Please respond to Richard Selzer's "The Knife," paying especially close attention to the stylistic devices that we discussed in class. I will give you all a handout of those devices tomorrow as well as a new copy of the syllabus. Feel free to email me with questions.
Enjoy Selzer's lovely lyrical essay!
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9 comments:
Erika Matos
ematos100@qc.cuny.edu
The first time I read Richard Selzer’s “The Knife,” it stood out to me as something completely different from the other pieces we have read in this course. I was captivated by Selzer’s descriptions of the scalpel, although his topic of the intricacies of surgery made me feel squeamish and uncomfortable. The details that he goes into in terms of surgery make me feel as if I am standing over him in the operating room. Although this feeling adds to my discomfort, it intrigues me that a personal essay on something that repulses me can have such a strong effect.
After reading it a second time, I realized that his descriptions helped shed a different light on the identity of a simple instrument, the knife. Through metaphor and personification, he first compares the knife to a fish, and then later an unbridled war horse, “that not only carries its helpless rider to his death, but tramples all beneath its hooves” (712). This gives the strong sense of the knife having a mind of its own instead of a mere instrument doing the bidding of its wielder. It is haunting to think that something with the possibility of being so deadly can think for itself, but the speaker himself acts as a sound minded component to the knife itself. Together, doctor and scalpel act to do good in the form of saving someone with life-saving surgery. In this sense, the incisions from the knife act as a necessary evil to yield the intended result of overall good health.
"The Knife"
I thought that this essay was very interesting. I enjoyed how the author was so descriptive which made it easier to imagine what he was actually seeing. He gives great similes and metaphors which gave me a better understanding of how he viewed the knife. It was also a very dark essay. he described the knife as "a slender fish, it waits, at the ready, then, go!" He also talks about the connection between himself and the knife. He describes his hand as the vehicle for the knife. I though that this was a different and interesting essay to read.
I found "The Knife" by Richard Selzer to be a very good read. It was probably one of the most unique essays that I have ever read. I don't think I've ever seen any essay with as many and as much literary devices as Selzer used in "the Knife". It seemed like every other line was a metaphor or a similie. I think it really added to the piece in general. It was great to see such a different view on a surgeon, I never really looked at the profession in such a way.
I also agree with Taylor about how the essay was really brought to life by Selzer with how descriptive he was. I felt like I was actually there in the room as he was performing the surgery and felt the tension that he was feeling.
"The Knife"
Richard Selzer
Nancy Hernandez
When I read "The Knife" I found it a very interesting essay. Selzer made it easy to read thanks to his descriptive words. His similies and metaphors created imagery in my head. I found it interesting how Selzer can take a simple object and write about it and make it more than what it is.
However I this essay became more engaging after class discussion. I have a better understanding why he used stylistic devices. Selzer was transforming the knife. I had missed this point but it became clear after going over the essay.
Zach Kalatsky
The Knife
Robert Seltzer
Sletzer's writing style transforms the reality into his visual playground and vise versa. His use of many stylistic writing techniques hits his point home. Here are just a few examples from his essay...
Similes- Like a slender fish(Knife)
-Like a dark sun(Liver)
-slow as just fed snakes(intestines)
Personification- Like a slender fish
-Steel-bellied(Knife)
-blooms with strange flowers(Wound)
Scynechdoche- Representing in all his parts the earth, perhaps the universe(man)
-You are the roots of groping fingers(You)
-They are frailty themselves (ovaries)
Why Do I Fast?
Wole Soyinka
Soyinka uses fewer writing styles in his short, three and a half paged essay. Sticking to his conviction, he was able to be uncontrolled by the Grand Seer and his men. Without the necessity of food and water,the overseers were not able to destroy his will. Soyinka needs nothing, felt nothing and desired nothing.
A few writing styles he uses...
Personification- sinking its teeth(sunsets)
Simile- Like an onion(Body)
Metaphor- Living skeleton(You)
-insidious saboteurs of will-power(vitamin pills)
I did not particularly like this reading of "The Knife" by Richard Selzer because i do not like the scene of blood nor the idea of it. Also the description of cutting the bodies open made it difficult for me to read, let alone stay foucus on the topic. I did apprecate the metaphors he use to describe the knife but this story was not just for me. He described the knife as an all powerful tool and when humans fight with them, its the knife fighting, instead of the people fighting. Those are just 2 of the many disscriptions he made in the essay.
Maria Molina
"The Knife"
this essay was very interesting because the author tries to give life to an scalpel that goes all over the body making cuts and fixing people, the author also uses the knife as a way of expressing what it is to have the power of controlling another persons body. there are parts of dicomfort but at the same time it makes the reading go more into the essay and find out what else the knife will do and into what else it could transform other than a "fish".
"The Knife"
This essay is about a surgeons battle with his profession. He is very intimidated by his instruments, namely the scalpel. He knows that what he does is necessary, but feels like he is doing something wrong and that he is invading in somebody else's body. He uses his stylistic devices both to make surgery seem scary and intrusive, but also in some ways describes the beauty of it. This is a wonderful essay. It is beautifully written and Selzer's use of stylistic devices really make it great.
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