Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[imchongjun]

Hello, teachers.

I have difficulty understanding the following passage from a SF novel.

(Mel and Alice, his wife, met with an accident and Alice died at a hospital. The doctor was shocked to find that Alice had unusual internal organs, and asked Mel if it is ok to preserve and dissect the body of his wife for the cause of science. Mel got angry and said, "not even give her a burial? Let her be put away in bottles, like--like a--". Then the doctor reasons thus:)

"Please don't upset yourself any more than necessary. But I do beg that you consider what I've just proposed. Surely a moment's reflection will show you that this is no more barbaric than our other customs regarding our dead.
"But even this is beside the point. The girl, Alice, whom you married is like a normal human being in every apparent external respect, yet the organs which gave her life and enabled her to function are like nothing encountered before in human experience. It is imperative that we understand the meaning of this. It is yours to say whether or not we shall have this opportunity."
(The Memory of Mars from Project Gutenberg)

I am not quite sure what the doctor means by "but even this is beside the point". I think "this" refers to what he has just said about preserving the body. But preserving and dissecting the body of Alice is what he is requesting from Mel, isn't it? So why does he say it is "biside the point"? I am very grateful if you could straighten my muddled interpretation.

[dragn]

The doctor is trying to persuade Mel to allow him to preserve Alice's organs, and his argument is divided into two basic parts.

First, preserving someone's organs is not an especially unusual (or "barbaric") thing to do. After all, during every routine autopsy they are taken out and weighed and generally scrutinized. What's the big deal about preserving them?

Second, they are like nothing the doctor has ever seen in his entire career! That is really the point: that is the real reason the doctor wants so much to preserve her organs.

The second part of his argument makes the first part seem insignificant; the first part of the argument was merely a way to soften Mel up a little and make it easier for Mel to warm up to the idea. The first part is really beside the point.

Hope this makes sense.

Greg

[imchongjun]

Yes, it makes sense!! Thank you very much.