Murdering to dissect

The speaker reflects on the phrase 'we murder to dissect,' emphasizing how individuals dissect living organisms or literary works to understand their intricate parts, often leading to destruction in the process. The speaker shares personal experiences of 'murdering' literature in teaching, comparing it to dissecting a dog or Shakespeare's 'Hamlet,' where the whole is torn apart to comprehend its components. The insight suggests a concern with the destructive nature of analytical processes that seek to understand wholes by breaking them down into pieces.