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

Tom Jokinen author of Curtains is taking on the life an undertaker after living a typical American life. This life was strange and mind blowing but eventually he knew he had to get use to it just like everyone else. He explores the way’s of funerals as well as cremation. There is more to the inside life of an undertaker then one believes there is. Jokinen explains that death and care of dead has become more of an business then anything else.

“We in the funeral service cover the gap. People pay us to keep to ourselves what goes on in there.”(5)

“Fine, I say. But your still putting the body, the emblamed body, into a steel casket, with a rubber gasket in a cathodic bar to keep away rust, and then the works go into a vault. hat are we exatly protecting.”(40)

“I look into the open grave, at the dirt on the lid and the sheaf and dried weat, and I think of what Neil said; The funeral home work very much like the family farm”(73)

When first reading the book; Curtains I was interested in what the life an undertaker would be like and was surprised to hear the real life an undertaker. I was able to visualize the shocking life an undertaker. I enjoyed reading the first section of the book because of the way it was written. It was advantage that the book was written in a way were i felt like I was being told a personal story not just a bunch of facts and historical dates were thrown at me. Even though it was only the first section of the book some of my questions on the care of dead have already been answered, such as; How are bodies treated before we get to see them laying in a casket before a funeral? I am anxious to read the next two sections of the book to further my understanding on the care of the dead.