What Is The Purpose Of Cadavers

At some point in our lives, we all come to realize that death is a part of life. Cultural diversity provides a wide variety of lifestyles and traditions for each of the unique groups of people in our world. Within these different cultures, the rituals associated with death and burial can also be uniquely diverse. Many consider ritualistic traditions that differ from their own to be somewhat strange and often perceive them as unnatural. A prime example would be the burial rituals of the Native American people.

After reading, The Embalming of Mr. Jones by Jessica Mitford, I was in shock about the whole process that happens hour after death. Previously, when I heard about embalming I thought they basically just cleaned the body up and dressed them up for the casket showing, but now that I know what actually happens I’m a little grossed out. The body shouldn’t be changed so much because you want to see them as you last remember not reconstructed due to the embalming. While the bodies are deceased, I can't help but wonder if they are feeling all of this happening. I feel bad for Mr. Jones and others who have been through the process. I can’t even imagine what it is like for the embalmer, and how they can go through with it.

In the essay “The Embalming of Mr. Jones,” (1963), Jessica Mitford is describing a procedure of embalming of a corpse. She writes that people pay a ton of money each year, but “not one in ten thousand has any idea of what actually takes place,” and it is extremely hard to find books and any information about this subject. She assumes that it must be a reason for such secrecy, and may be if people knew more about this procedure, they would not want this service after their death.

Personally, I did not enjoy the book. It didn't get all that interesting until the last couple of chapters. Before that, it spewed facts in my face and lacked an intriguing plot. I learned a lot from this book, but You would be better off reading a science journal, magazine, or website. Otherwise, it was an okay book.

The tone of Mitford’s essay “Behind the Formaldehyde Curtain” reflects her disapproval of the embalming process. To illustrate, she uses harrowing words like “subjected” and “gruesomeness” to convey a message of disgust and unease within the readers. It is good she wrote her essay in a simple and satiric way, so that it is very easy for the common man to read and comprehend it, while the comedy and horrible detail leaves the terrible imagery of the embalming procedures in one’s mind long after reading. Texts like this one, and ones similar to it are very important as society evolves. It would seem that many people would read this and it would greatly influence whether they would want their family members embalmed or even what they would desire

The temples, pyramids, tombs, and religious artifacts left behind all tell us that the Ancient Egyptians believed in the resurrection of the dead. Their belief in immortality was the fundamental driving force behind their religion. “The formulae which were declared to have been recited during the performance of ceremonies were written down and copied for scores of generations, and every pious, well-to-do Egyptian made arrangements that what had been done and said on behalf of Osiris should be done and said for him outside and inside his tomb after his death.” (Liturgy of Funeral Offerings, pg.2) This illustrates just how important the ceremony and the process was to the Egyptians. Their belief in the afterlife and the importance of the ceremonial steps taken to get them there caused them great concern with their own funerals. Today, everyone has an idea of what they would like to do for their own funeral as well. We may follow in the same patterns as our family heritage has done for generations with either a traditional funeral or cremation, or we may have a newer alternative in mind for our self. Even though we may not be preparing for an afterlife, we still have an

The history of ceremonies for care of the dead goes back as far as 60,000 BC when the Neanderthals used flowers and animal antlers to decorate the dead. Embalming originated in 4000 BC with the Egyptians but was uncommon there until 3400 BC. Embalming was first introduced in to the US by Dr. Thomas Holmes (1817-1900)

After reading Stiff, it was surprising to discover that there are so many different ways that cadavers can be used. For example, cadavers are used to see the different stages of decomposition, as test dummies, as compost, and as art. Until I read this book, I thought that you were simply buried or cremated when you die. Further, I

I did actually really like this book. I was not sure if I was going to enjoy it when the project was first assigned, but after reading for a while, I became really interested

Dead?" AlterNet. In this article, Frankie Colmane looks into how dead bodies are treated in the United State even after Mitford's expose of the funeral industry was published. The article takes both a philosophical and scientific issue with the procedure of embalming sighting proven negative effects to human beings and the environment. Colmane shows that even though people are aware of the malfeasance and misappropriations of the funeral industry following pieces like Mitford's, very little has changed. Therefore problems that have been discussed in earlier works should not be forgotten. Rather they should be continually brought up until the issue is solved. During the 1800s, embalming became common practice because the dead family member would lie in state within the home for a period of days or weeks until it would be buried (Colmane 2010). The article shows the duplicity such as when "funeral directors were arguing forcefully against charges that their mediation between the living and the dead translated into social obstruction that barred the stricken from facing death with maturity, realism, and honest" (page 2). This article will be used to illustrate that things have not changed with funereal practices despite the publication of Mitford's essay.

Overall, I did not enjoy reading this book. Since I knew about most of the information being stated in the book, such as Darwin’s theory and global climate change, it was kind of like listening to a lecture of something that you already know a lot about. Also, the fact that this book was straight facts and knowledge didn’t lead me to liking it either. It was just throwing so much knowledge at you that it had you wondered what you had just read after reading just one page. Because of this, the book got confusing and especially boring. Also the book had no structure and was put into chapters that made the reading more confusing. So in conclusion, I would not recommend this

When burying a dead body into the ground there are several processes of decomposition going on that leave out foul odor deep into the ground that can cause diseases spread and completely contaminate the whole area depending on the scope that the cemeteries cover. The effects of these

To embalm means to treat a dead body so as to preserve it, as with chemicals, drugs, or balsams; also, to keep in memory and to cause to remain unchanged. A funeral is a ceremony which is often a time when loved ones can say their final goodbyes and talk about the good times they had with the person who has died. In Egypt, embalmment and funerals are combined to form an ancient custom that seems to blow the minds of many. Egyptians believe that the dead must be treated with great care. They also believe that the way someone lives their life determines how good their afterlife will be. Many difficult techniques were used to preserve the bodies of the dead, proving that the ancient Egyptians were actually quite intelligent. Using these

I personally thought animal farm was a really good book. It was a simple, easy to read story. The analysis of this book is pretty easy to figure out. Animal farm represents

Man, indeed, has always showed respect for the remains of a human being. It is as if there was a tacit agreement between us to pay a particular tribute to a dead person. Funeral constitutes a special opportunity, for the friends and close relatives of the deceased, to show their support to the bereaved family at a moment when they badly need it. It aims mainly at helping the living to adjust after the loss of a loved one.