Hektoen International

A Journal of Medical Humanities

Tag: imprisonment

  • De Profundis: Oscar Wilde’s narrative of mental anguish

    Anthony ChesebroStony Brook, New York, United States “There is only one season, the season of sorrow.”1 Imprisoned for a relationship that was criminalized by the government of his time, in 1897 Oscar Wilde had spent two years in jail. Finally granted permission to write, over a period of three months he produced De Profundis, an…

  • Medicine and trust, behind bars

    Gail BurkeNew Orleans, Louisiana, United States Lack of trust can be an impenetrable barrier to the doctor-patient relationship and healing. A fundamental principle of medical anthropology is that, when faced with illness, the individual first turns to traditional remedies and cultural practices in which he has faith. If illness persists and vulnerability deepens, he may…