Cutting of Stone discussion question #2

[Jed Miller]

Last one: due by midnight of August 11

Discuss the different meanings of the phrase "cutting for stone". Consider how these different meanings help to develop a theme throughout the book.

[Patrick Luckey]

Is there any requirement on words?

[Monica Bushéy]

   In the beginning of the book, "cutting for stone" was merely the title, an empty canvas waiting to be filled with the emotions, imagery, and physicality Verghese painted gradually. For a good part of the book, the saying merely meant Marion was trying to conjure up the only vision he could of his father, Thomas Stone, and that was by diving into the medical field. He was doing this for his real father, the man who to his innocent mind as a child was going to come back, was going to become his father. But over the years, he realized the circumstances him and his twin were in. He understood that Stone was never coming back, that Ghosh and Hema and everyone else at Missing were to be his family from now on. "Cutting for stone" simply was a saying, a namesake if anything. Marion was a practicing surgeon because Ghosh was a doctor, because Hema was a gynecologist. Stone wasn't even used as MarionShiva's last name, it was hardly mentioned.

   Yet, once the story progresses to Part Four, Marion reaches his father. Everything seems to be at the climax - will Stone suddenly become a father and look endearingly after Marion as his trauma surgeon career becomes a reality? Will he invite the Missing family over to the great cities of America and make them a new home? In some ways, hopes are crushed. Joys are turned to sorrows. But then certain things come to light, and not in the best of timing. Stone funded Shiva's research. Ghosh hid the note for Marion to find. Marion returns to his homeland. But MarionShiva seems to be no more. I have to admit, my eyes were blurred by tears as I got to the end of Shiva's life, a character whom I, like Marion, wanted to hate but could only love.

   "Cutting for stone" is what you make it. To Marion, it's a morphing string of words that could have the same meaning as "carry on" or "what I do I do in honor of my father". It's as ethereal as the bond between Marion and Shiva, something that inhabits the mind but not always the body. Marion was always willing to be a doctor because he loved it. I would argue he only loved it because his paternal father and actual father had a loving for it. I would argue that he was always looking up to his fathers, always knowing they were with him, always feeling their guidance and expertise as he used his scalpel. He always was and always will be cutting for his fathers, for his brother, for Sister, for Hema, for Genet, for everyone who made that blank canvas become a masterpiece that the great da Vinci would be jealous of.

[Natalya Royuela]

In the beginning of Verghese’s novel, Cutting for Stone is nothing more than a title that has yet to be depicted by readers to decipher its meaning. The title of Abraham Verghese’s novel has a sort of intriguing presence among readers. For what may seem to be for a good portion of the book, the phrase cutting for stone meant that Marion was trying to implore a vague image of what he thought his father Thomas Stone was. And for Marion, this was to be fulfilled by him going into medical practices in hopes of one day becoming a surgeon like his father, as was his profession that everybody who knew him described him as. As Marion grows up alongside Ghosh and Hema, their guidance and knowledge help shape Marion both as a person and skillful practitioner. When finally given the opportunity to practice what he has come to know so well Marion ventures off to the United States in search of expanding his practices that Missing could have never taught him. However, progressing further into the novel reveals to readers that a silver lining for Marion is not exactly what many may have envisioned. So many questions lingered about Thomas Stone and because of his absence in Marion’s life; the phrase cutting for stone is left for readers to make their own implications regarding its meaning. I think for Marion the phrase implies that even though he doesn’t know his father to well, he will “carry the torch” and continue to practice what his father was so skilled in performing.  His love and desire to keep at his work is due to both Ghosh’s and Thomas’s love of the practice. Marion will continue to “cut for stone” because of his loved ones he pushed him to be where he is now and never forget the circumstances which effected the course of his life.

 This phrase also has an identical correlation with the Hippocratic Oath which dates back to the times of the ancient Greek medical texts. The purpose of this ancient oath was to require new medical practitioners to solely promise that they would uphold themselves to specific moral standards.  More specifically, the oath states, “I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom disease is manifest; I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners, specialists in this art.” This phrase therefore defines that physicians are not to be performing surgery and such tasks should be left for trained specialists- surgeons. This ties in well with the outcome of the cesarean section Thomas Stone so brutally failed to perform. Stone practically risked everything, including the death of his sons. For me at this point in this tale, cutting for stone meant that Thomas Stone risked watching his family perish before him and his lineage end at that moment. 

[carissa garrity]

When I first read the title of the book, it made no sense to me. However, after reading the first part of the book I thought I had developed a sense of what the title could possibly mean. Throughout the first portion of the book, states how he always wished he could have met his real father but as soon as Ghosh takes the position of the father figure, finding Thomas Stone no longer seems important to him. 

As Natalya had stated, I think part of the title's meaning comes from Marion to "carry the torch" for Stone. Since Stone left Addis,  I got the impression that it was almost as if Marion was trying to take his place. Seeing where his father had failed during their birth, he also became specialized in gynecology. Therefore, I think the saying "Cutting For Stone" means Marion taking Stone's place in where he failed. However, when Marion learns Stone's back story, it seems reasonable why he abandoned them. What started as resentment in the beginning soon became an understanding. Work was an escape for Thomas from all the hurt in his life. Therefore, not only is Marion "carrying the torch" for Thomas to advance in the medical field but finally coming to an understanding of why he left as he experiences these feelings also with Genet.

The title also portrays a different meaning to the Hippocratic Oath. The meaning goes back to ancient times to where a doctor was going to preform a surgery on a patient to remove kidney stones. The oath states "I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom disease is manifest; I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners, specialists in this art." This means that no physician will cut for kidney stones but rather a trained specialist. Like Natalya stated, this was seen during the twins birth when Thomas almost the twins as well. However this was also seen when Rosina tried to circumcise Genet and when Marion saw Shiva in the paper stating how women all over Africa would come to him because of how good he was is fistula surgery. I think the majority of the meaning of "Cutting for Stone" comes from the Hippocratic Oath due to how many times it is presented throughout the story.

On Monday, August 4, 2014 11:24:35 AM UTC-7, Jed Miller wrote:

[Nikki Torres]

As I skimmed the pages of Cutting For Stone looking for any evidence of the phrase “cutting for stone” I was surprised to see that this phrase is both rare and dynamic. When opening your book to part three you are welcomed with a quote from the Hippocratic Oath, this quote including the phrase “cutting for stone” suggest a much simpler meaning to the vague title. Although once you take a look into the story of part three I believe a much deeper, and sentimental meaning is revealed.

When researching the Hippocratic Oath I was shocked to see that the phrase “cutting for stone” was not only known to its readers. This oath in fact was used historically for new physicians, stating that they will use their knowledge, spread it wisely and to also known their own boundaries. The oath it self states “I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom the disease is manifest; I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners, specialists in this art”. The specialist of this art being a surgeon. Ironically, Marion summarizes this oath in the begging of the book when he say’s “knowing when not to operate…knowing when to call for the assistance of a surgeon of my fathers caliber- that kind of talent, that kind of “brilliance,” goes unheralded”(8). The similarities are ironic because Marion isn’t a physician he is a surgeon, but he continues to have the mindset of a physician like Ghosh was in the begging of the book. Both Ghosh and Marion must learn to take on the position of a surgeon with as much confidence as Thomas Stone and Shiva. I believe Marion is “ cutting for stone” but not Thomas Stone instead he “cuts” for his brother… Shiva Stone. In resemblance to his father figure Ghosh who had to stand up to the plate and “cut” for Thomas Stone when he left.

I believe Marion began and continued to operate with the determination and passion he did out of jealousy and honor for his brother. Throughout part three there are a variety of areas in which Marion looks to Shiva jealousy. Shiva’s manner and personality get him an abundance of attention from Hema, a lack of schoolwork, Genet, and much more. Although Marion never states he is jealous his description and attitude towards Shiva make out for a jealous relationship. There is no doubt in my mind that Verghese purposely wrote the phrase “CUTTING FOR STONE” when addressing Shiva at the top of his Fistula career. This phrase symbolizing the jealousy Marion has at this point in his life. Where Marion is still a medical student with many years of training left, there is Shiva making headlines without even going to medical school. Although once his career begins he is emptied of jealousy and takes the appearance of Thomas and Genet into hands. When Shiva passes away while trying to save Marion, the motivation changes. Marion practices out of honor for Shiva. In the begging of the book Marion tells of how he finds himself looking into the glass panel that separates the two operating theaters, looking at his reflection and nodding a thanks to Shiva because he allowed him to become what he was, a surgeon. He realizes after years of training and work to thank Shiva for being who he was because it helped push Marion to become the surgeon he is.

“Cutting for stone” with its variety of meanings all comes back to the theme of family interaction. Some family members being very similar others being very different, but it is these distinct family characteristics that cause each member to thrive how they do.

 

[Megan Campbell]

The title Cutting for Stone may seem like a simple reference to the Hippocratic oath, but it develops a complex definition as the characters themselves develop.  Throughout the book I felt that the phrase cutting for stone too on a new meaning each part.  In the beginning it served as a warning, like it does in the oath.  Thomas Stone cut for stone during Sister Mary's surgery, he pushed aside all sane techniques in the hope he could save her from the suffering she was enduring.  As the oath warns, no good came of this because he did not leave the surgery to a professional, or at least attempt to imitate their techniques since Missing's gynecologist was gone.  

In part two, cutting for stone takes on a desperate tone.  Ghosh is trying to fill his predecessor's shoes, and vainly hoping that he is just cutting for stone, just taking Dr. Stone's place while he stepped out.  Ghosh learns by the end of the part that he can be good at what he does, and that is good enough for Missing.  He does not need to be the great Dr. Stone, he has no need to cut for Stone.  All the surgeries he does are for his patients. 

As the book moves into Marion's childhood (part 3), the meaning shifts again.  Cutting for stone was Marion searching for a way to become as good as his parents at what they did.  He was inspired by stories of how his parents worked in complete harmony during a surgery. He looked to impress is father by becoming a great surgeon like he was.  He hoped that Dr. Stone and he would meet, and his father "would smile with pride"(239).  By the end of the section, he realizes that it is not Stone he should be cutting for, it is his true father Ghosh, who gave him his love for being a doctor. 

In part 4, cutting for stone becomes completely different.  the surgeries Marion performs teach him to look beyond the test results to the person.  He realizes the what he is cutting on is not some indestructible stone, but a delicate being with feelings.  The surgeries in this part become more personal because Marion fully appreciates Ghosh's saying, that the only medicine administered by ear is "words of comfort" (521). 

Cutting for stone is a coming of age story, and the title reflects it.  At first it is simple, as is the story, but it becomes increasingly complex, as do Marion's experiences. I agree with Nikki and the previous commenters that the title seems simple, but as you read it takes on a totally new complex meaning.  However, I think each section develops a new meaning of cutting for stone, separate,and distinct from the last one. 

[Maddy Larson]

“Cutting for Stone” is much more than the title of a book. It’s a theme of brotherhood, broken companionships, and betrayal that subtly reveals itself in each portion of the book.  As the novel continues on, the dynamic meaning of “Cutting for Stone” is presented and demonstrates how one character’s actions can change the course of or impact another’s life.

The first time anyone took a situation out of Dr. Stones control and brought in to their control was in part one, when Sister Mary Joseph Praise saved his life and some of the other ill patients on the boat to Ethiopia. The theme was not very apparent in this section but little did we know that by Sister Mary Joseph Praise “Cutting for Stone,” this first time, it would create a sequence of several other characters “Cutting for Stone” in the years to come.

  In part two of the book after the death of Sister, and Stone’s betrayal to Missing Hospital, Ghosh was next to cut for his dear friend Thomas Stone. As Megan discussed previously “Ghosh was trying to fill his predecessor’s shoes” and quick to learn surgery but slow to realize that Stone was not coming back. Stones betrayal to Ghosh and Missing Hospital was a shock, they had lost a great surgeon but with Ghosh “Cutting for Stone” they gained a good one.

Throughout Marion’s childhood he had always had an interest with medicine and Thomas Stone. Personally, it was frustrating to see Marion trying to “cut for stone “ by bringing pride and honor to a father that left him minutes after birth and was never going to show up at the gates of Missing Hospital. Marion and his father’s biological connection is what I believe made Marion feel obligated, despite the betrayal, to live up to the potential his father had. I think Marion dedicated the most cuts for stone because I noticed that as he grew up he had tried harder for the qualities his father had first.

In section four Marion continued “Cutting for Stone” except in this section he was cutting for Shiva Stone more than he was cutting for Thomas Stone. Although Shiva had betrayed him with Genet, Marion often mentioned their brotherhood and how ShivaMarion were one being.  Again Marion used the family companionship to feel obligated to care for him, despite the wrong they did to him.

    “Cutting for Stone” may be looked at from the viewpoint of the oath, but I look at it as almost a play on of words. For example to literally try and cut stone would be futile; and difficult. However figuratively and coincidently the Person that these characters are “Cutting for” is Thomas stone. So I perceive the title to mean that when the characters are “cutting for stone” they are compelled by brotherhood and companionship they all once shared with Dr. Stone at the same time to cut for him is very tough and pointless to do, putting an impact and strain on each of their lives.

[Kyle Katzenmeyer]

There are many different interpretations found in the title “Cutting for Stone. “ For me it was difficult to get past the literal meaning because at the end of the book, in the authors Acknowledgments he clearly states, “I shall not cut for stone.” This quote is also stated in the Hippocratic Oath and led me to believe that all this title meant to the book was its literal meaning. I will not operate on problems that are not my specialty. Physicians will stay Physicians and surgeons will do their job as they have been trained. This literal meaning is discussed throughout the book. For example it is initially seen as Doctor Thomas Stone attempts to perform a full term abortion. He, without having a clue of what to do, begins to operate on Sister Mary Joseph Praise. He mindlessly cuts and attempts to save her but without any expertise turns her operating table into her death bed.

After reconsidering the title of this novel to be figurative, I found a few examples in “Cutting for Stone” that matched this idea. The first example I found in the novel had begun as the twins life began. Marion Stone, the narrator of this book had been longing to find his father Thomas Stone until he begins his career in medicine. He then attempts to avoid him at any cost he can. He was becoming very successful in his own medicine at “Your Lady of Perpetual Succor” and fate would bring him and his father together. During a Shrock shunt procedure Marion had to act quickly and begin the surgery immediately. Deepak had done five previous surgeries like this and by now was very familiar in what he had to do. They successfully performed the surgery with an unknown surgeon watching close by. After the excitement was over Marion asked Deepak who this surgeon was, it was Doctor Thomas Stone. From then going on Marion had a personal mission to find Doctor Stone not out of love, but because of his interest in his father fueled by anger. Nearing the end of the book their paths meet several times and in the end Doctor Marion Stone works below his father in surgery now, for a living he is “Cutting for Stone.”

One more interpretation I found about this title had nothing to do with the main characters of this novel. In a very dark, grim part of this book General Mebratu accompanied with Genet’s father attempt to overthrow the Ethiopian government. I believe this is a good example of Cutting for Stone because it involves someone going out of their field of expertise to try and do something bigger. In this case it is the general attempting to overthrow the government and rule himself. In the Hippocratic Oath the title of the book means to stay within your abilities. Although the general attempted to bring change for the people in his revolution, he brought thousands of deaths in his failed attempt. This reoccurring theme of “Cutting for Stone” is not always doomed for failure. Many people who attempt to cut for stone believe it will help the world or the person lying on the operating table with death hovering above. For example the first ever partial liver transplant outside the normal skills of any surgeon resulted in Marion’s life. This good intent is what truly makes Cutting for Stone so tragic. 

[Joshua Thompson]

Cutting for Stone is an intricate novel that incorporates complicated themes throughout the book. A vital part to understanding these themes is by learning the various meanings of the phrase “cutting for stone”. Overall, I believe that the phrase “cutting for stone” has two meanings.

The first meaning for the phrase “cutting for stone” is Marion’s longing for his father as he grows up. During his childhood, Marion always wondered about the whereabouts of his father and whether he would ever come back or not. During his adolescent years, he accepted the fact that his father would never come back and rejected him, but deep down, Marion really wanted his father to be there with him. When Marion moved to America, he hadn’t been thinking about his father but as soon as Deepak mentioned Thomas Stone, Marion was immediately intrigued. He then strove to find his father and cross paths with him. This theme of Marion “cutting for stone” (Thomas Stone) is important because it shows an overall sense of connection between Marion and his family members. With Shiva, Marion feels the most connected and becomes ShivaMarion. With Sister Mary Joseph Praise, he feels the sense of connection in the autoclave room. And now, the longing that lasted for over twenty years with his father Thomas Stone.

The other meaning that could be derived from “cutting for stone” is how the various characters “cut in” to the different Stone’s lives (Shiva, Marion, or Thomas) and deeply impact them. As Maddy stated, the first area where we see someone “cutting for stone” in this way is when Thomas Stone became very sick on the ship that Sister Mary Joseph Praise was on. When Sister Mary nursed Thomas Stone back to health, little did she know that her life and Thomas’ life would be deeply impacted forever through the birthing of the unexpected twins. Another important area where we see a character “cutting for stone” is when Shiva volunteered to donate a part of his liver in order to save his brother’s life. In this scene, it is Shiva impacting Marion’s life by sacrificing himself to save his brother. This theme can be seen in many other instances throughout the book but is most prominent in those two scenes.

Ultimately, the phrase “cutting for stone” has great influence in the themes of the book Cutting For Stone through how Marion longs to find his father, and how the different characters impact each other’s lives. 

[Jillian Raycraft]

Taking a moment to recap on what it means to “cut for stone” in the Hippocratic Oath, it states, “I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom the disease is manifest; I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners, specialists in this art” (MedicineNet.com). To each is their own but my interpretation of this is: people, doctors in particular, should leave things to people that know what they are doing. Although the Oath states how it is best to leave things to the specialists, all too often in life do we not have the luxury of calling in one of expertise and we are left to find out what we are really made of. The Oath also underlines how more than likely repercussions are to come if one proceeds to “cut for stone” where they do not belong.

Here in this book, that holds true during the birth of the twins and in the manner Dr. Thomas Stone went about trying to save Sister Mary Joseph Praise. A surgeon, yes but a gynecologist specialized in cesarean sections, not a chance. Dr. Stone threw that portion of the Hippocratic Oath out the window the minute he was faced with desperation and a sense of loss for what he longed for. Just as the Oath warns, repercussions followed Stone’s act out of his realm of expertise as a surgeon.

However, one interpretation of the novel’s meaning I received was that “Cutting for Stone” is not like that of the Hippocratic Oath’s, where negative consequences are sure to follow if you proceed to practice outside your scope of expertise; but, that of a more positive note, that not every time one breaks the Hippocratic Oath that they are destined for failure. Take Ghosh’s situation for example, the moment Stone left, Ghosh was forced to take on the role of a surgeon whereas before he had only ever really experienced being a practitioner. Operating was not on his list of qualifications; however, when push came to shove, Ghosh was able to step up to the plate in an area of unfamiliar territory is his life. Ultimately, with Ghosh being “stretched” as an individual and facing that type of obstacle it enabled him to go deeper into the medical field than he ever imagined.

Another idea behind the phrase, “cutting for stone” centers on Marion Stone longing to meet his biological father. Due to Stone’s absence throughout Marion and Shiva’s lives, Marion continuously held out hope that Thomas Stone would one day appear outside Missing’s gates.  Though Ghosh fulfilled the duty as a father figure more than Stone ever would have been able to had he ever showed up, Marion secretively searched for traces of who his father was and where he may be, hence “cutting for stone” representing Marion’s search for the Stone who gave him life.

 

[Noah Crouch]

  Going back after reading Cutting For Stone, I am forced to recollect the details and vivid words used throughout the novel. The words "Cutting for stone" mean a lot of things throughout the book, and the Hippocratic Oath, stated many times above, can also give insight to what “cutting for stone” really means.

  In the beginning of the novel, to me “cutting for stone” just seemed like the title of the book. However, when the pregnancy of Sister Mary occurred that is when I realized the first insight to what “cutting for stone” might actually mean. During the birth of Marion and Shiva, Dr. Stone threw everything he knew out the window and was solely thinking and acting based on trying to save Sister Mary. Like Jillian stated, “He wasn't a gynecologist” and therefore, his actions had consequences and in the Hippocratic Oath it is stated “ how more than likely repercussions are to come if one proceeds to ‘cut for stone’ where they do not belong.” and in the pregnancy of Sister Mary Joseph Praise, for Thomas Stone that’s exactly what happened he lost the love of his life and almost two babies he would end of caring for had it not been for Hema arriving just in time.

  Another reference to “cutting for stone” can be interpreted to the whole story of Marion. Throughout all of Part Three and Four of the novel Marion is trying to figure out his place and longs to find his father, Thomas Stone. The saying “cutting for stone” works through him in the fact that no matter what he has to go through to become a medical student like his biological father and so called “step-father” he overcomes it so he shall have a piece of both of them even if they aren't there for him physically. And later on in the story when Marion finally meets and hears Thomas’s background story of his childhood, Marion gets a feeling and thought of clarity because things start falling into place and he feels at ease for once. 

  There could also be more meanings to the phrase “cutting for stone” but, none is greater then Marion pursuing the career of both his fathers. Then, when all seems lost and Marion tell is about to end Dr. Stone cuts for Marion and on him to eventually save his life.

[Mirelle Sandoval]

The title Cutting for Stone may seem like an uncomplicated title but as we keep reading and digging deeper and deeper we find out that the title has multiple meanings.  First of all, “I will not cut for stone,” runs the text of the Hippocratic Oath, “even for patients in whom the disease is manifest; I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners, specialists in this art.” We can see this example being played at the beginning of the book when Dr. Stone did everything he could to save Sister Mary Praise even though he was not a gynecologist. We can go back to the oath and relate this scene from the book because being a gynecologist was not Dr. Stone’s area of expertise and thus caused the death of Sister Mary Praise.

 Furthermore, I noticed the words of the oath provide a part of an epigraph through the novel. It also mentions the last name of its narrator, Marion Stone, along with his twin brother, Shiva, and their father and surgeon Thomas Stone.

 I also realized that the title itself can mean to do everything in your power in order to achieve a goal no matter the consequences but only then you will know what you are truly capable of. An example of this can be Marion Stone himself and how he always longed to find and be like his father. Ever since he was little, he imagined his father coming to him and telling him how sorry he was for leaving his brother and himself. Even though he knew that he excluded both of them, deep down Marion wanted Thomas to be with him. With the help of Gosh and all the impact the other characters made on Marion, he became what he always wanted to be. Cutting for Stone was the treacherous and long journey Marion went through to reunite with his father despite this causing the death of Shiva.

 

On Monday, August 4, 2014 11:24:35 AM UTC-7, Jed Miller wrote:

[Samuel Cornish]

          At the beginning of the book, Cutting for Stone was just a title, but in the epilogue, Verghese explains a level of its meaning pertaining to the Hippocratic Oath "I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom the disease is manifest." This oath comes from the days when bladder stones were epidemic, either due to tainted water or otherwise. There were people called lithologists who would cut out the stones, but because they would contaminate the knives, the patients would die of infection a day later. Therefore , "thou should not cut for stone." This practice should have been kept to the professionals. In the book, since Thomas Stone was not a gynecologist, he didn't know how to perform a C-section, which eventually lead to the death of Sister Praise.

         Another interpretation of the title can be Marion's search for his biological father. Even though Ghosh was an excellent father to Marion and Shiva, Marion hoped one day that Thomas Stone would show up at Missing Hospital.Like what Jill said, Marion kept searching for traces of his father despite his life-time absence. 

         In part 4, the meaning of the title changes when the surgeries that Marion performs become more personal.I agree with Megan when she states that "He realizes the what he is cutting on is not some indestructible stone, but a delicate being with feelings." Marion finally has a full appreciation for the only medicine administered by ear, "words of comfort".

        Verghese, a doctor from Stanford, most likely chose this title because it clearly confirms the intrinsic part that medicine plays in the novel which Verghese and his target audience could resonate with.

[Emily Marquez]

 

From the very first time I began to read the novel "Cutting for Stone" I had an instinct to really come to terms with the title.  I wanted to explore and evaluate what the author, Abraham Verghese, was trying to connect with the title, what the story had to offer to the title. Throughout the beginning of the book, I have pondered about the phrase means something medical related.  As many of the other students, I realized after some research that "Cutting for Stone" came from a reference from the Hippocratic Oath, that states, "I will not cut for stone." Most of the readers may think that the phrase, "Cutting for Stone", had a relation to medical references, and all of the surgeries that occurred to assist in saving lives from Marion, Shiva, and Thomas Stone. From further reading and knowledge, I now realize that the phrase "Cutting for Stone" has nothing to do with Marion, Shiva, or Thomas, but has everything to do with faith.

It was not until towards the ending of the book that I made the connection about the phrase "Cutting for Stone" symbolizing faith. At the beginning of the book, one of the main characters, Sister Mary Joseph Praise, was created specifically to give the reader a look into the theme. Sister Mary Joseph Praise expressed the theme of faith by praying to God.

Another example of how "Cutting for Stone" symbolizes faith was when Shiva decided to give Marion half of his liver. This is an excellent example of how Abraham Verghese uses the phrase to show faith because it is very literal; cutting into Shiva Stone and Marion Stone to perform a surgery that has never been done before. Having doctors doubt Shiva's idea, Shiva and Marion both have faith that this is what they need to do. At this moment, was the moment that I realized that "Cutting for Stone" meant to have hope.

Lastly, in the acknowledgments written by Abraham Verghese, the author explains into further depth on how "Cutting for Stone" means faith and hope. Verghese makes a reference to the Hippocratic Oath, to explain his love to medicine. The author states, "Like Gosh, every year, at commencement, I renew my vows with her: I swear by Apollo and Asclepius and Hygienic and Panacea to be true to her, for she is the source of all... I shall not cut for stone." When Verghese says he "shall not cut for stone" he is explaining how he will never give up faith in what he practices.

The novel, "Cutting for Stone", is a terrific novel that illustrates how the author views life, as an informational source, that believes in fate and destiny. I agree with all of the other students that "Cutting for Stone" has a whole different meaning then what may seem, but I believe, it is about faith and hope.

[Patrick Scholl]

In the novel Cutting for Stone, the title is present in the events of the book; it reveals some of the motivation behind the career of Marion- to be more in touch with his father. For Thomas, it is a warning to remember that he made the Hippocratic oath- the only time he operated outside of his field of expertise, he almost killed his own sons- as Megan says, “he pushed aside all sane techniques in the hope he could save her from the suffering she was enduring. As the oath warns, no good came of this because he did not leave the surgery to a professional, or at least attempt to imitate their techniques since Missing's gynecologist was gone”.

For Hema, it can be seen as a haunting phrase- she visits America while her son Marion was dying; seeing the doctors do their jobs as best they could- and still nearly fail. She could not intervene, because it was not her specialty. She, as the Hippocratic Oath dictated- "[left] this operation to be performed by practitioners, specialists in this art."

For Ghosh, it means something far different, and more symbolic. He needed to fill shoes that shouldn’t have needed filling- he was cutting for stone in that he was cutting in place of stone, as several people have pointed out. But more than that, but he was breaking the oath as he took the place of stone- he had to begin doing surgery, though he was not a surgeon himself.

[Sarah Mayorga]

Throughout Abraham Verghese's novel Cutting for Stone, one is constantly trying to piece together the actual meaning behind the phrase cutting for stone as we learn more about the lives of Marion and Shiva. It seems as though in the beginning of the novel, the title merely just was significant as it was the last name of the surgeon Thomas Stone, but as I read on; it became clear that "cutting for Stone" was in reference to Marion. As Monica states, Marion was constantly trying to imagine his father and how his life would have been different had he been in it. He would picture his father coming home to him and his brother, when in reality; he was no where to be seen. The phrase is put into light as Marion is now "cutting for Stone" or becoming a surgeon for his father to connect to him in the biggest way possible since after all that was the only thing he really ever knew about his father was the he was a great surgeon. We discover that when Marion goes to America that his studies and operations eventually lead him to his father. Perhaps unknowingly, Marion was literally "cutting" and becoming more skillful in the medical field to eventually be reunited with his biological father he had always hoped to have a relationship with. Not only did he do it for his biological father, but also for Ghosh as he stepped in to fill Thomas Stone's shoes when Thomas decided not to be apart of the twins lives. Ghosh serves as the twins' inspiration and I believe Marion had always looked up to him as well and was cutting for him despite that fact his last name wasn't Stone since it very well could have been due to the fact that Ghosh was their dad despite where they came from. Later on in the book, as Nikki mentioned, jealousy comes into play as Shiva has not gone to medical school but is still getting all the attention from all over the world for him specializing in Fistula. "Cutting for Stone" seems to represent Marion's incentive to continue to operate with skills and perseverance to gain the attention that Shiva possessed. Lastly, as Maddy also stated, Marion and Shiva were seen as one and I believe that Marion was "cutting" for Shiva to carry on his legacy and practice out of respect and love for his brother when he passed away. Cutting for Stone represents honor and jealousy that Marion had for his brother and also represents the hopes Marion had to be like his biological father and the man who took his fathers place. This novel truly illustrates the significance of brotherhood and family.

[Claire Mitchell]

Authors title their books to attract, intrigue, and perhaps even plague their readers. Humans, whether they like it or not, are drawn to things that sounds "cool" or "fascinating." Abraham Verhgase, on the other hand, titled his book to give the reader insight into the novel, before the reader even knew it. As I was reading "Cutting For Stone" my impression of Thomas Stone began to transform. He was a meticulous surgeon, a brilliant friend, yet very socially incompetent. Though they may not have realized it, both Shiva and Marion were "cutting for stone" by pursuing careers in the medical field to try to become close to their father, Thomas Stone.

As I began to dig deeper into the book, I realized the term "cutting for stone" was not just about Thomas Stone, but it was the widely known Hippocratic Oath. This seemed like a very obvious answer to the question. I began to realize that in each section of the book a new meaning of "cutting for stone" revealed itself.
The Hippocratic oath states, "I will not cut for stone, even in the presence of disease. I will leave this to skilled professionals. specialists in the art." As the book unfolded, Marion became eligible to "cut for stone," revealing the meaning of the saying. By doing so and becoming a surgeon he was filling a gap that Thomas Stone left; he was essentially becoming him.

I believe through the title that he chose, Verghase created something more than just physical relationships. He managed to develop a unique bond; one shared not through blood, but through being a surgeon. The connection that is created by being the one in charge, the one who can cause life or death, the one physically has to make the incisions and the cuts, defines the true meaning of brotherhood. Both Marion and Shiva are "Cutting for Stone" to get a chunk back of what was missing when Thomas Stone left.

[Jacob Smith]

Due to the wide variety of characters in the novel, each represents shows "cutting for stone" differently, but with the same idea. For example, Marion is young man trying to find his way in life by becoming a surgeon. For him, the phrase is his motivation for his life. He must make a living off being a doctor so he can "cut" it in the real world and survive. As for Shiva and also Marion, they spend most of their lives never seeing Thomas Stone in person. They go on an epic journey and eventually meet up with their father. This journey could also be their "cutting for stone", as in they are looking/searching for their lost Thomas Stone. As for Stone, he was not a gynecologist and performing the C-Section was not his expertise. So had to throw away what he knew and make way for something new that will save Sister Mary. Putting it all together, the title "cutting for Stone" could simply translate to trying your best at what you are doing and work to the goal you want to achieve.

On Monday, August 4, 2014 11:24:35 AM UTC-7, Jed Miller wrote:

[Juan Ambriz]

            In the beginning of the book, Cutting For Stone seemed like an ordinary title further into the story it is explained that the meaning is linked to the Oath “I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom the disease is manifest”. After some research it seems that this oath was used when bladder stones were an epidemic. It seems that people called lithologists would cut the stones but the patients would be infected and so the oath was made “thou should not cut  for stone”. The surgery should have been kept for to the professionals. Thomas Stone was not a gynecologist and since he did not have experience it led to the death of Sister Praise.

[katie mackenzie]

As my friends and I began to discuss the meaning of “Cutting for Stone” we found that each of us had come up with something different and right in it’s own way. There are infinite amounts of meanings for it, but to me the most apparent is how it relates to the Hippocratic oath. In the beginning of the novel Thomas Stone is blatantly crushing Shiva’s skull to attempt to save Mary. This goes against the oath That state “I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom disease is manifest; I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners, specialists in this art.” Just as Carissa said the book shows another example of “cutting for Stone” when Rosina tries to circumcise Genet. Because Stone leaves and never comes back he allows Ghosh and Hema to play a more immediate role in the twin’s lives, and genet joins their little family once betrayed by Rosina. Thomas Stone, and Rosina betray the Hippocratic oath and that is why Ghosh, Hema, Marion, Shiva, and Genet are able to be the family that they are.

Another meaning, more obvious to the readers, as others have mentioned Marion, Shiva, and Ghosh have to perform surgeries in Stone’s place once he leaves. The fact that Ghosh is forced to take Stone’s place, in all aspects of life, once he is gone draws them closer together as a family. Just as Jillian and Sam said, Marion hopes for his father everyday despite all the previous clues that conclude he will never show up. The characters need for Stone in their lives draws them closer, which helps progress the theme of family throughout the novel.

[Brittany Cordell]

When I first read the title of Verghese’s novel, Cutting for Stone, I had no idea what to depict from it or where it would lead me to believe, all except for what my imagination created when I first opened and read the prologue. But like any other good novel, it is within the pages of each chapter that you can start to decipher a deeper meaning, compared to your first thought of the book. Once I started reading and I got through a good portion of the first half that was when I made small connections to different possibilities. It was only when I got to part three of the novel where it introduced the Hippocratic Oath that it opened up my mind to something bigger. There are many symbols and meanings behind Verghese’s title; it all depends on how the reader interprets them. I believe that the Hippocratic Oath plays a role in the meaning held behind Cutting for Stone and also through the connections it makes to Marion’s life, as well as the relations to others.

 Likewise, Sam mentions that Verghese gives us explanation to the meaning held behind the title through the Oath, which states, “I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom the disease is manifest; I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners, specialists in this art.” Having come from mid eighteenth century, and also from a time when bladder stones were an issue, it was when doctors, called lithologists, would have the skills to remove such rocks from patients. Though the surgery might’ve been successful, it was from poorly cleaned surgical knives that would leave patients dead a day later. What I took from this knowledge and related to the title was that patients are to be left to the professionals when under the knife; hence the phrase, “… cut for stone.”

With this in mind, it led me to my next understanding for Cutting for Stone. Like those doctors many years ago who failed to perform correctly, we can see the error that Dr. Thomas Stones made when he operated on Sister Mary Joseph Praise during his unsuccessful cesarean section. This showed his poor skills in making the right decision and how he didn't follow through with the Oath because his emotions overpowered him. Some rules are bent and people in the field are sometimes put to test which can open doors to bigger things, and we can see that through Ghosh having to step in for Stones’ leave.

One last interpretation that I took from this novel was that of Marion’s desire to meet his biological father, Thomas Stone. Even though Ghosh was more of a father to Marion and Shiva than Stone could ever be, Marion still desired to someday meet him. Only having bits and pieces of information from Ghosh, he longed for when Stone might walk through Missing’s doors. Relating to Jill, Marion’s hopes of meeting his dad are that of “cutting for stone” from how Marion continued to search direly for trace of Stone who gave life to him and his brother.

As an overall theme to Abraham Verghese’s novel, Cutting for Stone, I believe that it centers around family and honor towards Marion’s desires to be like his biological father, Thomas Stone, but out of honor towards Ghosh as well who took his father’s place. 

[Patrick O'Brien]

When I first read the title, "Cutting for Stone," I was completely clueless to what it might mean. Initially after finding out the names of the main characters, I figured that it must have something to do with Thomas Stone's last name. However, with each passing chapter, I began to develop a new idea of what the author was referring to. "I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom the disease is manifest; I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners, specialists in this art." This is a line from the Hippocratic Oath, and ancient Greek document that many physicians have modified but still use today. It makes it clear that surgical procedures should be left to experts in the specific area. Thomas Stone breaks this oath when he operates on Sister Mary Joseph Praise despite having very little knowledge about what he is doing, and ultimately causing her unfortunate death. Ghosh also violates the Hippocratic Oath when he fills in for Dr. Stone when he has limited experience and was certainly not qualified at the time. While this certainly appears to be the primary meaning of the phrase, "Cutting for Stone" can still be interpreted in other ways. It could refer to how Marion wanted to find his father who had been gone for so many years, or his desire to make it to the same level of medical fame as Shiva. Some even might portray it as Marion's effort to replace Thomas Stone. 

The theme of "Cutting for Stone" seems to revolve around family relationships. While they had their differences and troubles in the past, the Stone family was always able to forgive each other and never broke their bond. 

[David Martinez]

The title, "Cutting for Stone" can be interpreted several different ways. While reading the novel, I focused more on a figurative meaning for the phrase, but after a closer look I realized that there was also a literal meaning for the phrase which relates to the Hippocratic Oath.
My first impression of the phrase "Cutting for Stone" was that it was referring to how Shiva and Marion, throughout the novel, are gradually following in their fathers' footsteps. By pursuing careers in the medical field, both Shiva and Marion, are somewhat trying to connect with their father, Thomas Stone. The fact that the entire novel was leading up to the reunion between Thomas Stone and his two kids, was also why I thought that this was the main reason for Verghese naming it "Cutting for Stone".
Another possible and more literal interpretation of the phrase to "cut for stone" is mentioned in the Hippocratic Oath. The Hippocratic Oath reads, "I will not cut for stone, even in the presence of disease. I will leave this to skilled professionals. specialists in the art." This means that I will not try to perform or operate on something that I am not properly trained to do. An example of this literal interpretation is shown when Thomas Stone tries to perform a cesarean section on Sister Mary Joseph Praise when he knew that he had no prior knowledge of conducting such an operation. This literal meaning is also shown in several other events throughout the novel.
Verghese's novel "Cutting for Stone" is very appropriately named because it bears room for various interpretations and meanings.

[Laura Bairett]

"I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom the disease is manifest; I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners, specialists in this art." We as a class thoroughly examined the use of medical language in the prior discussion question. It is private, it is mysterious, and it is distinguished. The Hippocratic Oath is all of these things. Yet there is one field that even those elite practitioners of medicine would not presume to touch: surgery. To cut for stone, to be a surgeon, is to go beyond what anyone else can do. And that is what the main characters do, from guerrilla-style rebellion to pioneering in fistulas.

Then we have Missing Hospital. What is the hospital missing? Operating Theater #3 is there. ShivaMarion is there. Ghosh, Hema, Matron, and even Sister Mary Joseph Praise are present and accounted for. Who, then, has deteriorated from Mission to Missing? Stone, of course. And despite the loving efforts of Hema and Ghosh, no one can truly replace a missing parent in the mind and heart of the child. Why does Marion choose to study surgery? He uses the art to draw closer to his father. He cuts in Ethiopia, he cuts in America, and he cuts for one reason. He cuts for Stone.

[Grant Carrasco]

     When I started to read the novel "Cutting For Stone" I was clueless to why it was titled that. Once I got deeper into the novel it became more clear that there was an obvious meaning and a meaning that a reader not analyzing the book would not notice in just a regular reading of the book. The obvious meaning of the phrase to me was that once Thomas Stone could not preform surgeries Marion, Shiva and Ghosh had to take is place and "Cut For Stone." The reader can easily understand that through the context of the novel. 

 

      The second meaning to the phrase "Cutting For Stone" to me was was the competitiveness of making it in that field. The twins struggle to be successful as a surgeon, because their are many other surgeons that are just as good as the twins. So Cutting For Stone in this sense means that the twins are working in a field that doesn't have many successes and its like "Cutting For Stone." This phrase could have many other meanings, but this is how i portrayed it.

[Sammy Erickson]

In Cutting for Stone most see the title as just that, a title. Readers have yet to know the true meaning behind it. When I started reading I didn't think much of the title but as I got further into the book and read the reference to the Hippocratic oath, I realized that the oath is what drove the book along. The oath states "I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom disease is manifest; I will leave this operation to be preformed by practitioners, specialists in this art." It was a recurring theme throughout the novel as several characters cut for stone.

To start Thomas Stone goes against the oath by stepping into an area to which is not his and almost killing both his sons along with the Sister. However he honors the oath by leaving Missing along with his two sons. He would not have been the right father for them so he let others take over. Many characters- Ghosh, Hema, and Marion- had to cut for stone because of Dr. stones absence. For Ghosh he had to fill the shoes left by Stone meaning he had to step out of his area of expertise and step into Stones area- surgery. Ghosh knew that he wasn't really the right doctor for what was asked of him but he knew that he was what Missing needed. Then both Ghosh and Hema had to cut for stone when raising Stones kids, neither had any children nor were these kids their responsibility. Also, as many others have stated, young Marion felt like he had to somewhat live up to Stone and as growing up he tried to take a path like his biological fathers.

However, I too believe as Nikki wrote earlier, that Marion was "cutting" for his brother Shiva not Stone. In growing up Marion had accepted that his father was Ghosh and that Thomas Stone had no real relation to him. Furthermore, Marion felt more of a need to "compete" with his brother. He was eager to become a great surgeon and was jealous of Shivas accomplishments when he hadn't fought for any of them. This I believe pushed Marion to want to succeed in his career.

The title "Cutting for Stone" ties into many different themes because it's meaning can be used in so many ways depending on who's reading and interpreting the novel. In my opinion it ties closely with themes of family bonds and coming of age. Throughout the novel we see Marion and all the characters grow and change while making choices that define the person they are. We also see how events make the family closer or further apart.

[rianf...@gmail.com]

Throughout the whole book I kept the title in mind, trying to figure out the true meaning of the phrase "Cutting for Stone." By the end of the book I realized that there were several different ways to interpret the meaning of the phrase. The phrase could refer to Marion and his journey in becoming a well-known, successful surgeon like his father, but it could also refer to Marion and Shiva's quest in finding their father, Thomas Stone. Throughout their whole lives they had never met their father and "cutting" in the phrase could mean looking or searching. Marion could also be trying to surpass his own brother in the medical field. The reader sees Marion's jealousy of Shiva towards the end of the book when Shiva is featured on the newspaper for being an amazing gynecologist, even though Shiva lacked medical school training. "Stone" in the phrase could actually be referring to Shiva Stone. "Cutting for Stone" could also simply mean "work hard to achieve your goals." Marion worked hard all his life to be a great surgeon, just like his father.

The meanings to the phrase, no matter how it is interpreted, relates back to family life, giving the book a "family" theme. 

[Jackson Dwelley]

In the beginning of my reading of "Cutting for Stone," I thought of the title of the book as nothing of importance, but as I continued my reading further I recognized the significance of the title of the book. As there are multiple meanings to the title, I personally believe "cutting for stone" explains the events Marion goes through in his life. He spends his entire life trying to become a surgeon for his real father, Thomas Stone is, who Marion spent his whole life trying to see. His love for his work carried him to the United States where he learned even more than he ever would have at Missing. Marion will continue "cutting for stone" by continuing on with his work. These meanings develop certain themes throughout the book such as brotherhood, betrayal, and perseverance. These themes are seen throughout the book multiple times, including more.

Jackson Dwelley

[Thomas Choonhaurai]

When I first began to read "cutting for stone", I knew the title would likely be related to the character "Thomas Stone" because of his last name. I agree with Sammy that Thomas was "cutting for stone" when he performed surgery on the sister and going against the Hippocratic Oath is what developed an over all theme to the title of the book, but I also believe that this series of event just kick-started the meaning of the title and is carried on by having Marion, Shiva, and Ghosh becoming surgeons and "cutting for Stone." Stone, in this case, being Thomas Stone, giving the book, as Rian said, an overall "Family Theme", not just a constant reference to the broken oath.

[Sophia O'Neal]

"I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom the disease is manifest; I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners, specialists in this art." The Hippocratic oath of surgical ethics was not a mere code among MIssing's physicians, but a symbol of desperation, of void, of needing, and of solace.

In the final moments of Sister Mary Joseph Praise’s life, Thomas Stone abandoned this oath. He operated on her increasingly lifeless body, with no care for reason or ethics. Recklessness, Stone’s hysteria induced procedure, killed Sister. The consequences of abandoning this oath were grave and lethal, creating a burden for the Missing staff to bear in Stone’s absence.

With Missing’s only surgeon having deserted, Ghosh had to fill the position of life saver. Ghosh, a well respected and competent physician, cut as Stone. His job was no longer intestinal repair, but to replace Stone’s surgical genius. Even in the stress of operating on General Mebratu, Ghosh never had a surgery where he cut for stone and abandoned his ethics. But in every surgery he took on, Ghosh cut for Thomas Stone, hoping to recover a lost legacy.

Surrounded by the hospital atmosphere from birth, it was natural for Marion to pursue a medical career. His “father” a surgeon, his “mother” an OB/GYN, Marion was influenced by their love for medicine, but he longed for his biological father and mother. Their impeccable medical history together subconsciously inspired a youthful Marion to aspire to the same greatness.

As Megan had discussed, Marion, a surgeon of his own respect, learned Ghosh’s lesson of “words of comfort” in his internship at Our Lady. He realized “what he is cutting on is not some indestructible stone, but a delicate being with feelings” (Megan).

Cutting for stone takes on a triple meaning of oath,destruction, and motivation. Stone, Ghosh, and Marion all obeyed the oath because it was their duty. But when Stone abandoned his service to the oath, cutting for stone did not merely mean “follow ethical procedure,” but to operate with care and greatness because life is fragile.

[Jessica Irvine]

While reading the novel Cutting for Stone, I was constantly trying to figure out exactly what the importance of the phrase cutting for stone meant. As I continued reading throughout the book I recognized that the phase related to Marion the most as he goes through his life. In the beginning Marion always wanted his real father Thomas Stone to come back. He wanted to be like his father and how he was a surgeon. Once Marion realized Thomas Stone wasn’t coming back he was able to rely on his family at Missing. By Ghosh being a doctor and Hema being a gynecologist they were able to give Marion the knowledge he needed to live up to his dreams.  Ghosh and Hema shaped Marion as a person and was able to teach him the stills to become a surgeon. As Marion moved to the United States he was able to continue “cutting for stone” by carrying on with his work. He wanted to continue the practices from his father and he was able to do that by the help of his loved ones. I also believe that the title had some effect on Ghosh as a character too. Once Thomas Stone left Missing someone had to step up and take his position, which was Ghosh. He was not a qualified enough to do this but he has to take the position. Like what Patrick said “he was cutting in place for stone.” He has to take on the role as being the lead surgeon at Missing hospital. All of these meanings of the title create certain themes that happen throughout the book such as brother hood. With these themes the special moment within this book are created.

[Lana Karajeh]

   When I was handed Cutting for Stone, I did not know what to think; the title was utterly confusing. But, like with all books, I just assumed that the title had a deeper, hidden meaning that one would only discover as they ploughed through the novel. As I began reading, delving deeper and deeper into the story, I got to the part where Marion narrates his parents' jobs. He spoke of how Thomas Stone was a surgeon, and Sister Mary Joseph Praise his faithful assistant. I thought I had finally figured it out, and so early in the novel! I thought "cutting for stone" meant literally cutting for Stone, Thomas Stone. I thought it was referring to the fact that Sister Mary assisted Stone during surgeries; silly, I know. As I kept on reading, and the phrase "cutting for stone" kept popping up, I sadly realized that I had been mistaken.  

   As I read through the scene of Sister Mary's labor, I was impatient, much like the characters in the novel, awaiting Hema's return so she could save the day. I knew Thomas Stone had no experience whatsoever when it came to delivering a baby (or two), or performing a Cesarean section. While he made the quick decision to proceed himself with inadequate experience, I sat there on the edge of my seat, silently shaking my head in horror, urging him to reconsider. He almost killed Shiva in his attempt to save Sister Mary, who herself could not be saved. As I reached Part three of the novel, the Hippocratic Oath helped to clear up some of the confusion. It talked about not "cutting for stone", but leaving the work you do not know how to do to those who do. It clicked that Thomas was cutting for stone when he tried to save his lover; he should not have, but he did, and it proved fatal.

       In some instances, like when Ghosh had to take over as surgeon when Stone fled Missing, cutting for stone is something that must be done, and might not be the worst option. Ghosh was terrified, for he had never operated, nor did he ever wish to. He believed that he should leave surgery to the surgeons; however, when it was clear to him that he had no other choice but to take over as surgeon, he excelled. Cutting for stone ended up being just what they needed to get Missing Hospital back on its feet. These instances helped to develop a theme throughout the book by providing different ways of looking at one phrase. Verghese showed us that cutting for stone could have a negative or a positive effect. No matter what, in the end Marion only benefitted from having both of his fathers cut for stone. He followed in their footsteps and became an amazing surgeon.

 

[David Avery]

Thinking the term, cutting for stone, may have been some sort of medical reference I knew nothing about, I went to the internet and tried to find out its meaning.  I found out the term is a reference to the Hippocratic Oath in which many doctors swear to never operate on someone outside of their field of specialty.  Interestingly, the book title, Cutting For Stone, is referencing the oath which is broken many times throughout the book.  After Thomas Stone leaves Missing, Ghosh is forced to take over as surgeon breaking the oath.  As Sophia O’Neil mentioned, Thomas Stone also broke the oath, trying to deliver Sister Mary Joseph Praise and his own baby even though he is a surgeon, ultimately leading to her death.  I feel like breaking the rules in a sense and doing what has to be done is a common theme throughout the book.  Many of the doctors had to fill in for each other at certain points at Missing hospital, Ghosh illegally operated on a soldier rebelling against the Emperor, and there are many other instances of this theme being present throughout the book.

As Rian pointed out, cutting for stone, could have been a reference to Marion and Shiva’s attempt to find their father.  For whatever reason, Marion and Shiva seemed to look up to their father even pursuing careers in the medical field, like their father did.  Throughout the book, Marion and Shiva indeed seemed to be “cutting for stone.”

In the end “cutting for stone” was a reference to many different themes throughout the book, and despite first glance, was a very appropriate title for this book.

[Jaret Wedow]

The phrase “Cutting for Stone” is much more than just the title in the novel written by Abraham Verghese.  It relates to the Hippocratic Oath, which states, “I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom the disease is manifest; I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners, specialists in this art.”  This Oath means that people should only do what they are capable of, and not try to go above and beyond those limits.  In other words, leave specialized tasks to the professionals.  This meaning of the phrase has very important implications in the book.  One example is when Doctor Stone operates on Sister Mary Joseph Praise without any prior experience in the child birth aspect of surgery.  He ultimately does more harm than good, showing that he should have left the operation to a professional in that field.

As others mentioned in their discussions, Cutting for Stone could also have a literal meaning in this book.  Marion is motivated to become a surgeon by his father’s disappearance.  All throughout his childhood, Marion knows he wants to follow in his father’s footsteps even though he has never seen his father.  In this way, every time Marion performs an operation he is ‘Cutting for Stone’ because Doctor Stone is his motivation to be a surgeon.

Cutting for Stone is a phrase that helps to develop certain themes in Verghese’s novel.  One of these themes is adapting to difficult situations and continuing to thrive during tough times.  After Stone’s disappearance, Missing Hospital was left without a surgeon.  Although this went against the Hippocratic Oath, Ghosh was forced to step up and take the title of lead surgeon at Missing.  Missing continued to thrive as a result of Ghosh adapting to the new conditions and performing surgeries himself.  The title “Cutting for Stone” has many meanings and can only be fully understood if the reader has a deep understanding of the book.

On Monday, August 4, 2014 11:24:35 AM UTC-7, Jed Miller wrote:

Last one: due by midnight of August 11

Discuss the different meanings of the phrase "cutting for stone". Consider how these different meanings help to develop a theme throughout the book.

[Carly Mendisco]

Like many other students before me,  I believe we can all agree that "Cutting For Stone" was a very intricately chosen title for this novel. The title itself served as many hints as to what the book was going to be about. I researched the Hippocratic Oath, which says that a doctor may not perform a surgery that he is incapable of, especially if there is a doctor nearby who will be able to perform it better than the first doctor. This is like the scene of Sister Mary Joseph Praise's birth, and how she could've been saved if a proper doctor were there for her.
   I think the title also relates to the cutting of Thomas Stone's finger. It is a more literal meaning, but I believe that Verghese didn't HAVE to put in that Thomas had cut his own finger off if he didn't want to, but he cleverly did to run with the title of the book.

On Aug 4, 2014 11:24 AM, "Jed Miller" <jed...@gmail.com> wrote:

Last one: due by midnight of August 11

Discuss the different meanings of the phrase "cutting for stone". Consider how these different meanings help to develop a theme throughout the book.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Mr. Miller's DHS AP Literature Class" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to dhs-ap-literature...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/dhs-ap-literature-class/f1eab5ee-bcde-430c-ad8d-f1a8ea5a629e%40googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

[Gagandeep Dhillon]

In Abraham Verghese’s novel Cutting For Stone, the title has many different meanings. In order to comprehend the first theme, one must be familiar with the Hippocratic Oath, physicians take this oath, which says that you can not operate on something in which you are not trained in, if one does operate in procedures they are not trained in, then they are cutting for stone.

Characters such as Thomas, Ghosh, Hema, Shiva, and Marion all relate to the term Cutting For Stone in their own ways. In Thomas Stone’s case, he went out of his specialty while operating on Sister Mary, because he was not a gynecologist, this resulted  in the death of Sister Mary, and the wounding of Shiva. In Ghosh’s case, the term Cutting For Stone relates to him when Thomas Stone Leaves Missing, and he is forced to operate on all of Missings patients even though he is not a surgeon. Therefore, Ghosh was cutting for stone on every patient he operated on. In the case of Hema, her connection to the term Cutting for stone came, as Patrick pointed out, when she was at the Old Lady where Shiva and Marion were both about to undergo surgery, but there was nothing she could do because she was a gynecologist, therefore if she helped with their liver problem, she would be Cutting For Stone. In the case of Shiva, who had never went to medical school, therefore every patient on whom he operated, he would be Cutting For Stone, that is why women with fistula would go to him holding signs saying “Cutting For Stone” page 576.

for Marion, the term is something else, it is a symbol of motivation, because he is cutting for Thomas Stone. This is evident in his dreams of seeing Thomas at the gates of Missing, which when did not happen, made him become a surgeon, thus he cuts for Thomas Stone

[mollie myers]

     Throughout the book I saw cutting for stone as a metaphor for finding the truth. Over and over again we see characters seating for something superficial and finding a deeper meaning. However, before I discuss the characters I'd like to apply this concept to the hippocratic oath, from which this phrase originated. "I will not cut for stone even for patients in whom the disease is manifest; I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners, specialists in this art…" In this promise to only treat the patient you can skillfully treat, I hope that doctors realize that their job requires them not just to fix a problem but to help a fellow human. They must handle the patients life with care by giving them to the most knowledgeable and skillful surgeon. Just as a doctor sees past a problem and to a patient, our characters must often see past their wants and to their needs. 

     Thomas Stone was cutting for stone when he almost severely harmed ShivaMarion because he was focused on Sister Mary's life which he wanted instead of her love which he needed. If he had focused on love, he would have cared for the children, maybe even knowing enough in advance to save both of their lives. Marion Stone was cutting for stone when he waited day after day for his biological father to show up at Missing. He wanted Thomas Stone when what he needed was to recognize a father figure. He found this in Ghosh through his absence and when he came back from jail. 

     These are two examples of what i believe cutting for stone means throughout this book. What we first think we need isn't always what we are really looking for. We must get to the root of a problem, which often causes pain, but it will fix things quicker than if we waste our time cutting for stone. 

[Stefany Pineda]

As many people mentioned already the phrase "cutting for stone" comes from the Hyppocratic Oath that refers to not doing something out of our range of knowledge, to let the experts handle the situation in order to give the patient a better chance of survival, as Avery mentioned already this oath is overlooked several times throughout the novel with Dr.Stone amputating his own finger,the birth of the twins, and so on, but I also think that the title of this novel is meaningful outside of the medical contex. "Cutting for stone" can also mean to do things that are very hard, just like an actual stone, for instance Hema had to cut through the "stone" of being a woman in the medical field, she had to prove her worthiness as a doctor, Sister Mary Joseph Praise had to cut the stone of her secret pregnancy due to her status as a nun, Doctor Stone had to cut the stone that was capturing his true feelings for the Sister Mary. I think that "cutting for stone" means to do something that seems irrational and impossible but nevertheless worth trying

[Alejandro Rosales]

Abraham Verghese used the title Cutting For Stone to instantly hook readers into pondering “what can the title mean and will it give me a better understanding of the book?” I think the title gave readers a little better understanding of just how dedicated Thomas Stone and Marion were with their surgery work. One of the themes I believe that developed was the “surgeon connection” because Marion was fascinated with surgery, and due to his interest of surgery it lead him into meeting one the best known surgeons, his “father” Thomas Stone. Thomas Stone was known in Missing Hospital to be “mysterious… but fast, calm and bold during an intense operation”, and for seven years Operating Theater 3 was his “home.” This is a similarity readers see that Marion had with Our Lady of Perpetual Succour; it was where he was gaining the skills to become a  committed surgeon, and during the Hepatitis B problem Marion had told Deepak that “if I must die, I want to die here… this hospital was special.” These two surgeons show their dedication of surgery through their “fine cuts, surgical knowledge, and their homes” never letting the high pressure get them discouraged.  

[Brandon Roscoe]

     At the beginning of the novel, Cutting for Stone, I did not have any idea what the title meant, but it made me start thinking. At the first part of the book I didn’t truly know what the title was going to men to the book but after I got into it more I figured it out. While reading part one of the novel I suspected that the title had to do something with Thomas Stone, because of the last name, but I wasn't quite sure what it was.  After getting farther in I realized that the title had to do with Marion trying to find his father. Like Noah said the title means that Marion didn't stop at anything to become like his father and meet him. Marion was “cutting” to meet and be like his father. This develops the theme in the book of never giving up, even though Thomas gave up on his kids at the beginning of the novel. Marion had the mindset of never giving up and it is clear as the novel progresses farther and farther until he finally meets his father.

On Monday, August 4, 2014 11:24:35 AM UTC-7, Jed Miller wrote:

Last one: due by midnight of August 11

Discuss the different meanings of the phrase "cutting for stone". Consider how these different meanings help to develop a theme throughout the book.

[jeffrey sagan]

        The tittle of any book is the readers first insight into any book. the title is what peeks a readers interest by giving them a question that can only be answered by reading. This is present in cutting for stone as i personally found the title to interest me. this then raised the question of what does the author mean by the title. This one title phrase also gets interpreated in different ways as the reading of the book unfolds. At first thought the phrase was for when Thomas stone left the kids. I believed then that the title told us the children would look for Thomas. 

        Then as the book progressed and the characters showed no sign of looking for there father the next thing that i connected wit the phrase was when both the Shiva and Marion took interest in the surgical field of medicine. I thought the phrase was to foreshadow there path into the surgical field. this made sense as both there names are stone and both there professions are cutting to repair.

         The last and in my opinion best interpretation is when the brothers go into surgery to be the first successful partial transplant and to save Marion's life. This in composed the phrase fully. They were cutting for stone. They are being cut by there father stone. they are cutting out a piece of a stone brother to give to the other. and they are cutting to save a stone. in my opinion at this pony in the book the title takes on the most meaning as there lives hang in the balance they are finally , after all those years apart, the one stone family. In a sense the almost become ShivaMarionThomas. 

         these are what i believe to be the most prominent reasons as to why the book is called cutting for stone.

[simran dhillon]

Discovering the significance of the phrase "Cutting For Stone" was at first difficult. However, as I dug deeper into the novel, I came upon a reference made to the Hippocratic Oath. The Hippocratic Oath stated "I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom disease is manifest; I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners, specialists in this art." This can be reduced to signify a law, a law that all physicians must abide by. That law being to never treat a patient who lies outside of your specialty, or range of knowledge. However, throughout the novel many characters broke the oath and were “Cutting for Stone” One such example was when Dr. Thomas Stone tried to deliver Shiva and Marion. He clearly went outside of his jurisdiction as a surgeon and the result, a deceased mother and wounded children. There were also multiple other events where characters were “Cutting for Stone” which created a theme of characters breaking the Hippocratic Oath.

Upon reading my classmates responses, I saw that many people believed that Marion was in fact literally cutting for Dr. Thomas Stone, so that he could become a surgeon just how his”father” was. However, I disagree with such statements because as a child Marion had severed all ties with Dr. Thomas Stone and said Stone meant nothing to him, it was Ghosh who became his real father.

[Justin Kemper]

Like most books, titles have a purpose other than giving something a reader can refer to it by. They usually have a deeper meaning than the first information you receive that might contribute to it. Like Lana, when I first started reading, I thought the meaning was literal. Sister Mary Joseph Praise was cutting for stone; meaning assisting him in surgery. But later I learned that it has a another meaning that directly relates to Missing Physicians. "Cutting for Stone" was a Hippocratic oath of surgical ethics, and was a code among Missing's physicians. In the beginning they and I, believed that you should not try to do something that you do not have the knowledge to do. "I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom the disease is manifest; I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners, specialists in this art." In the begging he did fallow his his views and handed sister Mary to Hemlatha. Deep down he knew he was acting irrationally and this was out of his control. For awhile after, until the fourth section, this is all I thought the title meant, but then i started to realize that Marion was progressively becoming more like his father. I realized that his journey to get to where he was; literally with Thomas in New York, and figuratively; how similar he was becoming to his father, both related to the title. They both show Marion's true reason behind what he had been doing all along. He was subconsciously fallowing in his fathers footsteps by becoming a surgeon and going to America.
In the end when Thomas decides to operate on his two sons, and breaks the Hippocratic oath. This made me go back to my original view on the title being based on the oath. I started to think that maybe the moral of the title and story is that sometimes it is beneficial to go outside of your comfort zone. In the end I believe that the title means that Marion was striving to be like his father stone, and the deeper meaning, that though it can end badly, going outside your comfort zone may result in a miracle.

[Chelsea Hagen]

When first assigned the novel, the first idea that popped into my head was cutting some sort of stone, as in a rock. As I read on I realized I was completely wrong.

The Hippocratic Oath states, "I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom the disease is manifest; I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners, specialists in this art".  I realized that Thomas Stone goes against this, by "cutting for stone". When operating on Sister Mary Joseph Praise, he is not the right type of surgeon to operate on her, but still continues to anyway. He did the opposite of what Hippocrates thought was the right thing to do; Hippocrates believed that a task should be done by a physician who is a specialist in the surgery, and Thomas Stone clearly was not suited to operate on Sister Mary Joseph Praise.

I believe that one the meaning of "cutting for stone" is to do what you can with the situation you're in. Thomas Stone desperately wanted Sister to stay alive, and tried to do what he could even if it wasn't the best choice or the right thing to do.

On Monday, August 4, 2014 11:24:35 AM UTC-7, Jed Miller wrote:

[Brandon Barragan]

     In the beginning of Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese Cutting I had no idea what the phrase "cutting for stone" meant. At first I thought it was nothing but a title, but later I found out that it was a Hippocratic Oath from a time when Kidney stones were an epidemic and many surgeons used dirty tools that would infect the patient and kill them. But I believe that "Cutting for stone" means that Marion is trying to  be like his father, Thomas Stone and have a career in medicine. I also think that "cutting for stone" could mean that Marion  perusing a career in medicine in memory of his father instead of trying to be like his father.

[Wesly Tonks]

When I first read the title “Cutting for Stone,” my mind immediately tried to figure out what the title could refer to. After reading the back of the book, I still had not figured out what it could mean. It took me until about page 70 to realize the connection between the last name “Stone,” and the title. Soon after, I realized that Dr. stone was literally cutting for stone during the abortion. I also find it ironic that he did not know who exactly he was cutting for at the time. Even later, it becomes clear that the title relates to the Hippocratic Oath. As Patrick said  “the only time he operated outside of his field of expertise, he almost killed his own sons.”

The title also gives us a clue to the motivation behind Marion, to find out more about his father. For Hema, it is a phrase telling us that while Marion is dying, she cannot do anything to intervene, because of the Hippocratic Oath. And finally, as many others have already pointed out, Ghosh was literally cutting in place of Dr. Stone, even though he was not a surgeon.

[Valerie Quiroz]

     When reading a book, I often search for the significance the title holds and what it may mean, which made me enthusiastic about the question at hand. When the phrase “I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom the disease is manifest; I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners, specialists in this art” appeared in the book it didn’t make sense to me as to what it meant. After googling the phrase, I discovered, as many people above me already had, the phrase to be a Hippocratic Oath taken by new physicians. I believe that this novel was given the title Cutting for Stone for how often the physicians at Missing Hospital “cut for stone” by preforming an operation or task that they were not trained for. The first evidence of cutting for stone is when Thomas Stone is at the operating table with Sister Mary Joseph Praise in labor. He was attempting to “cut for stone” by performing a task out of his comfort zone and one that he was incapable of. To take the phrase more literal, when Hema was performing a cesarean section on Sister she was cutting into the womb for the two Stone brothers. Another way “cutting for stone” can be taken literally is after Thomas Stone flees how Gosh takes over more operations that would have been Thomas’s responsibility, cutting in place of Stone. Gosh taking over operations when he is not a trained surgeon also ties back to the Hippocratic Oath because he does not leave the operation to a specialist of certain operations because there was not one at hand. A theme that is continually seen is desperation, from the attempt with inadequate equipment to save Sister Anjali on the boat all the way to Thomas Stone realizing at Shiva’s death bed, cutting for stone is not always the answer and learning his own limitations. “One shall not operate on the day of a patient’s death”

[Sarah Payne]

Cutting for Stone is a fantastic title for Abraham Verghese's novel, managing to tie in the various themes of medicine, family, and duty that develop throughout the story. While the definition of the term "cutting for stone" never truly changes, the term itself seems to reveal new meanings and connections with every pivot of the plot.

The term originates in the Hippocratic Oath, stating, "I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom the disease is manifest: I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners, specialists in this art." This phrase essentially means that no doctor should ever operate in an area they have very little knowledge of. This theme is presented during the operation and ultimate death of Sister Mary Joseph Praise. Thomas Stone was forced to operate with Hema away, showing that operating out of one's level of experience can prove fatal. This theme is repeated in several other parts of the novel including Genet's facial scars and botched circumcision. The phrase also addresses the overwhelming influence of medicine on the story.

"Cutting for stone" is furthermore a reference to the familial ties between surgeon and assistant, father and son, and brother to brother. Ghosh takes Thomas Stone's place after Sister's death, now "cutting" for him as he becomes Missing's newest surgeon. The theme is repeated when Marion takes Ghosh's place after years of studying and even though he travels to another country, Marion still performs surgery as Ghosh, his real father, would. The theme develops, eventually turning the phrase into a dedication; after his brother's death and sacrifice, Marion understands how to forgive and how to devote his services to helping others. After Shiva's death, Marion "cuts" in honor of him.

The theme of duty is presented multiple times through the entire novel. Just as it is a surgeon's duty to never cut for stone, Ghosh always spoke of the so-called eleventh commandment: thou shalt not operate on the day of a patient's death. This theme comes around again right before Shiva's death. Thomas stone tells Marion that as surgeons it is their duty to let him pass peacefully. Only days before his death, Shiva and Marion carry a silent conversation about their shared liver, proclaiming that they both felt it was their duty to save each other.

[Mallory Waldeck]

     As I started reading the novel, I assumed the title must have something to do with the gifted surgeon introduced in the beginning of the story, Thomas Stone. However, as I further advanced in the book, I found the title to be a small excerpt of the Hippocratic Oath. I interpret the oath to be a promise a medical practitioner makes to the fellow members of his medical community, as well as his future patients, stating that he will not give medical care to a patient requiring attention that he does not have training or knowledge in; he will leave the job to someone who is able to care for the patient in the proper manner.  This concept of refusing to take on a task you are not prepared for seems to be the major theme that recurs constantly throughout the book, whether it is by a medical professional or not. Though I am positive this has nothing to do with Verghese’s original plan while writing the book, I cannot help but connect the theme to the words “Hippocratic” and “Hypocrite.” The plot formed around this group of characters being hypocrites to the Hippocratic Oath they took.       

      While I feel the previous meaning of “cutting for stone” is the most meaningful, I also feel that the title has a lot to do with Marion’s inner feelings towards his father. Growing up with Ghosh as his main father figure, Marion definitely someone to depend on that might as well have been his biological father. I believe, however, that Marion struggled to understand why his true biological father could leave so easily. He always longed for a sense of acceptance and approval by the man he had never me. For this reason, he became so engulfed in the study of medicine, in hopes of impressing his “father.” He was cutting for approval by Thomas Stone.

[Kayla McMillen]

At first glance of the title "Cutting for Stone," I was confused as to what the book would be about. I sort of thought that maybe this would be a book about miners, cutting into mountains for a certain type of stone, but even on the first page of the book, you come to realize that it is medical. So at that point, I assumed the first word of the title, Cutting, would signify cutting with a scalpel on an operation table, but I was still left to wonder what Stone meant. As I read further into the book, I soon found a character named Thomas Stone, when he and Sister Mary Joseph Praise were on the ship on their way to Africa. At that moment, I connected it to Stone in the title. That foreshadowed that his last name would be of extreme significance throughout the entirety of the novel.

Like Carissa said, I interpreted the title to mean that the reason Marion was doing surgery was to carry on his father, Thomas Stone's, legacy. He made a point of trying to succeed where his father had failed before him. Also, like Nikki said, "cutting for stone" is used in the Hippocratic Oath, an oath taken by physicians to promise that they will not try to fix something that they are not capable of, and that they will leave it to the physicians that specialize in that certain area. This ties to the book because Thomas Stone broke that oath when he tried to save Mary on the operating table. He was no gynecologist, and he endangered the twin's lives in the midst of his sadness and confusion.

Overall, I think that "cutting for stone" stands for the step that Marion had to take in order to replace his father as a surgeon.

[Sammi Lyons]

When I first started reading “Cutting For Stone,” I thought the title was referencing Thomas Stone because of his last name being in the title. Reading farther into the book it became clear that “Cutting For Stone” was not directly referring to Thomas Stone but only actions he did or made. What made it clear to me that the title was chosen for that reason is the Hippocratic Oath: “I will not cut fir stone, even for patients in whom the deices is manifest; I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners,specialist in this art…”  that is shown at the beginning of Part Three in the book.

I began to think about the Hippocratic Oath and immediately I thought about when Thomas tried to perform a C-section on Sister Mary Joseph Praise. Thomas was no expert nor specialist in performing the C-section but he tried without any hesitation to the lives he had in his hand; his sons and the mother to his children. Thomas Stone had ‘cut’ the stone. He completely abandoned his two sons and lost the connection that a father and son should have. 

Marion who is the narrator of the book longs to meet his father Thomas Stone, but after he partakes in the medical field he realizes that he no longer has this longing to meet his so called father. I believe that Marion cut the stone that his father left the day of his brother and his birth. “Cutting For Stone” is the wall between Marion and his father that was created the moment Thomas found out he had not only a son, but two.

[Alejandro Sanchez]

The meaning of the phrase “Cutting for stone” is ambiguous in Abraham’s book, which is surprising considering that this is also the title of this novel. At first the meaning to this phrase was a mystery and I had no idea what the title “Cutting for Stone” meant or how it could connect at all with the novel, but after reading the first few chapters I started to wonder if it had anything to do with name of the British surgeon Thomas Stone or any of his sons, Shiva and Marion Stone. Later on in the story we realize that “Cutting for Stone” relates to the Hippocratic Oath which states “I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom the disease is manifest; I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners, specialists in this art.” This means that surgeries should be left to surgeons, not physicians. This is displayed in the book when Ghosh, an internal medicine specialist, becomes Missing hospital’s surgeon after Thomas Stone goes missing.

                But I believe there is a deeper meaning to the phrase “cutting for stone.” I believe that “cutting for stone” may mean to provide a false sense of hope. As the Hippocratic Oath states, one will not cut for stone, they will leave operations to be performed by specialists in the art. This oath is so physicians won’t perform surgeries, because they provide a false hope to the patients and themselves to something that is hopeless. I believe this theme of a false hope towards something that is eminent to fail has been displayed throughout Abraham’s novel: when Thomas Stone attempts to save Sister Mary Joseph Praise; when Marion waits his entire childhood for the return of his biological father, Thomas Stone; when Marion plans out his entire future with Genet as a young boy, and then again when Marion becomes older and wants to reestablish a relationship with Genet once more in America, and I’m sure there are many more places in this novel where this sense of false hope is present.

[Francisco Quintana]

At the start of the book, the title Cutting for Stone is nothing more than a vague title. As the book progresses however, we slowly learn what it really means to “cut for stone”. In the Hippocratic Oath, it states, “I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom the disease is manifest; I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners, specialists in this art”. In reference to the lithologists  who would try to cut out the stones, and sentence their patients to death a day later due to infected knives, I believe that this is trying to express that complicated surgeries should be left to the doctors who actually know what it is they’re doing.

Another interpretation that can be used is Marion’s tireless quest to find his biological father.  Despite the fact that Ghosh was a great father to Marion and Shiva, Marion always hoped one day that Thomas Stone would show up at Missing Hospital.

I also realized that the title itself can concern ambition. To try to achieve your goals no matter what the consequences may be.  An example of this can be Marion Stone himself and how he always longed to find and be like his father. Ever since he was very young, he imagined his father coming to him and telling him how sorry he was for leaving his brother and himself. Marion went through to reunite with his father despite this causing the death of Shiva.

[Sebastian Retana]

The title of Abraham Verghese’s book Cutting for Stone is being taken literal in the novel, like other novels such as All Quiet on the Western Front resembles the peacefulness of the location of the protagonists death at a time and place of horror and death were the torments of war were showing their own faces between two forces. Cutting for stone also resembles the Hippocratic Oath as Jaret quoted “I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom the disease is manifest; I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners, specialists in this art.” The oath instructs people to of only what you are capable of doing, but beyond of what you can do is not a wise action. Some examples include when Dr. Stone tried to operate on Sister Mary Joseph Praise without having any experience on birth making surgeries, he crossed his limit and brought mortal consequences clouding over Theater 3.

            As I said about the title being resembled literally in the novel, just as Jaret, Marion was motivated by his father to become a surgeon, also Ghosh inspired Marion to do better than what he did, every time Marion does surgery he is “Cutting for Stone” because Thomas Stone became his inspiration of becoming a surgeon. At first the meaning of “Cutting for Stone” may seem inconclusive, but as the writer of “Good Readers, Good Writers”, one must read it at least a second time to fully understand it.

[Dillon Page]

The title of Verghese’s novel Cutting For Stone seems to resonate mystery and leads the reader to follow the story carefully, looking for clues and hints of what the author might be suggesting in his labeling. Now, having finished the novel, the mystery seems to be clearer, but still the phrase’s meaning has not solidified.  Perhaps the author did this intentionally, keeping the ambiguity to give strength and a strange sanctity to it. It might also be that the author left it to several definitions because the phrase does in fact encompass all of the conjectures that the leader is led to throughout the book.

            As mentioned by Miss Royuela, the Hippocratic Oath is the most obvious reference to the title, using the phrase as a metaphor for overstepping one’s bounds in surgical knowledge and continuing to operate because of what they believe to be too imminent of a situation to ignore. This carries a dark, almost sense of humor to one of the first scenes in the novel when Thomas Stone attempts to perform the Cartesian section on his lover Sister Mary Joseph Praise. Stone was a calm, cold, and collected surgeon who often had a saying for everything that had to do with surgical safety, he could have easily done this operation on anyone else. It was not the lack of knowledge that prevented him from being successful, but rather the emotional turmoil that the gathering of this knowledge and the ignoring of all relationships in his life that had led to the failure of the operation and the eventual death of Sister Mary. Stone had not overstepped his bounds in knowledge; it was his ability to shut out the emotions related to his patient and to his life by burying himself in his work that he overestimated.

            Throughout the story Marion, the now orphaned son of Stone and Praise, takes interest in topical surgery, and begins to work and study under Missing’s bustling theaters. As he grows up, even though he comes to resent his father for leaving, he becomes, like him, a surgeon. Having worked under Missing, Marion almost seemed to gradually replace his father while he remained in Addis Ababa, thus Marion, in his father’s absence and in the hospital’s need, began cutting for Stone.

            The last most prevalent meaning is revealed throughout the novel and seems to be the main purpose of it. At the beginning Marion describes his child-self questioning the remaining evidence of his mother’s stay at Missing. He wishes to know more of his mother’s life and the man that he was told to be his father. Abraham’s book seems to be all about Marion’s journey in discovering both his father and his and Mary’s disjoined and joined past. Here cutting for stone is better translated as searching for stone. Marion searched as a builder for bedrock, looking for somewhere to base his unexplained existence.  

[Claire Williams]

When first receiving Cutting for Stone, I felt that the title had no significance and was unsure how it was going to relate to the text as the story unraveled.  Even after being introduced to Thomas Stone and understanding his importance as a character, I did not make the connection from his name to the tittle “Cutting for Stone”.  When reaching half way through the book when Doctor Stone was not even being mentioned, a light bulb clicked and I understood the title.

As many other students have said, Cutting for stone derives from the Hippocratic Oath, but I saw other connections as well.  When Hema cuts Marion and Shiva’s heads apart, she is literally cutting them for Doctor Stone to save his children, even though he does not approve.  This act kept the twins alive separately, but leaving them with a special bond.  As time went on and the twins were growing apart, Marion left to go study in America, the country their father lives in.  Every incision that Marion made while in America is symbolic showing that he was following in his father’s footsteps becoming a surgeon, therefor “cutting for stone”.   

[Ehren Engel]

The Hippocratic Oath states, "I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom the disease is manifest; I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners, specialists in this art". This means that a physician is not to perform a surgery outside of their field of expertise, Thomas Stone having ignoring this oat ends up killing Sister Mary Joseph as he tried to perform an operation that he never had done before. As many before have stated, this is one of the first and most obvious relations to the title of Cutting for Stone.

Although, this phrase returns later in the book as Hema follows the oath, as she does not attempt aid Marion as it is outside of her field of expertise and she leaves in the hands of other physicians. And in the case of Ghosh he ignores the oath as he performed surgeries in the place of Stone after he had abandoned Missing, so Ghosh was cutting for stone in the place of Stone. These two opposing ideals could come from Hema’s more direct experience with someone who has broken the oath, as she was present during Stone’s failed operation on Sister.

Themes of responsibility arise from these three situations, as these people take the action that they feel obligated to do so. Stone's attempt to save the woman he love was fueled by the feeling that he was responsible for her pain, Hema felt that as a gynecologist she has a responsibility follow medical practices and leave Marion for the professionals and Ghosh feels he is obligated to help Missing as he replaced the man who deserted his friends and family.

[Ashley LaBass]

When beginning Cutting for Stone, my first thought was that the title had something to do with Thomas Stone.  Later I realized that although that was true, the title has a deeper meaning to it that reveals itself repeatedly throughout the story.  I believe Verghese purposely titled this book Cutting for Stone because of the allusion to the Hippocratic oath doctors take.  The oath basically states, “I will not cut for stone.”  In other words the oath is implying that a doctor will not perform surgery where there is no hope of success.  Verghese frequently mentions the idea of cutting for stone throughout the book, like when Thomas Stone operated on Sister even though he had no hope he could ever succeed.  Even after she passed away, he still continued to operate on her, violating the principle of not cutting for stone.

[Caleb Logan]

     If I believe one thing about the author from reading the book, it is that he want to develop his characters to become real. In doing this he gave his characters different perspectives on the world around them just as characters have in real life. To me the title cutting for stone must be questioned with this thought in mind. Cutting for Stone from whose perspective? Is it cutting for stone himself, Shiva, or Marion?

  Depending upon your answer to that question the title cutting for stone might mean many things. What the title pays homage to is the fact that the characters have different values from the same things. Rather then other novels where all the stories follow the same path and characters have similar perspectives minorly affected  based on personality. Verghese develops an entire world in a sense where everyone follows a different path which merely intersects now and then to show character relationships. Stone cuts with certain criteria,but is haunted by his past relations with a nun which in a sense is a self limiter. Marion's cutting for stone limit is the inhibition that he has of his father always in the shadow of something he feels overshadowed by and abandoned by that great shadow. Shiva is limited by the regrets he has of his brother and the cutting for ston was that pf his liver to solve his own personal torment.

[sierra faulkner]

The first time I read the title "Cutting for Stone" I was not sure what it meant. However as I got ferther into the book I got a better understanding of it. When I read this title now I think of Marion carrying Thomas Stomes legacy of being a great surgeon and proving that he is better by specializing in gynecology.
Throughout the book Ghosh is a fatherly figure to Marion which Thomas stone could not take responsibility for. Therefore Marion's resentment towards Thomas Stone increased; as a result this increased his motivation to become a gynecologist to prove he is better.
Another meaning of the title "Cutting for Stone" comes from the Hippocratic Oath, which states that a doctor can not operate on a patient if he is not specialized in what that patient needs. For example Thomas Stone was not experienced with C-sections but attempted one on Sister Mary anyways. If he would have followed the Hippocratic Oath he would not have performed on her.
Over all the literal meaning of the title comes from the Hippocratic Oath. However if you are talking about the personal intuition of the characters I think it comes from Marion taking stones place.

[Cassidy Blanton]

 I initially began reading Cutting for Stone I was puzzled at the title. As the story progressed, and I was taken through the moving story of Sister Mary Joseph Praise and her death, I thought that the title must pertain to Marion’s father. After all, much of the first sections of the book include a strong sense of yearning to know the father the twins never had; and later we are shown a glimmer of hope when Marion finally is reunited with his elusive parent- hope that somehow a sense of normalcy may return to the lives of the twins. However, the more I read, the more I began to deny this thinking. By the time that Marion meets his father for the first time, he has learned to grow and survive on his own. He has not only been through many of his own trials, but he survived them, even without either of his parents. In mention of their name, Marion says the following: “And finally, reluctantly, almost as an afterthought, but because you cannot escape your destiny, and so that he wouldn’t walk away scot-free, she added our surname, the name of the man who had left the room: Stone.” Marion has become his own person without the assistance of his father; he is a surgeon not for his father, or his friends at missing, or even the memory of his mother- Marion chose his path for himself.

[Baylee Poole]

When I was first handed the novel, Cutting for Stone, I read the back cover to try and get some general information on the book. As I realized that “Stone” was the last name of the narrator, I figured the title did not really resemble anything other than Marion’s own life. As I read through each part in the book, I would continue to question myself if the title had a deeper meaning than what I originally thought. When I reached halfway through part four, I realized that “Cutting for Stone” resembled something much greater than just three words.

Thomas Stone had come late at night to talk to Marion, after Marion made his presence clear to his biological father by opening all the cabinets and doors to Thomas Stone’s apartment. Marion had Thomas tell him everything about his life. During Thomas’s life story, he was describing how he became interested in liver resection. Thomas Stone then developed a research question. “His research question was, how much liver could you cut away and still leave enough behind to sustain life” (512). As I read this sentence, I immediately thought that Thomas Stone resembled Marion’s “liver” in his research question. I thought about how Marion would try “cutting away” Stone, from his mind, as he grew older. Although he may have resented his biological father in the past, Marion would never truly be able to “cut away” Stone completely from his mind because there will always be a part of Stone that “lives” within Marion. Like Sam had mentioned in his response, “Even though Ghosh was an excellent father to Marion and Shiva, Marion hoped one day that Thomas Stone would show up at Missing Hospital.”

[Brandon Divine]

The meaning of the books title is revealed in the later parts of the book when Verghese includes a quote from the Hippocratic Oath, which states, “I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom the disease is manifest; I will leave the operation to be performed by practitioners, specialist in this art…” Cutting for stone is then revealed to be a practice where doctors don't preform on patients with complications that they do not specialize in. From this, we can draw situations throughout this book where this term is directly violated, as well as the symbolic meaning throughout the book.

In Part One, we see a direct violation of the oath when Dr. Stone tries to operate on Sister Mary Joseph Praise when he is clearly not prepared to operate, nor is he a gynecologist, yet proceeds to try anyway, and this eventually leads to the death of Sister Mary Joseph Praise. This is obviously the more direct and obvious violation, but other figurative meanings can be found.

One example is Marion searching for his father throughout the years, despite his life-long absence. He kept looking for traces, even though he had never even met the man.