Graded Assignment Interrogate an Essay Read: quot;Behind the Formaldehyde Curtain,quot; by Jessica Mitford. Study Questions: What is this piece

Graded Assignment

Interrogate an Essay

Read: "Behind the Formaldehyde Curtain," by Jessica Mitford.

Study Questions: 

1. What is this piece about?

1. How is the piece structured?

1. How would you describe the language of the piece?

1. To whom is the piece addressed?

1. What effect does the piece have on the reader?

1. What is the purpose, or goal, of the piece?

1. Is the piece effective at its goal? Why?

Critical Reading Questions

1. Mitford begins the essay with Hamlet's "Yorick" and then later brings in "Mr. Jones" who is "reposing in the preparation room," waiting to be embalmed. Why does the author use these characters in the essay? Which other rhetorical technique could the author have used?

1. This essay is, in some ways, a process essay, describing how the funeral director has "revamped the corpse to look like a living doll." How does Mitford describe each process and what is her treatment of each stage?

1. Mitford uses humor throughout the selection. Find some examples and explain how the humor balances the grim nature of the topic.

1. Put the problem of the public's sentimentality regarding death into your own words. Do you believe that our culture still is overly sentimental about death or have they become more informed and thus less vulnerable to predatory practices of the funeral industry? 

Assignment Question:

Once you've answered the study and critical reading questions, look at how the critical reading questions are structured. Ask yourself the following questions: What kinds of tasks do they ask you to perform? How do they get you to look deeper at the text? What elements of the text do they ask you to analyze?

Now, reread the essay. As you read, use the critical reading questions as a model to create three of your own questions. They should be analytical questions that can generate a substantial written response.

Pick the question you find the most interesting and complete a one-page, single-spaced response. Be sure to organize your thoughts clearly, present a thesis idea and supporting body paragraphs. Also, include specific evidence from the Mitford text to support your argument.

For this 25-point Assignment, submit your three original questions (worth 5 points) and your essay response (worth 20).

"Behind the Formaldehyde Curtain" by Jessica Mitford

 The drama begins to unfold with the arrival of the corpse at the mortuary.  Alas, poor Yorick! How surprised he would be to see how his counterpart of today is whisked off to a funeral parlor and is in short order painted, rouged, and neatly dressed transformed from a common corpse into a Beautiful Memory Picture. This process is known in the trade as embalming and restorative art, and is so universally employed in the United States and Canada that the funeral director does it routinely, without consulting corpse or kin. He regards as eccentric those few who are hardy enough to suggest that it might be dispensed with. Yet no law requires embalming, no religious doctrine commends it, nor is it dictated by consideration of health, sanitation, or even of personal daintiness. In no part of the world but in Northern America is it widely used. The purpose of embalming is to make the corpse presentable for viewing in a suitably costly container; and here the funeral director routinely, without first consulting the family, prepares the body for public display.  Is all this legal? The processes to which a dead body may be subjected are, after all, to some extent circumscribed by law. In most states, for instance, the signatures of next of kin must be obtained before an autopsy may be performed, before the deceased may be cremated, before the body may be turned over to a medical school for research purpose; or such provision must be made in the descendant's will. In the case of embalming, no such permission is required nor is it even sought. A textbook, The Principles and Practices of Embalming, comments on this: "There is some question regarding the legality of much of what is done within the preparation room." The author points out that it would be most unusual for a responsible member of a bereaved family to instruct the mortician, in so many words, to "embalm" the body of a deceased relative. The very term embalming is so seldom used that the mortician must rely upon custom in the matter. The author concludes that unless the family-specific establishment carries with it an implied permission to go ahead and embalm.  Embalming is indeed a most extraordinary procedure, and one must wonder at the docility of Americans who each year pay hundreds of millions of dollars for its perpetuation, blissfully ignorant of what it is all about, what is done. Not one in ten thousand has any idea of what actually takes place. Books on the subject are extremely hard to come by. They are not to be found in most libraries or bookshops.  In an era when huge television audiences watch surgical operations in the comfort of their living rooms, when, thanks to the animated cartoon, the geography of the digestive system has become familiar territory even to the nursery school set, in a land where the satisfaction of curiosity about almost all matters is a national pastime, the secrecy surrounding embalming can, surely, hardly be attributed to the inherit gruesomeness of the subject. Custom in this regard has within this century suffered a complete reversal. In the early days of American embalming, when it was performed in the home of the deceased, it was almost mandatory for some relative to stay by the embalmer's side and witness the procedure. Today, family members who might wish to be in attendance would certainly be dissuaded by the funeral director. All others, except apprentices, are excluded by law from the preparation room.  A close look at what does actually take place may explain in large measure the undertaker's intractable reticence concerning a procedure that has become his major raison d'etre.2 Is it possible he fears that public information about embalming might lead patrons to wonder if they really want this service? If the funeral men are loath to discuss the subject outside the trade, the reader may, understandably, be equally loath to go on reading at this point. For those who have the stomach for it, let us part the formaldehyde curtain... 

1. Hamlet says this (V.i.184) upon seeing the skull of the court clown he had known as a child. 2. Reason for being.

 The body is first laid out in the undertaker's morgue—or rather, Mr. Jones is reposing in the preparation room—to be readied to bid the world farewell.  The preparation room in any of the better funeral establishments has the tiled and sterile look of a surgery, and indeed the embalmer—restorative artist -  who does his chores there is beginning to adopt the term dermasurgeon (appropriately corrupted by some mortician-writers as "demi-surgeon") to describe his calling. His equipment, consisting of scalpels, scissors, augers, forceps, clamps, needles, pumps, tubes, bowls, and basins, is crudely imitative of the surgeon's, as is his technique, acquired in a nine-or twelve-month post-high-school course in an embalming school. He is supplied by an advanced chemical industry with a bewildering array of fluids, sprays, pastes, oils, powders, creams, to fix or soften tissue, shrink or distend it as needed, dry it here, restore the moisture there. There are cosmetics, waxes, and paints to fill and cover features, even plaster of Paris to replace entire limbs. There are ingenious aids to prop and stabilize the cadaver: a Vari-Pose Head rest, the Edward Arm and Hand Positioner, the Repose Block (to support the shoulders during the embalming), and the Throop Foot Positioner, which resembles an old-fashioned stocks.  Mr. John H. Eckels, president of the Eckels College of Mortuary Science, thus describes the first part of the embalming procedures: "In the hands of a skilled particular, this works may be done in a comparatively short time and without mutilating the body other than by slight incision—so slight that is scarcely would cause serious inconvenience if made upon a living person. It is necessary to remove the blood, and doing this not only helps in the disinfecting, but removes the principal cause of disfiguration due to discoloration."  Another textbook discusses the all-important time element: "The earlier this is done, the better, for every hour that elapses between death and embalming will add to the problems and complications encountered..." Just how soon should one get going on the embalming? The author tells us, "On the basis of such scanty information made available to this profession through its rudimentary and haphazard system of technical research, we must conclude that the best results are to be obtained if the subject is embalmed before life is completely extinct—that is, before cellular death has occurred. In the average case, this would mean within an hour after somatic death." For those who feel that there is something a little rudimentary, not to say haphazard, about this advice, a comforting thought is offered by another writer. Speaking of fears entertained by early days of premature burial, he points out, "One of the effects of embalming by chemical injection, however, has been to dispel fears of live burial." How true; once the blood is removed, chances of live burial are indeed remote.  To return to Mr. Jones, the blood is drained out through the veins and replaced by embalming fluid pumped in through the arteries. As noted in The Principles and Practices of Embalming, "every operator has a favorite injection and drainage point—a fact which becomes a handicap only if he fails or refuses to forsake his favorite when conditions demand it." Typical favorite are the carotid artery, femoral artery, jugular vein, subclavian vein. There are various choices of embalming choices. If Flextone is used, it will produce a "mild, flexible rigidity. The skin retains a velvety softness; the tissue is rubbery and pliable. Ideal for a woman and children." It may be blended with B. and G. Producers Company's Lyf-Lyk tint, which is guaranteed to reproduce "nature's own skin texture...the velvety appearance of living tissue." Suntone comes in three separate tints: Suntan; Special Cosmetic Tint, a pink shade "especially indicated for female subjects"; and Regular Cosmetic Tint, moderately pink.  About three to six gallons of a dyed and perfumed solution of formaldehyde, glycerin, borax, phenol, alcohol, and water is soon circulating through Mr. Jones, whose mouth has been

sewn together with a "needle directed upward between the upper lip and the gum and brought out through the left nostril," with the corners raised slightly "for a more pleasant expression." If he should be bucktoothed, his teeth are cleaned with Bon Ami and coated with colorless nail polish. His eyes, meanwhile, are closed with flesh-tinted eye caps and eye cement.  The next stop is to have at Mr. Jones with a thing called a trocar. This is a long, hollow needle attached to a tube. It is jabbed into the abdomen, poked around the entrails and chest cavity, the contents of which are pumped out and replaced with "cavity fluid." This done, and the whole in the abdomen sewn up, Mr. Jones's face is heavily creamed (to protect the skin from burns which may be caused by leakage of the chemicals), and he is covered with a sheet and left unmolested for a while. But not for long—there is more, much more, in store for him. He has been embalmed, not yet restored, and the best time to start the restorative work is eight to ten hours after embalming, when the tissues have become firm and dry.  The object of all this attention to the corpse, it must be remembered, is to make it presentable for viewing in attitude of healthy repose. "Our customs require the presentation of our dead in the semblance of normality...unarmed by the ravages of illness, disease, or mutilation," says Mr. J. Sheridan Mayer in his Restorative Art. This is rather a large order since few people die in the full bloom of health, unravaged by illness and unmarked by some disfigurement. The funeral industry is equal to the challenge: "In some cases the gruesome appearance of a mutilated or disease-ridden subject may be quite discouraging. The task of restoration may seem impossible and shake the confidence of the embalmer. This is the time for intestinal fortitude and determination. Once the formative work is begun and affected tissues are cleaned and removed, all doubts of success vanish. It is surprising and gratifying to discover the results which may be obtained."  The embalmer, having allowed an appropriate interval to elapse, returns to the attack, but now he brings into play the skills and equipment of sculptor and cosmetician. Is a hand missing? Casting one in the plaster of Paris is a simple matter. "For replacement purposes, only a cast of the back of the hand is necessary; this is within the ability of average operator and is quite adequate." If a lip or two, a nose, or an ear should be missing, the embalmer has at hand a variety of restorative waxes with which to model replacements. Pores and skins textures are simulated by stippling with a little brush, and over this cosmetics are laid on. Head off? Decapitation cases are rather routinely handled. Ragged edges are trimmed, and head joined to torso with a series of splints, wires, and sutures. It is a good idea to have a little something at the neck—a scarf or a high collar—when times of viewing come. Swollen mouth? Cut out tissue as needed from inside the lips. If too much is removed, the surface contour can be easily restored by padding with cotton. Swollen necks and cheeks are reduced by removing tissue through vertical incisions made down each side of the neck. "When the deceased is casketed, the pillow will hide the suture incisions...as an extra precaution against leakage, the suture may be painted with liquid sealer."  The opposite condition is more likely to present itself—that of emaciation. His hypodermic syringe now loaded with massage cream, the embalmer seeks out and fills the hallowed and sunken areas by injection. In this procedure the backs of the hands and fingers and the under-chain area should not be neglected.  Positioning the lips is a problem that recurrently challenges the ingenuity of the embalmer. Closed too tightly, they tend to give a stern, even disapproving expression. Ideally, embalmers feel, the lips should give the impression of being ever so slightly parted, the upper lip protruding slightly for a more youthful appearance. This takes some engineering, however, as the

lips tend to drift apart. Lip drift can sometimes be remedied by pushing one or two straight pins through the inner margin of the lower lip and then inserting them between the two front upper teeth. If Mr. Jones happens to have no teeth, the pins can just as easily be anchored in his Armstrong Face Former and Denture replacer. Another method to maintain lip closure is to dislocate the lower jaw, which is then held in its new position by a wire run through holes which have been drilled through the upper and lower jaws at the midline. As the French are fond of saying, il faut souffrir pour etre belle. 3 If Mr. Jones has died of jaundice, the embalming fluid will very likely turn him green. Does this deter the embalmer? Not if he has intestinal fortitude. Masking pastes and cosmetics are heavily laid on, burial garments and caskets interiors are color-correlated with particular care, and Jones is displayed beneath rose-colored lights. Friends will say, "How well he looks." Death by carbon monoxide, on the other hand, can be a rather a good thing from the embalmer's viewpoint: "One advantage is the fact that this type of discoloration is an exaggerated form of the natural pink coloration." This is nice because the healthy glow is already present and needs but little attention.  The patching and filling completed, Mr. Jones is now shaved, washed, and dressed. Cream-based cosmetics, available in pink, flesh, suntan, brunette, and blond, are applied to his hands and face, his hair is shampooed and combed (and, in the case of Mrs. Jones, set), his hands manicured. For the horny-handed son of toil special care must be taken; cream should be applied to remove ingrained grime, and the nails cleaned. "If he were not in the habit of having them manicured in life, trimmed and shaping is advised for better appearance—never questioned by kin." Jones is now ready for casketing (this is the present particles of the verb "to casket"). In this operation his right shoulder should be depressed slightly "to turn the body a bit to the right and soften the appearance of lying flat on the back." Positioning the hands is the matter of importance, and special rubber positioning blocks may be used. The hands should be cupped slightly for a more lifelike, relaxed appearance. Proper placement of the body requires a delicate sense of balance. It should lie as high as possible in the casket, yet not so high that the lid, when lowered, will hit the nose. On the other hand, we are cautioned, placing the body too low "creates the impression that the body is in a box."  Jones is next wheeled into the appointed slumber room where a few last touches may be added—his favorite pipe placed in his hand or, if he was a great reader, a book propped into position. (In the case of little Master Jones a Teddy bear may be clutched.) Here he will hold open house for a few days, visiting hours 10 A.M. to 9 P.M.  All now being in readiness, the funeral director calls a staff conference to make sure that each assistant knows his precise duties Mr. Wilber Kriege writes: "This makes your staff feel that they are a part of the team, with a definite assignment that must be properly carried out if the whole plan is to succeed. You never hear of the football coach who failed to talk to his entire team before they go on the field. They have drilled on the plays they are to execute for hours and days, and yet the successful coach knows the importance of making even the bench warming third-string substitute feel that he is important if the game is to be won." The winning of this game is predicated upon glass-smooth handling of the logistics. The funeral director has notified the pallbearers whose names were furnished by the family, has arranged for the presence of clergyman, organist, and soloist, has provided transportation for everybody, has organized and listed the flowers sent by friends. In Psychology of Funeral Service Mr. Edward A. Martin points out, "He may not always do as much as the family thinks he is doing, but it is his helpful guidance that they appreciate in knowing they are proceeding as they should...The important

3. It is necessary to suffer to be beautiful.

thing is how well his services can be used to make the family believe they are giving unlimited expression to their owner sentiment."  The religious service may be held in a church or in the chapel of the funeral home; the funeral director vastly prefers the latter arrangement, for not only is it more convenient for him but it affords him the opportunity to show off his beautiful facilities to the gathered mourners. After the clergyman has had his say, the mourners queue up to file past the casket for a last look at the deceased. The family is never asked whether they want an open-casket ceremony; in the absence of their instruction to the contrary, this is taken for granted. Consequently well over 90 per cent of all American funerals feature the open casket—a custom unknown in other parts of the world. Foreigners are astonished by it. An English woman living in San Francisco described her reaction in a letter to the writer: 

 I myself have attended only one funeral here—that of an elderly fellow worker of   mine. After the service I could not understand why everyone was walking toward   the coffin (sorry, I mean casket), but thought I had better follow the crowd. It   shook me rigid to get there and find the casket open and poor old Oscar lying   there in his brown tweed suit, wearing a suntan makeup and just the wrong shade   of lipstick. If I had not been extremely fond of the old boy, I have a horrible   feeling that I might giggled. Then and there I decided that I could never face   another American funeral—even dead. 

 The casket (which has been resting throughout the service on a Classic Beauty Ultra Metal Casket Bier) is now transferred by a hydraulically operated device called Porto-lift to a balloon-tired, Glide Easy casket carriage, which wheels it to yet another conveyance, the Cadillac Funeral Coach. This may be lavender, cream, light green—anything but black. Interiors, of course, are color-correlated, "for the man who cannot stop short of perfection."  At graveside, the casket is lowered into the earth. This office, once the prerogative of friends of the deceased, is now performed by a patented mechanical lowering device. A "Lifetime Green" artificial grass mat is at the ready to conceal the sere earth, and overhead, to conceal the sky, is a portable Sterile Chapel Tent ("resists the intense heat and humidity of summer and the terrific storms of winter...available in Silver Gray, Rose, or Evergreen"). Now is the time for the ritual scattering of earth over the coffin, as the solemn words "earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust" are pronounced by the officiating cleric. This can today be accomplished "with a mere flick of the wrist with the Gordon Leak-Proof Earth Dispenser. No grasping of a handful of dirt, no soiled fingers. Simple, dignified, beautiful, reverent! The modern way! The Gordon Leak-Proof Earth Dispenser (at $5) is of nickel-planted brass construction. It is not only "attractive to the eye and long wearing"; it is also "one of the 'tools' for building better public relations" if presented as "an appropriate non-commercial gift" to the clergyman. It is shaped something like a saltshaker.  Untouched by human hand, the coffin and the earth are now united.  It is in the function of directing the participating through this maze of gadgetry that the funeral director has assigned to himself his relatively new role of "grief therapist." He has relieved the family of every detail, he has revamped the corpse to look like a living doll, he has arranged for it to nap for a few days in a slumber room, he has put on a well-oiled performance in which the concept of death has played no part whatsoever—unless it was inconsiderately mentioned by the clergymen who conducted the religious service. He has done everything in his

power to make the funeral a real pleasure for everybody concerned. He and his team have given their all to score an upset victory over death.