Hektoen International

A Journal of Medical Humanities

Tag: Doctor Zhivago

  • Haunting poetic characteristics: the dissection scene from Doctor Zhivago

    Timo HannuHelsinki, Finland Doctor Zhivago, a novel by the Russian poet Boris Pasternak, tells the story of physician-poet Yura Zhivago during the turmoil of the first decades of the twentieth century in Russia. The character of Dr. Zhivago is portrayed as follows:1 “Though he was greatly drawn to art and history, he scarcely hesitated over…

  • Cultural warfare: Investigating childbirth practices in Doctor Zhivago

    Stephanie ColelloNew York, United States I was fortunate to spend a year studying the transformation of Russian childbirth practices through the lens of Russian literature—an endeavor that at first glance may seem farfetched. However, I quickly realized that no birth scene is written as a proverbial “island”; often stemming directly from the societal perception of…