Jessica Mitford: Behind the Formaldehyde Curtain
Content Advisory: I always warn students about this essay because it contains detailed descriptions of what happens to a dead body when it is embalmed and prepared for viewing. If you are sensitve about this sort of thing, or if you have lost a loved one recently, or if for whatever reason you don't feel up to analyzing this particular essay, you may choose to opt out. There will be other opportunities throughout the semester to recover the lost points.
Note: Your seminar grade will be determined by the quantity of your responses (how many questions you answer and how many other students you respond to) and the quality (how well you demonstrate an understanding of the ideas you're responding to, how detailed your responses are, how coherent and in-depth they are, etc.) |
Directions:
1. Read the essay by Jessica Mitford (please see content advisory above)
2. Answer the following questions with at least one paragraph each. Include quotes and specific references to the text in your answers!
- Your reaction: This essay always provokes a lot of discussion, once the students understand what Mitford is driving at. What was your initial reaction to this essay, and did it change at all after thinking about it?
- Purpose: What is Mitford trying to accomplish with this essay? What effect does she want to have on her readers?
- American Death Ritual: What are the central reasons for the ritual of embalming, according to Mitford? Why is it the most common American death ritual - so common that it's become the default method? What does it imply about our culture's view of death, and the values we hold?
- Mitford’s Attitude: What is Mitford's attitude about this practice? How do you know? Point to specific areas that indicate how she feels about it.
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3. Submit your response to the Assignment Chamber
4. Post your response to at least one of these questions to the Forum by midnight on Monday, February 23 (you choose which one/s you want to post). Please post them in the correct category!
5. Read all the other students' posts.
6. Respond to at least two other student's post (more is better) . You will have until midnight, Monday, March 2 to read and respond to the other students' ideas in the website.
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