Essay Questions

What is the similarity between these two short stories by Richard Selzer: “Witness” and “The Consultation” (which appears in Rituals of surgery)?

In both stories, Richard Selzer employs the symbol of a “Lump” to represent deadly sickness. The topography of the lumps in both stories are refer to using vivid adjectives. The inflammations are precarious in both cases and the doctors emphasize that the ideal remedy would be detaching the lumps from the body.

Why does the doctor personify the testicle in “Witness?”

The personification of the testicle highlights the potential of the testicle to rework the boy’s life. After cutting the testicle, the doctor personifies the testicle when he observes, “it (the testicle) no longer appears mad, threatening.” The testicle is a menace to the boy’s life, and the hazard is worse than that can be posed by a human being. Furthermore, the delineation of the testicle as a witness personifies the testicle in a manner that accentuates the capacity of the testicle to validate the boy’s distress as a human would.

What are the binary opposition in “Whither Thou Goest”?

Hannah’s reasoning rests on: live/dead binary opposition. Prior to visiting a butcher she had supposed that her husband was dead and could not be alive even if his organs were operational in the bodies of other people. Also, the binary opposition of the physical heart/abstract heart disintegrates when Hannah listens to Pope Henry’s heart. Even though the heart that she would have claimed ownership of is impalpable, and she would have done so when Sam was alive, the bodily heart in Pope’s heart rids her off her apprehension and dejection.

What is the role of religious allusion in “Whither Thou Goest”?

Richard Selzer employs religious allusion when he writes about Biblical verses, such as “Corinthians, chapter fifteen: For the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible” which put emphasis on on the second resurrection. However, Hannah does not have faith in the Biblical verses. Hannah’s cynical defiance towards the religious lessons make it evident that for some people, religion does not offer resounding answers to the query: “Whither thou Goest”? Meaning religion does not explicate where the heart or soul goes after death.Accordingly, such people may use science to answer their queries.