HW 50 - First Third of Care-of-the-Dead Book Post

Grave Matters: A journey through the modern funeral industry to a natural way of burial
Author: Mark Harris

Precis: The Johnson's are now having to deal with the death of there daughter Jenny. In order to honor there daughter after her death, the choose to make arrangement's at the Fielding Funeral Home. With help from the funeral director, Tom Feilding. during there time of planning there catholic funeral and burial for their daughter, they come to realize that planning for there daughters death has only become about money and business. rather than remembrance.

Quotes: 

"In an effort to further legitimize its profession in the eyes of the public, the funeral industry sometimes refers to embalmers as "derma"- or skin- "surgeons". (pg.15)

"The industrial engine beginning to drive the economy made it possible, mass-producing the trappings of the tasteful funeral that could increasingly be had in the growing marketplace of goods and on a workingman's wages. When it came to elaborating on the simple funeral, capitalism and gentility proved a winning combination."(pg.43)

"For almost a hundred years Americans have been handling the dead over to the care of an industry thats turned the funeral into a too standard, expensive, resource-intensive, and, to many families, sterile act." (pg.47)

"The modern funeral has become so entrenched, so routinized, in fact, that most families believe its all but required when death comes calling. its not."(pg.47)


Analysis: 

Mark Harris approaches his readers with a reality check when it comes to caring for the dead. With the story of a family dealing with the grief and process of having to care for their daughter after she dies. Through the funeral director and the family, the author justify that Death is a industrial business. Through the so called uncaring funeral director, "surgeons" fixing up the body, the costly box(casket) and even the waste produced