"Dr. Tree"

n class we briefly discussed the connection between Dr. Tree and Rosa. Dr. Tree is not an official doctor but he is interested in Rosa’s story as well as others like Rosa. At first Rosa does not understand why this doctor is contacting her or even interested in her life. Maybe Dr. Tree was trying to “help” Rosa in away, “help” her to understand what she was going through or went through years ago. However Rosa did not see it that way, according to Rosa she was not just some statistic and that is what Dr. Tree was making her out to be. Dr. Tree was conducting a study about Repressed Animation. In his study he wanted to better understand the  “wide range of neurological residues (including in some cases, acute cerebral damage, derangement, disorientation, premature senility ect.) as well as hormonal changes, parasites, anemia, thready pulse, hyperventilation.” (P.36). Dr. Tree believed that these issues were coming from years of stress from being incarcerated, exposure, and malnutrition. Also Dr. Tree considers Rosa “diseased”  and refers to her as a survivor, however Rosa does not see herself as a survivor, though she survived the holocaust and what happened her, it seems as though Rosa would have rather died there with her daughter Magda. Dr. Tree is trying to get into Rosa’s head, as well as others like Rosa, in hopes to figure out why Rosa is the way she is and why she could not let go of years of repressed anger and sadness. However Rosa rejects his efforts and basically wants nothing to do with him and ideas. Rosa does not feel like she is “diseased” she is who she is because of everything she lost and suffered thirty years ago. Rosa would later realize that Dr. Tree is connected to Stella, Stella sent him in Rosa’s direction. Rosa says, “it comes from Stella, everything!” (p. 38) Even the death of Magda Rosa blames Stella and continues to blame Stella for everything that has gone wrong in her life. Rosa basically wants nothing to with Dr. Tree as well as Stella at this point in her life. In the end, I think Rosa is suffering from a mental break down, and though she wants no help from anyone, it does hurt to let some of that repressed emotion go.