Homework #51: Second Third of The American Way of Death Revisited

Precis

Cremation in itself, while believed to be considerably cheaper than a funeral, can too rack up expenses due to the advertising of the funeral directors towards an accompanying funeral. In order to understand the funeral business, the wants of the people must be addressed. Presidents and other high officials generally choose to opt out of modern America’s rituals around death, while their requests have not always been met. However to achieve a full grasp of the subject, the history of the death industry must be taken into account, as the modern American customs are not deeply rooted in history, instead coming abruptly in the 20^th century.

Quotes

“There is a museum in Chicago containing an exhibit of hatching chicks; the unhatched eggs are in one compartment, those barely chipped in another, next the emerging baby chicks, and finally the fully hatched fledglings. The Forest Lawn scene is vaguely reminiscent of that exhibit. Here is a grass-green tarpaulin unobtrusively thrown over the blocked-out mound of earth removed to ready a grave site for a newcomer. Near it is a brilliant quilt of mixed orchids, gardenias, roses, and lilies of the valley, signifying a very recent funeral. Farther on, gardeners are shoveling away the faded remains of a similar floral display, possibly three or more days old,” (p. 103).

“The Memorial Impulse is a primary urge founded in man’s biological nature, and it gives rise to the desire to build (as one might have already guessed) memorials. It is also an indispensable factor in the growth of any civilization,” (p. 110).

“Cremation is not an end in itself, but the process which prepares the human remains for inurnment in a beautiful and everlasting memorial,” (p. 111).

“ ‘All of them ought to be [cremated], for earth burial, a horrible practice, will some day be prohibited by law, not only because it is hideously unaesthetic, but because the dead would crowd the living off the earth if it could be carried out to its end of preserving our bodies for their resurrection on an imaginary day of judgment,’” (p. 113).

“They feel that it is pagan rather than Christian to focus attention on the corpse,” (p. 137).

Analytical Paragraph

            While sometimes hard to believe, especially with the amount of apocalyptic theories circulating, this world may one day be the ancient civilization dug up and analyzed. At this time, the graves of ancestors are unearthed and examined, shedding light on the intricate lives of those before modern times. The structures that used to build their cities scarcely exist, leaving only the people and the possessions with which they were buried. These discoveries are fascinating, opening up an entire other world. It brings the question, what will this society look like when it is dug up? Mitford herself gives her own opinion, “They might rashly conclude that twentieth-century America was a nation of abjectly imitative conformists, devoted to machine-made gadgetry and mass-produced art of a debased quality...” (p. 139). The current funeral industry creates a monotonous stance around illness and dying. Everyone is to receive the same, however of course paying more depending on their financial standings. The American society will not be portrayed as unique, but instead each person will blend in with the other, sacrificing any ounce of individuality. But maybe America will look unique and different, for the civilization examining it will be even more monotonous. Perhaps America’s own current examination of previous cultures is also skewed. They only seem so rich because America does not find its own culture rich. Are the funeral practices of a culture even a valid way to define the actual value of lives within it? When it does come down to it, everyone will become bones or ashes, only the casket to speak for them. Maybe it is then important, to put so much effort into choosing a casket, as it will be the most intact remainder of life.