Existentialism
The central theme of "The Country Doctor" is existentialism, or more specifically, existential angst. Existentialism is a branch of philosophy that questions the problems of human existence and prioritizes an individual's subjectivity in answering those questions. Existential angst (or dread, anxiety, and confusion) describes the individual's feelings of powerlessness in the face of a fundamentally absurd world. In "The Country Doctor," these feelings are embodied by the doctor as he attempts to navigate the bizarre events occurring around him.
Passivity
One of the reasons for the doctor's profound sense of existential dread is his general passivity throughout the story. Despite wanting to act and intervene multiple times, the doctor is nonetheless manipulated by the groom, the patient, and the townspeople as he remains dedicated to his role as a doctor. The story suggests that it is the doctor's inability to transcend his station as a doctor – here portrayed as a servant of the people and ultimately as a mere tool for the townsfolk – that dooms him to freeze to death.
The Unconscious
The story is a fundamentally absurd one, and rather than try to make sense of the surreal narrative, it is perhaps best understood as a dramatization of the unconscious. The story mirrors the act of dreaming in that the world is relatable and familiar but is, at the same time, peppered with bizarre moments of unreality. Some interpretations even suggest that the groom symbolizes the doctor's own repressed desire for Rosa, and that he is tormented by this animalistic drive throughout the story. This reading stems from psychoanalytic theory, a school of thought that attempts to understand the relationship between the conscious and unconscious mind.
