"The Doctor and the Doctor's Wife" Anatomized as Three Quests

I.  The Quest for the Logs: the rule of the flesh.

  A.  Logs were lost.

            B.  “Nick’s father” assumes the logs belong to him.

            C.  Dick Boulton comes to cut logs for “Nick’s father.”

            D.  Dick renames “Nick’s father” “Doc” and accuses “Doc” of stealing the logs.

            E.  Doc threatens Dick, unsuccessfully.

            F.  Dick threatens Doc, successfully.

            G. Doc fails to get the logs and returns home, defeated.

II.  The Quest for the Doctor: the rule of the spirit.

A.  The Doctor’s Wife names him “dear” and “Henry” and tells him “he who ruleth the spirit is greater than he that taketh a city.”

B.  Doc becomes “the doctor,” cleans his gun, prepares for violence.

C.  The Doctor’s Wife tests “the doctor”’s “rule of the spirit.”

D.  The Doctor puts the gun away, rejecting violence.

E.  The Doctor leaves home.

III.  The Quest for Nick: the rule of paternity.

A.  On the threshold of home, the Doctor is sent to summon Nick to the Doctor’s Wife.

B.  The Doctor seeks Nick.

C.  The Doctor finds Nick reading and summons him to the Doctor’s Wife.

D.  Nick refuses the summons and offers his loyalty to the doctor.

E.  The Doctor becomes "Nick’s father," accepts Nick’s loyalty, and takes his book.

F.  Nick offers a quest for black squirrels.

G.  Nick’s Father accepts the quest and they go together to seek black squirrels.