Diagnosis

Diagnosis

YouTube: Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 , Part 4 , Part 5

1930

“Ladies’ Home Journal 47”

The Marriage Question

New York, Florence, Vienna

Paul Dorrance, Eleanor Dorrance, née Welwood, Medical professionals, Horace Welwood, Old Mrs. Dorrance, Girl in Cairo, People Paul Dorrance used, Servant

Saint George

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Places where the Dorrances have been: Wall Street, New York, France, Genoa, Florence, Austrian Alps, Vienna, Cairo

Places where Paul Dorrance would like to go: West Indies, India, Spain, Canaries, Morocco, South Africa

"By George", "Times wingéd chariot", "Metamorphosis", "God", "Sancta Simplicitas", "Russian novel", "Mistress"

Content and general information, Narrative perspective, Chronological order of events, Constellation, Relationship between Paul Dorrance and Eleanor, Rooms, Countries, Light and darkness, Body parts, Etymology

I

Cancer is suspected in Paul Dorrance, forty-nine year old Wall Street business man living in New York. The doctor and specialist he consults however give him the news that he is indeed cancer-free and will be rid of his aliments in only a few months time - if he takes a few prescriptions. This lifts Paul Dorrance's spirits greatly and he is overcome with thoughts of enriching his life: perhaps a marriage to a new, younger woman to replace his fifteen-year-long affair with Eleanor Welwood, perhaps even children. Perhaps he could travel the world!

Over the years Eleanor has become less as a love interest and more of a good friend to Paul Dorrance, but he wants to tell her the good news immediately. He knows she is desperately awaiting his call. As soon as Paul picks up his telephone receiver to call her, his eyes fall on a letter on the floor of his office which makes him forget both to call Eleanor immediately and hang up the receiver again.

The sheet of paper holds a diagnosis and the signatures of the two physicians he just met with: cancer.

Paul Dorrance presses “his fists against his lids” [i] in shock and desperation, in a way trying to feel what it will be like dead in his grave.

In a moment of mercy the door bell rings and Eleanor enters. Since Paul did not hang up the telephone receiver, Eleanor could not reach Paul for a few hours and began to worry.

Paul's wife, Mrs. Welwood, died some time ago and Horace Welwood divorced his wife Eleanor due to her affair with Paul Dorrance. This is Paul’s chance to change his life, now that he knows of his imminent demise: even though he does not truly love her, he proposes to his mistress before she even knows that Paul is supposed to die soon. She accepts his hand in marriage and assumes that the news is good. As soon as she accepts the proposal, Paul shows her the diagnosis; she wants to marry him anyway. Paul now has someone to stand by him while he is dying and doesn't have to face death alone.

II

“They were married almost immediately (…)” [ii] and they leave for their honey moon, sailing to France and traveling to Genoa. Since they already are in Europe, Paul has a consultation with a specialist in Vienna while they stay in a hotel for a few days.

“That New York diagnosis was a mistake - an utter mistake,” [iii] - Paul Dorrance is healthy, and he has never suffered from cancer. And Eleanor Dorrance, née Welwood, never believed in the diagnosis. The specialist recommends a cure for Dorrance's ailments and tells him some places they should travel to improve his health. Paul wants to find out who the new Paul Dorrance is and how he can change his life moving forward.

IV

“The cure was successful (…)” [iv] and the Dorrances become bored with traveling around. Paul finds out that he feels too old to adapt to societies other than his own in New York.

Upon returning to New York, Paul has a sentimental moment where he is searching for things that have changed and comes to the conclusion that nothing has changed part from the fact that Eleanor now has a key to his flat because they are married now. This makes Paul critically reflect upon their marriage: “He had never meant, he the healthy, vigorous, middle-aged Paul Dorrance, to marry this faded woman for whom he had so long ceased to feel anything but a friendly tenderness.” [v]

However, when they visit Cairo and Dorrance has the chance to become acquainted with a young and good looking girl he does not reply her letters and instead “beg[ins] to fit himself painfully into his furrow.” [vi]

V

Two years later, Eleanor is suffering from pneumonia as a result of her influenza. Paul is not allowed to visit her for more than five minutes at a time. When her state of health declines, he goes to her and sits by her. One day, she feels much better and so Paul wants to read the newspaper to Eleanor, but she does not want to hear the news. Instead, she prefers to talk to her husband. Within their conversation she says: “Well, […] it was worth it! I always knew -“. [vii] But before she can finish her sentence her physical state worsens dramatically. Eleanor Dorrance, née Welwood, dies before she can tell Paul what she has on her mind.

VI

Paul's former doctor who “had signed the diagnosis of Dorrance’s case” [viii] was called when Eleanor had her last heart attack since he is a physician with a high standing as a consultant, but Paul does not immediately realize his presence. Nevertheless, a few days later, this physician comes to offer his condolences to the widower.

“The two men sat down, and the doctor began to talk gently of Eleanor.” [ix] In the course of the dialogue Paul mentions that in his opinion his wife died due to the diagnosis which he had gotten a few years ago. The physician remarks that he is sure he had told Dorrance back then that he did not have cancer but he also concedes that both he and his colleague forgot another patient's cancer diagnosis paper in Paul Dorrance’s home. Paul Dorrance is stunned by the news that Eleanor apparently brought the paper back to the physician the very same day:

“(…) I remember now that it was my consultation day, and that she caught me at two o’clock, before I saw my first patient. We had a good laugh over the scare you’d had.”

“Anyhow, you did give me a good scare.”

“Yes,” said the doctor. “But it didn’t last long, did it? I asked your wife to make me peace with you. You know such things will happen to hurried doctors. I hope she persuaded you to forgive me?”

“Oh, yes,” said Dorrance, as he follows the doctor to the door to let him out. [x]

[i] Wharton, Edith; Robinson, Roxana (2007): The New York stories of Edith Wharton. New York, NY: New York Review Books (New York Review Books classics). p. 384.

[ii] Ibid. p. 389.

[iii] Ibid. p . 392.

[iv] Ibid. p . 394.

[v] Ibid. p . 395.

[vi] Ibid. p . 396.

[vii] Ibid. p . 400.

[viii] Ibid .

[ix] Ibid. p. 401.

[x] Ibid. p . 403.

• Wharton, Edith; Robinson, Roxana (2007): The New York stories of Edith Wharton. New York, NY: New York Review Books (New York Review Books classics)

• Kornetta, Reiner (1996): Das Korsett im Kopf. Ehe und Ökonomie in den Kurzgeschichten Edith Whartons. Zugl.: Düsseldorf, Univ., Diss., 1995. Frankfurt am Main: Lang (Düsseldorfer Beiträge aus Anglistik und Amerikanistik, 4).

• http://www.mantex.co.uk/diagnosis/

Sir Luke Fildes: The Doctor. 1891. Tate. Public Domain.