Medicine and Morality in War: Exploring the Humanitarian Imperative in Literary Narratives

This paper examines how literary and visual narratives of war and violence have long highlighted the experiences of remarkable doctors and their encounters with health and illness. These works artistically portray the trauma and pain of historical events, such as the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima, through written and oral testimonies. This paper aims to shed light on writers who, having first practiced medicine—particularly during nuclear conflict—and dutifully served humanity, later sought to communicate the inexpressible to future generations. Through the lens of the emerging genre of Medical Humanities, this paper offers an insightful depiction of these narratives, focusing on writings either penned by doctors or centered on them. In times of disease, misery, hopelessness, and death, works like The Plague offer solace. This paper will explore characters such as Dr. Bernard Rieux in The Plague, Bakshi ji in Rajinder Singh Bedi’s “Quarantine,” Dr. Parsons and other medical professionals in The End of October, the unnamed doctor in Vikram Seth’s poem “A Doctor’s Journal Entry for August 6, 1945,” Dr. Terufumi Sasaki in John Hersey’s Hiroshima, and Dr. Nagai Takashi in Susan Southard’s novel Nagasaki: Life after Nuclear War. These figures, alongside other dedicated medical professionals, embody unwavering commitment despite knowing the dire consequences. This research paper will theorize crucial ethical and moral issues and dilemmas faced by doctors when treating patients amidst war and violence.