Annotated Bibliography: “Behind the Formaldehyde Curtain”

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Annotated Bibliography: “Behind the Formaldehyde Curtain”

Mitford, J., (2000), “The American Way of Death Revisited”, New York: Vintage Books. Retrieved from: http://www.amazon.com/American-Way-Death-Revisited/dp/0679771867

First published in 1963, by Simon and Schuster in New York, this book by Jessica Mitford discusses the American culture of embalming with rich satire and sarcasm. The author captivates the reader with her witty and humorous style of addressing a very serious and grim issue such as embalming. This book will be useful to understand the background about the culture that prevailed in the 1900's. The author discusses the gruesome ways in how a dead body is treated like a doll and something the funeral director feels proud of. She also thoroughly discusses the funeral industry in detail. The irony and satire she uses to address this serious issue is certainly remarkable. Moreover, the book discusses the cleverness of the funeral industry, where the undertaker (previously known as the funeral director), used to be well aware of the income of each household. Consequently, he would decide the amount of money he would demand for the funeral services. This book will help support the argument under discussion as it highlights the funeral industry well in detail.

Pike, S. M. (2005),”Book Reviews”, Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Oxford University Press, p. 245. Retrieved from: http://jaar.oxfordjournals.org.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/content/73/4/1231.full.pdf

Sarah M. Pike discusses in her book review how Americans in the twentieth century considered death not as an end but a displacement of the dead from everyday world of the living as discussed by (Garry Laderman, 2003), in his book “Rest in Peace: A Cultural History of Death and the Funeral Home in Twentieth-Century America”. Pike takes different books that discuss this American culture of embalming. She mentions that the funeral director is a heartless person who is full of confidence about his work. He makes the body beautiful and presentable for the attendees. Landerman in his book discusses the widespread funeral corporations and how funeral houses have adapted to changes with time. He has portrayed the funeral director as someone who has to fulfill his liability. This source will help to analyze American history on embalming and how Americans treated the dead body; it was like the center of attention, visible for all the attendees of the funeral.

Schvaneveldt, J. D. (1989), “Remembering at Death: Funeral and Related Rituals”, Utah State University. Retrieved from: http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/FL_245.pdf

Jay D. Scvaneveldt, in his paper discusses the various post-death rituals in the American culture. The concept of hiring professionals for funeral services and rituals was initiated after the Civil War. According to him, embalming was popular in American culture. The paper also discusses the changes that occurred in the terminologies used for embalming; such as the new termed for the dead body he mentions in his essay is “loved one”. Although this paper is from two decades ago, it fits well with Mitford's essay as it was written in the same era, in late 1970's. In relation to Laderman's book, “Rest in ...