MovieChat Forums > The Snake Pit (1948) Discussion > Why do the Dr.s not like Kik?

Why do the Dr.s not like Kik?


It seems to me that the other staff, doctors and nurses with the exception of Dr. Terry all seem to dislike Dr. Kik and or his methods. Does anyone else think this? Do the staff think he works too slowly, takes up too many resources or what? He's soooo nice. I don't get it.

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They don't like Dr Kik because he uses psychotherapy to "cure" his patients. He does not like shock treatments, straight jackets, that steam bath therapy etc. He feels torture is not the answer but calm and caring talking over time will help these patients.

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Indeed like the best drs, he refuses to be ditached. He is one human being, healing another, not a god

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By the 1940s, mental hospitals were overcrowded and extremely expensive for the state to maintain. It was a major public health issue at the time, as the movie points out. I think we are meant to see as Dr Kik fighting for his patients, damn the consequences, while the rest of the staff was consumed with administrative and budgetary issues. The hospital was desperate to get patients either transferred or calm and docile so that they would not require too much individual attention. Kik and his time-consuming talk therapy got in the way of that goal.



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You have a point friend. Quick fixes are popular, like the dr says in shutter island, vlauable things are misunderstood

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