KARMA JUST THREW A DEVASTATING PUNCH AT THE SURGEON...
*K.O.*
The surgeon general finally got what he deserved in the Serpent Eel. It is quite ironic that the surgeon is now going to be classified. We learn early on that the Surgeon purpose in life was to classify the world. To the surgeon, the classification of all natural things is "Science." Even though the classification scheme is presented as a purely scientific endeavor, that is not the case. I think this entire endeavor is not real science - the objective, systematic pursuit of understanding the unknown around us. The Surgeon's classification isn't trying to ultimately identify and categorize what is within the reach of man but what is outside the reach of man. One of his alterior motives is to prove the existence of god. The Surgeon clearly says, "OUR TASK-GREATER-NOT INTERPRETING NATURE FOR DECORATION-SEEKING TO CLASSIFY-TO ORDER NATURE-THEN ONLY RIDDLE REMAINING WILL BE GOD"(129). This passage suggests that after classifying everything in the world, what would be left is that which belonged to god. Thus, this is the first indication that he is no real scientist even for his era. He is instead searching for god ultimately. In the recent chapters, we learn that the surgeon only took up an interest in Fish because it hasn't been done before. It is a novel idea that could be easily published in a scientific journal. Everything may point to the Surgeon actually having interest in fish, but that is not the case once again. Instead, the classification of fish was meant to be the "FINAL WORK TO CAP ALL OTHER UNDOUBTED INDUSTRY OFF" and his "TICKET TO SOCIETY"(226). The real purpose of the surgeon making Gould draw all the fish was to use to get himself into the royal society for scientists. The surgeon is only looking for fame and respect instead of having actual scientific interest in Fish. It is even more despicable when he switches over to decapitating the black slaves and trying to use their skulls when Wheeler told him that FISH has already been done by Hooke. It is really dark look at the relationship between men. The surgeon uses the black skulls and fish to try to get into the royal society while in the background it can be clearly seen that Wheeler is using the surgeon as well to further his standing in the royal society.
I agree with your blog about the surgeon.Many of practuces in general are not based on evidence , they are based on what other people think, in the case with the fish switch to black heads. But based on your blog another idea came to mind. What if stus is another idea in this novel like it was in Puddin Head and Northanger Abbey. It seems as though people are going to extremes to gain some sort of higher "classification" through scientific acheivements. Like Wilson in the last novel who gained his status through science but he did it with a pure heart unlike the men in this novel.
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