If only they wouldn't use the word "hurt" I might be able to get somewhere. But I did not allow myself to be hurried or disturbed but speaking quietly and slowly I approached the child again.

"The Use of Force" is a work of short fiction by the American author William Carlos Williams. [1] It was first published in his short story collection Life Along the Passaic River (1938); it is also …

A short summary of William Carlos Williams's The Use of Force. This free synopsis covers all the crucial plot points of The Use of Force.

The events of William Carlos Williams’ brief story “The Use of Force” take place in a short time, possibly under an hour. Yet the story’s dramatic arc escalates rapidly, suggesting how quickly …

William Carlos Williams (1883-1963) was an American poet, writer, and physician. In addition to his writing, he had a long career practicing pediatric and general medicine. In this story, a …

“The Use of Force” by William Carlos Williams has been in print for over 80 years. It’s a popular selection for anthologies—it’s an engaging story and is only about 1,500 words. It’s a popular …

Dive deep into William Carlos Williams' The Use of Force with extended analysis, commentary, and discussion

In practical terms, use of force amounts to any combination of threatened or actual force used for a lawful purpose, e.g. to effect arrest; defend oneself or another person; or to interrupt a crime …

“The Use of Force” is a study in miniature of power dynamics and the factors that influence relationships in which one person has more power than another. Hierarchies emerge in the …

This course is devoted to the international regulation of the use of force between, within, and across states. We will study both the jus ad bellum (the law that governs the initiation of …