Not a politician
Dr. Farmer is interested in the well-being of his country and he tries to do what is god for Haiti. He tries to use his influence as a doctor and he even tries to negotiate with the Haitian political leaders and with the American generals in Haiti. However, it becomes quickly clear that while he is a skilled doctor, he is neither a negotiator nor a politician. Thus, he remains largely unsuccessful in his attempts to mediate the problems in his country.
Not the usual type of doctor
When Kidder talks about Farmer, he describes him as being a rarity in comparison with the other medics in his field. Farmer likes to spend time with his patients and he is careful when consulting them, being careful not to rush them. This idea, that Farmer was not the usual doctor who would often rush his patients just to get to the next one is a common motif in the novel and is frequently pointed out by the other characters.
Tuberculosis
Another common motif is the presence of tuberculosis in the patients treated by Dr. Farmer. Living in an impoverished country where a large part of the population suffered from malnutrition the people the doctor consulted always seemed to have some type of disease connected malnutrition. Tuberculosis is the most common disease that appears in the novel and its presence is also important because Farmer is affected by the death of one of his patience. After her death, he vows to work harder and to never leave his patients’ side when they need him.
Selfless doctor
Another common idea is the fact that Dr. Farmer was completely selfless and was not interested in his wellbeing or in the wellbeing of his family. Kidder points out that the doctor used to spend more time with his patients than with his family and that he was completely absent from his daughter’s life in the first few years after she was born. A traumatic event in which a patient died while the doctor was away pushed Farmer to the conclusion that nothing was more important than saving the people who had no one else to turn to for guidance and help.
Magic
An important motif in the novel is the idea that the people in Haiti believed that their illnesses were the result of dark magic. In a community that was deeply superstitious and believed in the power of occult magic. This is a problem for the doctor because many people he wanted to treat were either reluctant to seek help or did not trust the medicine they were given. This motif remains present until the end of the novel.
