Dr. Astrov reflects on his profound disillusionment with humanity and the medical profession. He expresses a deep-seated cynicism regarding the moral decay of the world and explains how he uses alcohol to numb the existential pain of his daily life.
ASTROV: I'm a doctor, yes, but what good is a doctor in a world that's sick to its core? I treat the symptoms, but the disease, the real disease, is in the soul of man. It's in his greed, his selfishness, his indifference. And for that, there's no cure. I used to be an idealist, a romantic. I believ
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