Difference between revisions of "The M.D."
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=== Mrs. Obstschmecker === | === Mrs. Obstschmecker === | ||
| − | Her last name in German means "fruit-taster." Of the real-life inspiration for this character, Disch wrote that "Grandma Disch was resurrected to play the role of Grandma Obstschmecker."<ref>{{cite Disch | + | Her last name in German means "fruit-taster." Of the real-life inspiration for this character, Disch wrote that "Grandma Disch was resurrected to play the role of Grandma Obstschmecker,"<ref>{{cite Disch child}}</ref> and called her "a crippled, mean-spirited, small-minded German Catholic."<ref>{{cite Disch autobio}}</ref> However, whereas his own grandmother punished one of her daughters for marrying a divorced man by never speaking to her again, Mrs. O. is somewhat more forgiving (or at least less assertive) and expresses her disapproval of Madge's marriage only passive-aggressively. |
=== the entire length of Calumet === | === the entire length of Calumet === | ||
| − | The same [[The Businessman#a corner lot on Calumet Avenue|fictional street]] where Joy-Ann Anker lives in ''[[The Businessman]]''. | + | The same [[The Businessman#a corner lot on Calumet Avenue|fictional street]] where Joy-Ann Anker lives in ''[[The Businessman]]''. All of the other place names in the book are also fictional, or at least belong to other cities rather than Minneapolis/St. Paul. |
== Chapter 3 == | == Chapter 3 == | ||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
=== when they got Dutch Elm disease === | === when they got Dutch Elm disease === | ||
| Line 38: | Line 35: | ||
=== Father Windakiewiczowa === | === Father Windakiewiczowa === | ||
See [[The Businessman#Father Windakiewiczowa|''The Businessman'']]. | See [[The Businessman#Father Windakiewiczowa|''The Businessman'']]. | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Chapter 7 == | ||
| + | |||
| + | === impeaching the president === | ||
| + | Books One and Two take place in 1973-1974, when Billy is 6 and 7. Billy turns 13 in Book Three, placing the middle section of the novel in 1981 like ''[[The Businessman]]''. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Billy Graham was on the news === | ||
| + | [[wikipedia:Billy Graham|Graham]], as the first evangelical minister to develop a mass following on television, is an obvious forerunner to the digital-age Brother Orson later in the novel. | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Chapter 8 == | ||
| + | |||
| + | === horror movie called ''The Exorcist'' === | ||
| + | ''The Exorcist'' was released on December 26, 1973, just a day before this scene. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === and so his caduceus is now a symbol of the science of medicine === | ||
| + | Although a common belief, this is not quite right: the traditional medical symbol is the somewhat similar {{wp|rod of Asclepius}}, which has only one snake and no wings; the {{wp|caduceus as a symbol of medicine}} developed in the 20th century, by mistake. It's unclear whether Disch himself confused the two, or meant this as another example of Mercury's untrustworthy nature, since in chapter 10 Mercury mentions two contradictory stories about the caduceus. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === his real father ... sold the ''Junior Universe of Knowledge Encyclopedia'' === | ||
| + | Disch's father was a door-to-door salesman dealing in, among other things, the ''Britannica Junior''.<ref>{{cite Disch autobio}}</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | === if the bad witch was making people sick, the good witch could make them better === | ||
| + | An ironic statement considering how Billy's magic will work: the good and bad witch are the same person, and can never undo a curse once it's been made. | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Chapter 9 == | ||
| + | |||
| + | === the king of Bowling Pin Kingdom === | ||
| + | As a kindergartener, the young Disch liked to play with "two sets of bowling pins (children and grown-ups) in enactments of my own fairy tales."<ref>{{cite Disch autobio}}</ref> In the same essay, he mentions having been able as a child to "cross my eyes, stare up at the ceiling, and watch self-projected home movies in wide-screen color" much as Billy does. | ||
| + | |||
| + | === the Hanging Gardens of Wyomia === | ||
| + | Could be just a child's wordplay on Wyoming, or a reference to the sprinter {{wp|Wyomia Tyus}} who would have been in the news in 1973. | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Chapter 12 == | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Power is never free. It must be paid for === | ||
| + | Mercury is clearly implying that he is bestowing this power on Billy, which is probably the impression most readers come away with. But—given the earlier hints that Billy was already special in some way, and the careful wording of Mercury's promise in chapter 10 that he would ''tell'' Billy how to use the caduceus—another possible interpretation is that Billy always had the ability to use it, and only lacked knowledge of the rules. If that's the case, he's just been tricked into signing his soul away for basically nothing. | ||
== Further reading == | == Further reading == | ||
Revision as of 18:46, 11 September 2017
(this page under construction)
The M.D.: A Horror Story (1991) is Thomas M. Disch's second Supernatural Minnesota novel. Sharing some of its setting and time period with The Businessman—but with different background details, and more speculative elements in a near-future part of the story—it describes the rise and fall of Billy Michaels, a medical doctor with horribly dangerous magic powers over health and disease.
Major characters
Epigram
Chapter 1
Sister Mary Symphorosa
Named after a 2nd century martyr. Disch wrote in "My Life as a Child" that this abusive character and her crusade against Santa Claus were based on a nun who taught him in kindergarten at St. Paul's Convent School in Fairmont, Minnesota, where there was also a Sister Fidelis.[1]
When meat isn't properly preserved
This passage foreshadows two important events later in the book, one involving contaminated meat, the other about an effective way to preserve corpses.
Chapter 2
Mrs. Obstschmecker
Her last name in German means "fruit-taster." Of the real-life inspiration for this character, Disch wrote that "Grandma Disch was resurrected to play the role of Grandma Obstschmecker,"[2] and called her "a crippled, mean-spirited, small-minded German Catholic."[3] However, whereas his own grandmother punished one of her daughters for marrying a divorced man by never speaking to her again, Mrs. O. is somewhat more forgiving (or at least less assertive) and expresses her disapproval of Madge's marriage only passive-aggressively.
the entire length of Calumet
The same fictional street where Joy-Ann Anker lives in The Businessman. All of the other place names in the book are also fictional, or at least belong to other cities rather than Minneapolis/St. Paul.
Chapter 3
when they got Dutch Elm disease
See The Businessman.
Billy could only see things this other way
One of two hints (the other being in chapter 6) that Billy has either an innate psychic gift or a neurological disease even before he makes his deal with Mercury.
Chapter 5
Father Windakiewiczowa
See The Businessman.
Chapter 7
impeaching the president
Books One and Two take place in 1973-1974, when Billy is 6 and 7. Billy turns 13 in Book Three, placing the middle section of the novel in 1981 like The Businessman.
Billy Graham was on the news
Graham, as the first evangelical minister to develop a mass following on television, is an obvious forerunner to the digital-age Brother Orson later in the novel.
Chapter 8
horror movie called The Exorcist
The Exorcist was released on December 26, 1973, just a day before this scene.
and so his caduceus is now a symbol of the science of medicine
Although a common belief, this is not quite right: the traditional medical symbol is the somewhat similar rod of Asclepius, which has only one snake and no wings; the caduceus as a symbol of medicine developed in the 20th century, by mistake. It's unclear whether Disch himself confused the two, or meant this as another example of Mercury's untrustworthy nature, since in chapter 10 Mercury mentions two contradictory stories about the caduceus.
his real father ... sold the Junior Universe of Knowledge Encyclopedia
Disch's father was a door-to-door salesman dealing in, among other things, the Britannica Junior.[4]
if the bad witch was making people sick, the good witch could make them better
An ironic statement considering how Billy's magic will work: the good and bad witch are the same person, and can never undo a curse once it's been made.
Chapter 9
the king of Bowling Pin Kingdom
As a kindergartener, the young Disch liked to play with "two sets of bowling pins (children and grown-ups) in enactments of my own fairy tales."[5] In the same essay, he mentions having been able as a child to "cross my eyes, stare up at the ceiling, and watch self-projected home movies in wide-screen color" much as Billy does.
the Hanging Gardens of Wyomia
Could be just a child's wordplay on Wyoming, or a reference to the sprinter Wyomia Tyus who would have been in the news in 1973.
Chapter 12
Power is never free. It must be paid for
Mercury is clearly implying that he is bestowing this power on Billy, which is probably the impression most readers come away with. But—given the earlier hints that Billy was already special in some way, and the careful wording of Mercury's promise in chapter 10 that he would tell Billy how to use the caduceus—another possible interpretation is that Billy always had the ability to use it, and only lacked knowledge of the rules. If that's the case, he's just been tricked into signing his soul away for basically nothing.
Further reading
- University of Minnesota Press page for their edition
- Matthew Davis's page for the book - lists all the known editions and translations
- Review and discussion by Ron Hogan on tor.com
Footnotes
- ↑ Disch, Thomas M. "My Life as a Child". In Something about the Author Autobiography Series, ed. Joyce Nakamura, vol. 15 (1993). Gale. ISBN 0810344645
- ↑ Disch, Thomas M. "My Life as a Child". In Something about the Author Autobiography Series, ed. Joyce Nakamura, vol. 15 (1993). Gale. ISBN 0810344645
- ↑ Disch, Thomas M. "Thomas M. Disch". In Contemporary Authors Autobiography Series, vol. 4 (1986). Gale. ISBN 081034503X
- ↑ Disch, Thomas M. "Thomas M. Disch". In Contemporary Authors Autobiography Series, vol. 4 (1986). Gale. ISBN 081034503X
- ↑ Disch, Thomas M. "Thomas M. Disch". In Contemporary Authors Autobiography Series, vol. 4 (1986). Gale. ISBN 081034503X