Maupassant’s story “Duchoux” is about a self-centered old man named Barone Mardiane who values position more than family. This story implies that modern civilization has separated man from his true self or nature. Modern men only crave for comfort, money, and sex. They have forgotten the values of family bonds and love.

Barone Mardiane, an aristocratic old bachelor is fed up of with his monotonous life. He feels lonely and sad because he is bored with the same friends, gambling and the same activities. In loneliness, he is haunted by the memory of his illegitimate son. He wishes to spend the rest of his life with him and his grandchildren. In his young age, he had a short romantic relationship with the wife of the governor of a colony. A son was born secretly.

The mother died of tuberculosis after three years. Baron had secretly arranged for the boy’s education and marriage. Barone goes to meet his son’s house. When he reaches there, he meets a boy, lifts him and tries to kiss him. But the smell of garlic coming out from his mouth prevents him. Barone notices that everything the son has does not suit his standard. The servants are dirty, the room is dark and dirty, his son Duchoux is bald-headed, shabbily dressed and even daughter-in-law is dirty and shabbily dressed. The room is filled with the odor of garlic. Though Duchoux resembled in many ways with his mother, Barone dislikes him. When the boy comes and calls Duchoux ‘father’ in a Southern tone, Barone is struck by the word. He hates the rural and uncultured environment of his son’s house and returns to Paris.

 ‘An Episode of War’ written by Stephen Crane presents the bitter experience of a wounded lieutenant at the war front, barracks, and hospital. Crane hasn’t given a name to the lieutenant but used the generic name in order to show that war is a bitter experience not for an individual only but for all soldiers of any nationality, place and time.

 “Enemies” is a story written by Anton Checkov. The story suggests that grief and misery do not bring people together to share, but force them apart. Pain is egoistic.

Kirilov is a district doctor. His six-year-old son has just died of diphtheria. He stands watching his unconscious wife near the dead body. The doorbell rings and a wealthy stranger Aboguin enters begging the Doctor to come to treat his wife who is in great pain. Kirilov says that he cannot possibly leave his wife at this time. Abogin requests to treat his wife in the name of humanity. Kirilov forgets his social responsibility as a doctor and is observed in his own pain and grief. In the other hand, Aboguin thinks that his grief is worse than the doctor.

However, after many requests, Kirilov unwillingly goes with Aboguin in his carriage. But when they arrive at Aboguin’s house, his wife is not at home. She pretended to be ill in order to run away with her lover. Aboguin is sad and begins to complain to Kirilov. Kirilov is angry and he does not like to hear the grief of Aboguin. He thinks that Abguin played a joke with him. They scream at one another and the doctor returns home cursing the rich people like Aboguin and forming a deep-rooted enmity towards them.

In unhappiness, both became selfish, wicked, unjust and unable to understand each other. Pain and anxiety made them egoistic and selfish. However, we sympathize with Dr. Kirilov because his loss is greater that Aboguin’s.

 “The Use of Force” by William Carlos Williams shows the conflict between a doctor and his patient at one level and doctor and the parents at another level. The conflict between the doctor and the patient is physical. But the conflict between doctor and parents is psychological. This story tells that the use of force for the benevolent purpose is ethical and justifiable.

The narrator is a doctor who visits the house of the Olson family. Their small daughter Mithalda has had a high fever for three days. Since no medicine worked, her parents called the doctor. Being fearful that the girl may be suffering from diphtheria, the doctor asked her parents if she had a sore throat. The parents had not taken a look at her throat because they did not want to hurt her. The doctor asks Mithalda to open her mouth but suddenly the girl attacks his eyes with her nails. The doctor hates the parents when they say that the doctor is a nice man and will not hurt her. Then the doctor decides to use force than to leave her to die. When the doctor is about to look into her throat, her father suddenly releases her. The parents are restless and fearful that the doctor may harm her child.

On next attempt, he grasps the child’s head and tries to get the wooden depressor into her mouth. The girl breaks it with her molars. The child’s mouth starts bleeding. Later he forces the spoon back of her teeth and throat. He finds that she has a sore throat and is suffering from diphtheria.

Generally, force is unjustifiable, but if it is used with good motives in order to save somebody’s life, it becomes a necessity. Here the basic conflict is between the doctor and the parents of the patient. The doctor uses force because of social responsibility while the parents do not want the use of force. Their love towards their child was about to cause the death of their child. The parents concentrate on immediate pain without thinking about the consequences of deadly diseases. So the doctor loves the innocent child but finds her parents contemptible.