Neighbour Rosicky is a short story written in 1928 by an American author Willa Cather. As an immigrant herself, the writer explores the experience of people who devoted their lives to this country. The story of Anton Rosicky is not an exception as he emigrated from the region of Bohemia, which is now the Czech Republic. The essay presents an overview of the narrative and reflection on the impact of medical technologies on Rosicky’s wellbeing. His life would take a different turn, provided he had access to a modern healthcare system.
All Cather works rely on her own experience of residing in Nebraska. Because of a strong connection to Nebraska, she chose it as the setting for her novels and short stories. One of the fundamental themes discussed by Cather is the significant virtues of a good man, such as generosity and hard work (Neighbour Rosicky, 2020). Memories and reminiscences of Rosicky help him put up with hardships and share wisdom with family members (Rosowski, 2017). The narration style allows readers to see the events from various characters’ points of view. The purpose of the story is to convey the interconnection between the natural environment and the human world through the experience of immigrants settling in rural states. The author employs imagery, comparison of a lifecycle to an agricultural season, and allusion to achieve the purpose.
Neighbour Rosicky opens up with a scene at the office of Dr. Ed Burleigh, who announces that Anton has a bad heart. The doctor urges the only sixty-five years old patient to limit excess physical activity and avoid workload at the farm. Even though Rosicky is upset that his heart is not young anymore, he follows the doctor’s advice (Levine, 2017). First of all, in contemporary society, Anton would have a different approach to his wellbeing. He would be more educated and informed and could do regular checkups. Information and results of these checkups could be stored in electronic medical records facilitating collaboration between specialists. The penetration of IT solutions provides physicians with tools that improve patient care. In many cases, real-life appointments are substituted by online consultations. Therefore, Anton’s meeting with Dr. Ed Burleigh could be in the form of a conference call.
Furthermore, Dr. Ed would be more equipped to work with patients during farm visits and at the office. He examines Rosicky’s heart condition with a simple stethoscope, and even the diagnosis sounds vague – a bad heart. As a result, Anton does not receive any special treatment but gets a piece of advice to cease physical exercise. Currently, physicians use echocardiograms, measure blood pressure, and do electrocardiogram to record electrical signals. These days, Rosicky would be prescribed to take pills or undergo a surgery. Medicaid or Medicare could cover his treatment and surgery. Overall, advanced medical technologies and social programs could probably extend Anton’s life.
In this short story, Willa Cather managed to create an interplay of her memories and backgrounds of other people. She especially highlights the invisible links individuals have with nature and the place where they live. When the main character finds out about heart problems, he contemplates about past events. Today’s healthcare system and medical technologies would let Anton enjoy a longer and happier life. In the absence of personalized treatment and proper medication the only thing he does is become less active. The doctor’s resources are also scarce, thus making it almost impossible to improve the patient’s health condition.
References
- Levine, R. (Ed.). (2017). The Norton anthology of American literature. Volume 2. W. W. Norton & Company.
- Neighbour Rosicky. (2020). Encyclopedia.com. Web.
- Rosowski, S. (2017). Cather Willa. Oxford Research Encyclopaedias. Web.