Oates does not shrink from depicting violence in her fiction. From her haunting fictionalisation of the Chappaquiddick incident in “Black Water” to a representation of the mind of a Jeffrey Dahmer-like serial killer in “Zombie”, this literature exposes not only horrendous events but the warped reasoning of the perpetrators of these crimes. However, JCO is also a strong advocate for giving a voice to the voiceless by writing about those who are abused, marginalized and discarded. Such is the case for this new novel which is dedicated “For all the Brigits – the unnamed as well as the named, the muted as well as those whose voices were heard, the forgotten as well as those enshrined in history.” Brigit is an indentured servant working at the New Jersey Asylum for Female Lunatics in the mid-1800s. She becomes a patient and assistant to the asylum's director Silas Aloysius Weir, M.D. whose “chronicle of a physician's life” makes up the bulk of this narrative. The novel is a fictional biography by Weir's son as he's gathered testimonies to account for how his father became known as the 'Father of Gyno-Psychiatry'. But, rather than presenting a distinguished career, the book shows how Weir was really an ambitious man whose experimental operations on the bodies of women makes him more of a butcher than a doctor.
In Silas' own words we see how he arrogantly attempts to justify his actions for the sake of science and his version of Christian duty when really it is about proving himself to his father, enhancing his own reputation/wealth, kowtowing to those in power, taking credit for the knowledge/discoveries of others and perpetuating the assumed superiority of white men. Not only are the inept surgical procedures he performs stomach-turning but so is his attitude, egotism and arrogance. I felt so deeply for all the women who he was assigned to see and were forced (sometimes drugged) to receive his inept ministrations. Weir ruthlessly plots to have access to a wider choice of subjects to conduct experiments on with as minimal accountability as possible. Alongside the horrendous violence inflicted upon his subjects' minds and bodies is Weir's total repugnance of the female body. The only thing which impinges upon Weir's sense of narcissistic self-belief is the figure of Brigit. It's curious and fascinating how their relationship evolves as Silas becomes increasingly convinced that this initially deaf/mute individual is speaking to him and they engage in several (imagined) arguments as she becomes the voice of reason and his conscience.
Oates shows how misogyny is built into the medical profession leading to a near total ignorance about how the human body actually works, wrongful treatments and the sense of shame put upon women about their own bodies and natural functions. In the background are the midwives/nurses (Betje and Gretel) who often have much more practical knowledge and applications to treat the issues that women face. Yet they are often dismissed or treated as uneducated amateurs. Gretel is a nurse at the asylum and it's fascinating how she cunningly plays up to Silas' ego suggesting options which he can dismiss and then come back claiming as his own as this is the only way to help the female patients get anything close to practical treatments. It's perhaps Gretel's only viable option working in such an unjust system. This also allows her to achieve more favour under Silas' authority and hence be able to better care for the women.
It's so interesting how the story expands upon the history of indentured servants in America running parallel to the practice of slavery showing how there was a whole other class of people with no rights and no financial resources to turn anywhere else. Of course, even women with more means and status who suffered from physical/mental conditions which the medical profession didn't understand were also vulnerable as women were basically treated as the property of fathers/husbands. Nevertheless, when the bodies begin stacking up through mistreatment or suicide there is a sense of growing outcry and charges begin forming against those in power. This builds up to a dramatic conclusion which is foreshadowed at the beginning of the novel. Oates is particularly skilled at portraying a frenzied consciousness or mob mentality to convey scenes where there is fast action and heated feelings at play.
It's notable how Oates' novel is set in a similar time period and setting to Jayne Anne Phillips' recent Pulitzer Prize winning novel “Night Watch”, but “Butcher” presents a corrupt and terrifying institution rather than the progressive one which Phillips portrayed. Though Oates highlights the way many women in history have been butchered and killed under the guise of advancing science and a misguided version of Christian values, the novel is also commenting on what happens when decisions about women's bodies are left in the hands of men. It feels intentional that Oates has produced this historical novel now when the rights of women are being more constricted in some states in America and continue being minimised in some other countries around the world. I feel like this gives the story a relevance and urgency which makes the violence portrayed have meaning beyond simply being horrific. Oates is so skilled at evoking a psychological intensity with her narrative style which makes it gripping and mesmerising to read. However, there are some sections of this novel which feel less convincing especially in the mantra of a female patient from a higher social class which feels too self-conscious and knowing to be believable as a diary entry. Also some of Silas' sections seem so hopelessly naïve it reads more like Oates is overtly building criticism against him into the story rather than mimicking his voice. Nevertheless, as a fictional amalgam of doctors from this period of history which Oates researched, Weir typifies a kind of arrogant man who will do anything to maintain his own position and dominance so he must believe wholeheartedly in his righteousness no matter how ludicrous.
“Butcher” is a haunting account of the kinds of early experiments performed on human subjects which led to the medical knowledge we have today. It's also a striking representation of a misogynistic mind which is motivated more by self-belief and personal gain than caring for his patients. It's an arresting, horrifying and impactful novel.
