HW 47 - Peer Perspectives on the Care of the Dead

Death has always been something I’ve been curious but also confused about. To get a better understanding of death and how society views it I choose to interview a few of my peers. The first person I decided to interview was a close friend who is also 17 but has a completely different religious background. One of the questions I decided to ask him was; “What are your first thoughts when hear the word; death?” He responded; “Funerals and a lot of people who act like they care” I asked him can he elaborate on “a lot of people who act like they care” He said ; “People cry and whine about the death of someone who they hardly or didn't show any affection or love to them when they were alive.” This was very interesting to me because it connects to one of the questions i posted in homework #46; Why do people get more respect and recognition when they are dead? This was also interesting to me because from personal experience, I have witnessed the same thing. Due to his response to my question I will defiantly want to do more research on why people get more respect and recognition when they are dead. I also asked him; “How significant is the care of the body after life?” Due to his beliefs he answered “I don't think it is as important as people think it is because no one will ever know what “the afterlife” is so why put so much effort into burials and funerals.”

The next person I decided to interview was an individual at my internship. He was only a few years older then me but had similar beliefs. I asked him; Which method would you prefer for your body when you pass away? He stated that; “I will like to be cremated because I want to always be with my loved ones I don’t want them going out there way to the cemetery to go talk to a tombstone.” This was fascinating to me because most people want to be buried but he was so confident about what he wanted to do. This lead me to the question; “How significant do you think a “will” is?” He told me; It is extremely important because you no longer have control when you are dead. I am not only living for my self but for my potential family.” He is referring to the his girlfriend and the baby he is about to have with her in a couple of months. I found this response very interesting because it shows how important one person is to other people’s lives. 

My final interview included another friend of mine who also had similar beliefs on the care of the dead. I asked her; “How do you feel about death and how do you feel about the way people are treated after they die” She answered; “ I don't want to die, who does? When it’s my time to go its my time to go.” This was an answer I was planning on getting from someone who also follows the same religion. Throughout my years I’ve noticed that most Catholic and Christian people put there lives in the hands of God and feel that God has a plan for everyone. The following question I asked her was; “How do you feel and act at funerals” She quickly responded; I hate them because I always cry even if I don't know the person well.” I was confused about the last part of her answer so I asked her; why do you always cry? I got a very interesting response; It feels like the right thing to do, everyone is suppose to be sad and mourning.” This was extremely interesting to me because it shows the standards society sets on the care of people after they die. 

After I ended the interview I could not stop thinking about the answer she gave me. I was confused about how people fake their feelings just because they feel “it’s the right thing to do” I found it very interesting that the first person I interviewed didn’t care much about funerals and after life because those are aspects majority of our society feel’s is very significant. From all three of these interviews I learned about how important people’s lives are to others and they also helped me gather and create new critical questions for the unit.