CH. 5- 9

Precis:

            In Mary Roach’s non-fiction book, Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, Roach continues to talk about different ways a human cadaver could be used. She also begins to talk about past research experiments and includes historical events and facts. She continues to do so by using anecdotes and she includes imagery in order tohelp the reader be pulled into the book even more. She goes from a dog having two heads to researchers trying to find the exact position in which Jesus was crucified. She includes a bit of religion in this part of her book and despite her beliefs she talks about othersbelieves in a very repectful and careful manner. She conveys her own opinions while still ecouraging the audience to keep their own opinions. In this particular section, Mary Roach really shows the importance of the usage of human cadavers in research that helps living human beings. She talks about cadavers giving more accurate outcomes than animals would. She includes footnotes in everysingle chapter in order to add levity to the topic. They are asides that give further information of the specifics she is talking about while including jokes in order to remove tension for the reader.

Tone:

Respectful, informative, satirical

Vocabulary:

1.      Ballistics: (n.) the science or study of the motion of projectiles, as bullets, shells, or bombs

2.      Osteonecrosis: (n.)death of bone tissue that may result from infection, as in osteomyelitis, or deprivation of blood supply, as in fracture, dislocation

3.      Ersatz: (n.) an artificial substance or article used to replace something natural or genuine

4.      Exasperation: provacation, irritation, extreme annoyance

5.      Gruff: (adj.) low and harsh

6.      Psychoanalytic: (n.)  a systematic structure of theories concerning the relation of conscious and unconscious psychological process

Rhetorical Strategies:

Rhetorical questions: “does that mean I would let someone blow up my dead foot to help save the feet of NATO land mine clearers?” “and would I let someone shoot my dead face wth nonlethal projectile to help prevent accidental fatalities?” “What woulnt I let someone do to my remains?”(pg153)

Personification: “the gelatin sits on he table, soaking up the sunshine, basking beneath the calm, blue Tenesse skies…..this block won’t be bothering anyone anytime soon.”(pg141)

Analogy: “The things that happen to the dead in labs and Ors are like gossip passed behind one’s back. They are not felt or known and so they cause no pain” (pg170)

Questions:

1.      1.Would cadavers really be effective as dummies for car accidents, since during a crash humans have body movements so the impact would be much different?

2.     2. Two- headed dog??? Why try to invent such a species?

3.     3. Isnt it disrespectful to use cadavers for testing weapons? Should this be legal?

Quote:  “If someone cares to think it through, it isnt hard to come to the conclusion that someone in a lab coat will, at the very least, be cutting your eyeball out of your head”(pg147)