My first thoughts in reaction to reading "Behind the Formaldehyde Curtain" by Jessica Mitford were ones of disgust and horror. Sure, the descriptions of the gruesome details were grim, but it was the routine matter of it all and the fact that this process is almost forced upon the grieving families of the deceased which is what really disgusted me. Because of the secretive nature of it and the high moral and financial costs, I am thoroughly against the practices of embalming and restoration. Some of the reasons for the establishment of this morbid practice are: ensuring that the friends and family of the deceased are allowed to move on as painlessly as possible, monetizing the industry of death and the associated niceties, and keeping morticians in business. Certainly, morticians believe in their role as "grief counselors" in that they assist in the process of accepting the loved ones passing, otherwise they would not be able to bring themselves to perform their tasks doubtless. But, becasue they are reluctant to share the details of the embalming process, and they hardly ask permission to start the costly steps, they are obviously in the business to make money on the ignorance and helplessness of their customers.
Of chief importance in the argument against embalming comes the fact that the practice is downright unnatural. The deceased's body is subjected to all sorts of probes, blades, ointments, creams and tools, which all seem to take the dignity away from the dead. In the process they pump the body full of chemicals, and cover it with still more, which is bad for the earth in which the body will slowly decay in. The mortician uses all kinds of tricks which mutilate the corpse into a picture of peacful youth and health even in death, which deceptively alters the body in to something that it is not, and something that the loved ones will remember and take with them. It can change the memories of the deceased into something that isn't the true unaltered form they came into this life with. This may not and isn't always done by the customer's express request, and yet it is the loved one of the customer's that is getting tainted with unnatural chemicals, and it is the customer that gets stuck with the hefty bill. I would never want this done on myself let alone anyone else I know, and I know I would not be alone in this sentiment where there to be full disclosure on the part of the mortician.
Society seems to cover up and propigate this by quantifying the love for the deceased by how expensive the funeral service is and how grand it is, which are both misguided sentiments.
I disagree with your opinion that the corpse is mutilated. I do agree that it is altered, but the corpse is made to look better, and not be all decayed or harmed for the funeral. I totally agree that it is unnatural, and that it creeps me about, but I think, at least from a purely asthetic point of view, embalming makes the funeral easier.
ReplyDeleteThe concept that the body is severely altered after death is correct but calling it unnatural does not seem correct. If altering something with probes blades and tools is considered unnatrual then wouldn't surgery be considered unnatural too? Also morticians should not discuss the grisly details of embalming with the family of the recently departed. The families only want to put their loved one to rest.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with everything you say, but I feel like being contrary for the sake of being contrary. Have you ever considered that someone might want to be embalmed? Today's society places so much emphasis on material wealth, and what money can buy. Isn't it the ultimate sign of successful life to have your family pay inordiante amounts of money over your dead corpse? Of course it is. Not only that, but now your body won't even decay! Your physical form will linger on beneath the earth for eternity! And who wouldn't want that?
ReplyDeleteThe process is only secretive because no one chooses to go and learn about it. I do not agree that it has high moral costs because if no one knows what goes on, how can it have any cost at all? While the mortician does alter the body to make it into something that it is not, at one point the body did indeed used to look like that. I do agree that society does indeed cover this topic up with a hefty rug.
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