Medical humanities and narrative medicine in novel Barefoot Doctor / 中国医学伦理学

ABSTRACT

In Can Xue’s novel Barefoot Doctor，a group of barefoot doctors and their medical environment are constructed，which is different from the historical reality.It is a romantic projection of this profession under new orientalism and the imagination and depiction of ideal medical practices.In this world，barefoot doctor is an attractive profession that coexists harmoniously with patients and the environment，co-creating a beautiful and meaningful life. The novel mirrors Can Xue’s view of nature. Analyzing the novel by the narrative medicine framework proposed by the Peking University narrative medicine team， it is found that the philosophy and the ways of doctoring of the barefoot doctors in the novel reveal a naturalist view of medicine， which is also the embodiment of the ideals of the medical humanities.