Dr. Nolan's Many Slays
Dr. Nolan is a crucial figure in many of Esther's moments where she needs some reassurance and validation.
In the beginning of their relationship, when Esther expresses hesistance to reenter shock therapy after her traumatic experience with Dr. Gordon, Dr. Nolan immediately validates her experience. Esther was cautious to even tell Dr. Nolan-- “I gave Doctor Nolan a wary look. I thought the doctors must all be in it together, and that somewhere in this hospital, in a hidden corner, there reposed a machine exactly like Doctor Gordon’s, ready to jolt me out of my skin” (252). When Dr. Nolan firmly asserts that the experience was not supposed to be like that, and that it was bad because Dr. Gordon had made a mistake, she effectively sides with Esther. This sets a new precedent between the two, where any dishonesty in the form of professional "doctor-doctor relationship" reservations is not a risk. This also helps distance Dr. Nolan from other medical professionals Esther views as disgusting and traumatic, such as her experience with Buddy Willard and his patriarchal views on childbirth. If Dr. Nolan had given a more lukewarm answer, I don't think their sessions would have been effective. This first validation of Esther's experience was a crucial establishment of trust and honesty.
This relationship is sustained on continued understanding and "siding with" Esther's best interests. Esther is finally comfortable to share some of her more dangerous and taboo thoughts because all she gets from Dr. Nolan is support. When she finally admits that she hates her mother, Dr. Nolan "looked pleased." It's also clear that Dr. Nolan understands Esther's complicated feelings of resentment towards her visitors (including her mother), as she prescribes that Esther have no visitors. This is important for the immediate and obvious reasons (relief from the stress of visitors, building trust between patient and physician), but I'd argue that it's also significant because it signals to Esther that it's okay to have thoughts that don't align with what everyone around her seems to feel.
As the book ends, we see Esther feeling very apprehensive about her finally assessment. She admits that she still feels "question marks" instead of all resolutions, yet Dr. Nolan still has nothing but reassurances. She tells Esther to not worry, and physically guides her to the entrance of the test. To me, the significance of the ending is that she is still struggling to navigate her mental health and the world. She hasn't formed any premature conclusions in an effort to feel more in control. Rather, we see her describing "the eyes and the faces" that "[she guides herself by]." She has built a new support system that is quite literally crowding around her and watching as they send her off. Dr. Nolan and the entire clinic help her feel encouraged and more at peace with the unknown.
I completely agree with you about how Dr. Nolan is a crucial figure to Esther's recovery process: she is both a figure of medical authority who can give Esther assurance that shock therapy was not supposed to be painful, and a motherly figure to Esther to offer her emotional comfort (ex. walking her to her shock treatment). Some of her decisions about Esther's treatment highlights just how perceptive she is to what is causing Esther's discontentment, and she is extremely good at personalizing Esther's treatment. Still, I do think one thing to consider is how Esther immediately feels more at ease with Dr. Nolan because of the lack of gender barrier. With Dr. Gordon, his status as a man, especially a conventionally attractive man with a "perfect" family, makes everything he says and does seem like a threat to Esther. Part of Dr. Nolan's success is because Esther chooses to open up to her as well.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree! I think Dr. Nolan is so important to Esther because she shows Esther that she's not the only one who's struggling to find their place in society. She's definitely a role model for Esther as a confident woman, but she's also a motherly figure because she can comfort Esther. I don't think Esther would have recovered as quickly if she didn't have that support and mutual trust. Dr. Nolan is definitely a slay. Great post!
ReplyDeleteEsther's journey to recovery and ability to better handle her depression is definitely mostly thanks to Dr. Nolan. Her mere existance as a female role model in a male dominated field not to mention her superior ability to form trust with the patient is enough to help restore Esther's faith in therapy and set her on the track to leaving rehab. In Esther's eyes, even though she receives extensive treatment while in rehab and moves up to less intensive-care branches, she says that she doesn't feel all that different from before and she takes this as the treatment not working. But throughout this time I think also that she doesn't quite recongize that Dr. Nolan has been giving her set of tools and the support resources to fight her depression. Dr. Nolan's steady incorporation of trust-building resources and restoration of Esther's faith in electroshock therapy is a seemless, yet essential boost to Esther's morale, that eventually allows her exit rehab and enter the world with more confidence.
ReplyDeleteGreat Post! I would agree with you that Dr. Nolan is really important to Esther and that she is a big part of Esther's support system. Esther needed a Doctor like Dr. Nolan to fully commit to recovery. I think after talking to Dr. Gordon and the failed shock therapy with him, Esther was more scared of recovery and if it would even help her, but I think Dr. Nolan gave her new hope and in the end she was able to recover with her help. Dr. Nolan was saving Esther and she never gave up on her.
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