Short Fiction · Chapter
XIX: How the Doctor Was Placed in a Terrible Dilemma explained
Doctor Heraclius Gloss, having discovered that the soul he sought resides in a monkey, faces a terrible moral and practical dilemma.
What happens
Doctor Heraclius Gloss, having discovered that the soul he sought resides in a monkey, faces a terrible moral and practical dilemma. He realizes that without a human apostle, his crusade against superstition is doomed. Contemplating killing the monkey to free the soul for rebirth into a human child, he is restrained by the fear that the soul might instead re-enter another animal, condemning him to eternal punishment. Overcome by emotion, he faints.
Themes in this chapter
Obsession and Delusion
The Doctor's obsessive quest for a human apostle leads him to the brink of murder, revealing the delusional nature of his crusade against superstition.
Cruelty and Suffering
The Doctor's contemplation of killing the monkey and his subsequent emotional collapse highlight the cruelty inherent in his scientific and religious fanaticism.
Characters to notice
- Doctor Heraclius Gloss
The Doctor is plunged into a terrible dilemma upon discovering that the soul he sought resides in a monkey, forcing him to confront the limits of his mission and his own moral scruples.
Key passages
“But just as the most beautiful summer days are sometimes abruptly spoilt by a fearful storm, so the Doctor’s happiness was suddenly marred by a most awful possibility.”
Like a sudden storm ruining a perfect summer day, a terrible realization shattered the Doctor's joy.
The simile underscores the abrupt and devastating nature of the Doctor's discovery.
“He needed a man, an apostle, a confessor, a martyr—a role which could scarcely be filled by a monkey!”
He required a human disciple, a witness, a martyr—qualities a monkey could never provide.
Highlights the Doctor's despair at the inadequacy of the monkey for his grand plans.
“Supposing this man’s sins were not yet expiated, and supposing his soul returned for a second time into the body of a monkey instead of passing into that of a child?”
What if the man's sins remained unatoned, causing his soul to be reborn again as a monkey rather than a human?
This doubt prevents the Doctor from committing murder, showing his fear of eternal consequences.