Death: Learning to Live What is death? What makes death such an avoided subject? According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, death is defined as: the permanent cessation of vital functions; the end of life. So maybe we fear death and death’s process because the thought of life ending is unbearable or because we know little about the dying process and naturally, as humans, we fear the unknown. These all may be true and in most cases probably are. But if one was to take a look at death and the process and consider the true meaning of that very moment in one’s life, maybe we would view it differently and maybe, just maybe, see life itself in a whole new way?! Marie de Hennezel, in her book Intimate Death defines death as . . . “our life’s culmination, it’s crowning moment and what gives it both sense and worth” (xi). She sheds light on the positive side of death, the part no one thinks about or acknowledges. And she shows us that death can in fact make us see how amazing life can be. In his book, The Body Silent, Robert Murphy shares with us the changes in life and actions of society when faced with the process of death. In our society we think of death … “as if it were shameful and dirty. We see in it only horror; meaninglessness, useless struggle and suffering, an intolerable scandal” (xi). De Hennezel shows us how death is supposed to be seen as a passage to a better place, wherever you believe that place to be, and views the movement toward death as an intimate time, as the last moment of someone’s life. To be able to share this moment with someone is a gift, for you are experiencing all that that person has become, everything in their life has come down to this culminating moment. Many ... ... middle of paper ... ...sn’t a sad story or horrific at all. He lived a long fulfilled life and had an infinite amount of things to show for it, there was nothing to be sad about. While reading De Hennezel this memory really hit me and made me see death how she saw it and how others should too. The dying process is often seen as a grueling one, full of pain and anguish. But De Hennezel shows us, that when supported and surrounded by love it can be an amazing experience. The effect one person can have is amazing and can be quite invigorating. Some would say one’s passion for life is incomparable to that of someone who is dying. Murphy shows us how, when faced with death, one can choose to continue living with passion as he did through his work. Their value of life as well as death is inconceivable and can teach those of us who are alive and healthy, a thing or two about life.
The author of the article “A Call to Service in Ernest Gaines’ A Lesson Before Dying” is Beatrice McKinsey. In McKinsey’s introduction, she stated her thesis statement: “whatever one’s social class, race, or education maybe, we have a purpose or a call to service. Ernest Gaines uses the main characters, Grant and Jefferson, to demonstrate how men can achieve manliness through service” (McKinsey 77). By stating this thesis statement, McKinsey shows her audience that she will be discussing the main characters, as well as their journey to becoming manly. Overall, this is seen as the purpose for her article.
Death is a controversial and sensitive subject. When discussing death, several questions come to mind about what happens in our afterlife, such as: where do you go and what do you see? Emily Dickinson is a poet who explores her curiosity of death and the afterlife through her creative writing ability. She displays different views on death by writing two contrasting poems: one of a softer side and another of a more ridged and scary side. When looking at dissimilar observations of death it can be seen how private and special it is; it is also understood that death is inevitable so coping with it can be taken in different ways. Emily Dickinson’s poems “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” and “I Heard A Fly Buzz When I Died” show both parallel and opposing views on death.
Death is part of the circle of life and it's the end of your time on earth; the end of your time with your family and loved ones. Nobody wants to die, leaving their family and missing the good times your loved ones will have once you pass on. In the Mercury Reader, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross “On the Fear of Death” and Joan Didion “Afterlife” from The Year of Magical Thinking” both share common theses on death and grieving. Didion and Kübler-Ross both explain grieving and dealing with death. Steve Jobs commencement speech for Stanford’s graduation ceremony and through personal experience jumps further into death and how I feel about it. Your time is on earth is limited one day you will die and there are many ways of grieving at the death of a loved one. I believe that the fear of death and the death of a loved one will hold you back from living your own life and the fear of your own death is selfish.
The idea of death is haunting, but death lingers. It surrounds people everywhere; it happens everyday. Yet it is one of the most controversial, complex concepts out there that people struggle with constantly. Thomas Lynch, the author of the essay “Into the Oblivion” addresses the concept of death with such eloquence on the issue. In his essay, Lynch discusses the concept of death with not only the dealing with the body, but with the effects of what happens when a person of our own reality dies. Lynch begins his essay with an example of a woman in the beginning of time who first experiences losing her husband. He talks about how she would react and the possibilities of what she would do and how she responds to him passing. This example carries
Death, or passing over as I prefer to call it, is also a very sacred event and time. Unfortunately, a lot of societies across the world tend to almost scorn and frown upon this very word, which is such a shame, as without death, how can we fully appreciate and live life to the full, well we can’t and this is where I find it hard to believe that it is still seen as a taboo subject, which not many people actually want to talk about, let alone acknowledge?
In our lives, we go through stages of mindset and maturity that naturally coincide with aging. One thing that remains the same, though, through all of these stages, is that eventually, we die; we are completely aware of that as humans. Whether because it’s due to the painful reality that is mortality, our ever-diminishing ability to be wistful and imaginative, or merely the impending coming of the Grim Reaper, our entire lives are, ironic as it is, surrounded by and flooded with death. However, as we grow older, our perception of death changes. It goes from taboo in our young ages to something that begins to surround and eventually consume us as we grow older. Between the poems “For the Anniversary of my Death” by
Literature offers insight on different interpretations of how death can be perceived depending on the environment one is raised in. Perceptions of death depend on where and when you grow up, and your social standing in society. This is conveyed in literature by not only by the time period of the piece of literature, but from the point of view of the reader. Literature reveals different types of scenarios in which death is perceived differently, including questions of racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination.
The stories in this book were great to read. I was expecting to be somewhat depressed by so many stories of death but I was inspired and learned a lot about how to communicate effectively. I was uplifted by the amount of compassion, love and kindness shared during times of grief. It is important to recognize that although people may be days or hours from dying, they are still an individual going through a transition, with unique emotions and sensations. Caregivers have the honor of being a part of families' lives, if only for a short time as they go through this experience with their dying loved one.
A classical point of departure in defining Death, seems to be Life itself. Death is perceived either as a cessation of Life - or as a "transit zone", on the way to a continuation of Life by other means.
There is one thing in this universe that no one can escape, that everyone fears, and makes people who are close to that person miserable, and that is death. Death is the worst thing that can ever happen to a person, and is just as terrible for the people who are close to them. There is an emptiness that comes with the passing of a loved one or someone close. That blankness in the world does something to the people who encompass that person who passed. It changes people, whether it is for better or worse. Death is a part of life and depending on how people are affected can dictate whether it will leave a positive or negative transformation to their life and that conversion happened to me with the passing of my beloved mother, Fran.
Greater levels of unfolding will be revealed in retrospect to life and death and how the two cannot share the same space, or simultaneously exist as one. Furthermore, in relation to the principle of dying the death, a revelation is found by sharing the mind of God unto you. As we know, life and death ca...
Even though dying is a natural part of existence, American culture is unique in the extent to which death is viewed as a taboo topic. Rather than having open discussions, we tend to view death as a feared enemy that can and should be defeated by modern medicine and machines. Our language reflects this battle mentality, we say that people "combat" illnesses, or (in contrast) "fall victim" to them after a "long struggle." Euphemistic language also gives us distance from our discomfort with death, (Grohol, 2013). People who die are "no longer with us", have "passed", gone "to meet their Maker", “bought the farm”, “kicked the bucket", and so on.
The concept of human mortality and how it is dealt with is dependent upon one’s society or culture. For it is the society that has great impact on the individual’s beliefs. Hence, it is also possible for other cultures to influence the people of a different culture on such comprehensions. The primary and traditional way men and women have made dying a less depressing and disturbing idea is though religion. Various religions offer the comforting conception of death as a begining for another life or perhaps a continuation for the former.
Death is something that causes fear in many peoples lives. People will typically try to avoid the conversation of death at all cost. The word itself tends to freak people out. The thought of death is far beyond any living person’s grasp. When people that are living think about the concept of death, their minds go to many different places. Death is a thing that causes pain in peoples lives, but can also be a blessing.
I was very excited to take Death and Dying as a college level course. Firstly, because I have always had a huge interest in death, but it coincides with a fear surrounding it. I love the opportunity to write this paper because I can delve into my own experiences and beliefs around death and dying and perhaps really establish a clear personal perspective and how I can relate to others in a professional setting.