reality smacks us in the head and we realize the truth?

Maybe.

It may just be a story of a boy missing his mother.

Reading this story -- I am curious about how they quarantined the patients -- there are some in the hospital with small pox which is highly contagious -- what precautions were made?

Overall,  it seems like the place is decent -- and considering all the circumstances -- the patients well taken care -- and the doctor ( Mr. Warmth)  has dedicated his life to helping them.

Maybe Pashka can't at the moment -- but Chekhov -- could certainly appreciate that.