‘Drama of life’ in the oeuvre of Russian and Slovak doctor-writers

Abstract

The article shows the unique historical and cultural phenomenon known as the ‘writing doctor’ based on evidence from several works of two authors M. A. Bulgakov and P. Strauss. The aim of this article is to investigate the writing doctors’ “drama of life.” The research objective is to discuss their inner world through the discourse of pathography, to demonstrate their philosophy of life as a view of the medical profession, conceptions of ‘pain, suffering, and loneliness’ by means of literary techniques. The flagship approach is the typological comparison of philosophical views and means of expression of ideas. The authors’ article shows that their oeuvre is an interdisciplinary phenomenon for medicine and literature. Medicine served as a launch pad for authors and then, because in their works they wrote about their medical practice, continuous communication with patients and colleagues and their inner emotion. Bulgakov and Strauss lived, worked and wrote at the same time. However their destiny was different. Bulgakov left Medicine and devoted his entire life to literature, but Strauss continued to be a ‘writing doctor’ for the rest of his life. Strauss was able to formulate in his monographs his conception of philosophy about “the good doctor.” Their careers as writers and doctors were marked by political and social changes in both countries, which had a serious effect on their worldview. Both of them asserted freedom of speech and their choice of career as writers and concerned citizens.