Can Such Things Be? · Chapter
II: When You Have Lost Your Life Consult a Physician explained
Dr.
What happens
Dr. Stilling Malson encounters a man on the Stone's River battlefield who claims to be a lieutenant in the Federal army but is dressed in civilian clothes and seems disoriented. The doctor, suspecting a case of lost identity, questions him but offers no help, and the man walks away.
Themes in this chapter
Identity and Self
The lieutenant's lost identity and the doctor's recognition of a case of amnesia highlight the theme of self and memory.
Madness and Perception
The lieutenant's confusion and the doctor's clinical observation blur the line between sanity and delusion.
Characters to notice
- Brainerd Byring
The disoriented lieutenant who has lost his memory and identity after being struck by a bullet.
- Dr. Dorrimore
Dr. Stilling Malson, the physician who encounters the lieutenant and questions him about his condition.
Key passages
“I was struck by a bullet and have been unconscious. It must have been a light, glancing blow: I find no blood and feel no pain.”
The lieutenant explains that he was hit by a bullet and lost consciousness, but the wound seems minor.
The lieutenant's description of his injury and lack of pain suggests a psychological rather than physical trauma.
“You are quite sure that you saw them?”
The doctor questions whether the lieutenant actually saw the troops he claims to have seen.
The doctor's skepticism hints at the lieutenant's unreliable perception.