We read "The Post-Mortem People" by Peter Tate in class on February 1 and 3. Please comment about the story here. Some questions you might address:
- Considering that the story was written in 1966, were the author's extrapolations reasonable or accurate
- In the story, Anton Hejar argues that he performs a "service" in a world where standards have changed, that the benefits to the living outweigh the disservice to the dead and their loved ones. What do you think of his argument?
- Like many SF stories, "The Post-Mortem People" explores the ethical issues created by advancing technology. What are some similar ethical issues raised by the real-world technology of 2010?
I think that the authors extrapolations were somewhat reasonable. However they woulld only make sense if alll the acts in the story were actually passed by the gvernment. Are any of them real?
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this story because of the twist at the end. The table completely turns of Hejar and it felt completely unexpected to me. I was a little surprised that Hejar died just from being beaten by Trevnik.
ReplyDeleteI think Hejar takes his occupation too far. taking someone's body parts for the living is a valuable way of saving lives but ending others to make money off of them is wrong and should be illegal
ReplyDeleteI related this story to cloning because it is like taking organs from a person to give to another compared to taking organs from a clone to give to another.
ReplyDeleteA similar ethical issue is that of abortion, holding a life in your hands...
ReplyDeleteOr, image-altering surgury, taking away what is natural and replacing it with something artificial for money.
although i missed half of the story it seemed like a ver interesting story i thought it was weird how that person i forgot his name knew when death was coming
ReplyDeleteI think Hejar stopped providing a service as soon as he started following people around. Even though the standards in society have change and it may be alright to claim a body, it still seems like following around people with bodies that will sell for more is greedy.
ReplyDeleteThe author's story brings up a good point that organs are needed and cost a lot,but to go to the extreme of 'accidently' killing/hurting people for their organs is a little far off. I don't believe that will ever happen.
ReplyDeleteI believe that this is a streach from reality because I can never see this happening. I think this will never happen because we will always pay our respects to our dead the government could never take that away from us. So i think the job of a snacher isnt a service to the comunity.
ReplyDeleteThe story "Post Mordem People" was a very interesting extrapalatiion. I thought it was reasonable thinking from that time. Looking at all of the issues people were having issues with communism and were afraid of a life such as one in the story. I think the author looked at this and thought that if the people were still living in fear the world would end up like in the story
ReplyDeleteI think Helar's argument has some merit, but to stamp people's heads after crashes on the road is a little too barbaric to be justified. More like his job should be mixed with an EMT's
ReplyDeleteTate's extrapolations about the near near future were surprisingly exact. I think he was based some of the story from a communism standpoint. People collected organs, it was all a closed door operation, the government had a small role but there were always other ways to work around the system.
ReplyDeleteGreat ending for the story, a bit of irony
I like the story "The Post-Mortem People" because I did not see the ending coming, it was a big twist. I feel like Hejar always knew his destiny but with this ending it even took him by surprise. Good Story, we should read more stories like this!
ReplyDeleteI thought the extrapolations were reasonable, however the author turned people into monsters praying on each others flesh. I felt like this extrapolation was very unreasonable.
ReplyDeleteI think the extrapolations were very reasonable. All of the ones about the transplants were very reasonable considering the first heart transplant was only two years after the story was written. The moving side walks were somewhat reasonable, because although they arent on every sidewalk, they are in almost every airport and are commonly used by people. Also, I felt Anton Hejar's argument that the living are so much more important than the dead and the dead's family's feelings was rediculous.
ReplyDeleteThere was an interesting twist in the story at the end, which I really enjoyed. I think that in the future there will no way be any occupation like this. Organs are valuable but it would have to be a very very corrupt society and somewhat inhumane to even think this possible (following people for organs/possibly killing them).
ReplyDeleteI thought that this was a really good extrapolation. If these laws were actually passed, then I think that something like this could happen in our society.
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