Richard Selzer's "The Knife" Richard Essay

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And in this case, he holds life and death in his hands, presiding over major surgery as though he might be God Himself. In paragraph #4 he uses the simile of his colleagues being "like children absorbed in a game." But then in paragraph #6 there is no doubt what he went through was no child's game: he took a "vow…with all solemnity" and now his world is "blood and flesh." Being able to juxtapose images so smoothly is a mark of a writer who understands artistry.

Good literature always features the skilled use of literary devices such as personification and Selzer's essay is certainly good literature in that respect. In paragraph #18 the knife looks like it probably did three thousand years ago except that now it's "head" has "grown detachable." And in paragraph #19 the knife "springs instantly to life" when it is clicked into proper position. Readers did not know until now that a knife, whether a surgeon's knife or any knife, could come to life. The scalpel even "sings" in the 20th paragraph and it has a "snout" as well. In paragraph #22 personification strikes again as the tumor comes alive (it is "toadish").

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Conclusion: In paragraph #23, the "knife rests"; in #24 the knife "waits" -- because "the tempest is over." This doctor turned essayist is a ball of nerves. The only way he can deal with the blood and guts and keep his sanity is to write about it when he gets home. The great majority of surgeons report having a high rate of stress and anxiety, so a reader can assume that Selzer is under a lot of stress, pressure, and feels a lot of anxiety because of the life-and-death nature of his profession.

So What? What is Selzer doing with his artistic imagery? One thing he is doing for sure is making a name for himself as the brilliant essayist who is also a surgeon. His mastery of the craft of writing has made money for him and given him notoriety far beyond whatever accolades he might….....

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