Curing, but not healing, in Pak Wansŏ’s “During Three Days of That Autumn”

This chapter focuses on Pak Wansŏ’s (1931–2011) short story “Kŭ kaŭl ŭi sahŭl tongan” (“During Three Days of That Autumn,” 1980), analyzing its engagement with the quandary of cure, particularly in cases of rape and unwanted pregnancy. Although much medical care focuses almost exclusively on a patient’s immediate needs, on using medical equipment and procedures to cure patients of specific conditions, “During Three Days”—and especially its Urdu translation—reveals how important it is for health professionals also to promote healing, to liberate patients as much as possible from anguish more broadly experienced.