In the beginning of the movie, Harold was playing dead and his mother didn't even care. She completely ignored him. It seemed like he is obsessed death. Harold like to play with death and make up different scenes in front of him mother. It looks like deep down inside he wants to die but he still is alive. Harold is very nonchalant about death and i don't think have any feelings toward it. It doesn't take it seriously. The mother kind of gets upset by the fact that he always does things to make him seem dead. Every time that he plays the different roles he never get a reaction from his mother that he wants. I think that overall he is ignored by his family so he does things to get attention.
Maude and Harold are similar in the way that they are obsessed with death. She is always attending funerals and burials of other people she doesn't know. Later on in the scenes, he rather be alone than with a girlfriend. His mother tries to put him on a date and he just scared her away. Nobody really understands him as a person besides his mother. Maude and Harold both have unique personalities that allow them to get along. I think that Maude believes that everybody dies and you should live your life to have fun. She always stealing people's cars and doing what she wants to live her life to fullest who cares about rules and the regulations.
I think that Maude teaches Harold to let go and enjoy himself because he's so stuck in dying and doing different roles to kill himself, instead of the moment you should live it. Harold mother i think believes that Harold should act age appropriate. The mother doesn't really take death seriously as Harold and Maude do. She doesn't believe in the deeper meaning of it. She is opposite of Harold. She is very materialistic as well. Maude says "the earth is my body, my head is in the stars", i think that she means that we rule the world that you own your body and you wish what ever happens to your body or do what you want. She is very full of life and doesn't think of the bad possibilities just the good ones.
In the movie he said "I haven't lived. I've died a few times". He was saying that he enjoyed being died. He would rather be dead than alive and that is when Maude comes in to brighten up his life because of the negativity he always puts on himself. I think that he doesn't receive enough love or attention from her. There is more to life than dying that is what Maude is trying to teach Harold.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Sunday, May 15, 2011
HW#55 - Culminating Project - Care of the Dead
From the birth unit,i was curious to find out about the birth rituals in India which i found intriguing, so i decide to look in the death rituals in India as well to compare and contrast them as well. In the United States we do the dominant social practices such as cremation and funeral burials. The cremation rate in the U.S is about 37% and the cremation rates in India are 48%. The way that India care for the dead is much different than our typical funeral burial. In the culture of Hinduism, most of the body are cremation that is why the percentage is much higher the U.S. Young children and saints are buried because they are considered pure. They believe that cremation allows the body to leave the body and move unto the next chapter in life. These rituals happen most of time either dusk or dawn. When these cremations are happen they usually happen around the time after the death or as soon as possible.
The process of the funeral ritual is called Antyeshti. After the death/funeral of their loved one, they mourn for another thirteen days. In the process of mourning the family not considered pure. They do not eat certain foods and attend certain religion occasions. In the shraddha ceremony, is a ceremony specifically for male only. " It is intended to nourish, protect, and support the spirits of the dead in their pilgrimage from the lower to higher realms, preceding their reincarnation and reappearance on Earth."
The main part of the ceremony is when they bath the body,dressed in fresh cloth, and bedecked with flowers. This reminds me of the home funerals that we saw in the movie because every person that we saw being buried the family members had dressed them and put lots of flowers around in their casket. After fixing their physical appearances, the Hindus put drops of Ganges water in the person's mouth which comes from the river. They then carry the body to where it will be cremated by doing call and response chanting and singing. The eldest son of the family or oldest child then lights the funeral pyre where the body is burned. To renounce their life it is important to crack the skull so that the soul can move on to the next life. At the end of the ceremony a priest or family member recite something from the scripture in memory of the person who is deceased. ""As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones."After three days have passed the eldest son then picks up the ashes and puts them into the Gange river or any other sacred river.
The 3rd, 5th, 7th or 9th day after the death of the person are important, as all relatives gather to have a meal of the decease's favorite foods. A small amount of the food is offered before their photo and later, it is ceremonially left at an abandoned place, along with a lit diya. The overall message of their ceremony is to show reverence to a deceased person. The death rituals have been increasing from the last year.
In the Hindu culture, they will bring their sick loved ones home with them to die peacefully instead of hospitals. It is Hindu custom for the family to build a shelter and perform a fire ritual (homa) in order to bless nine brass pots and one clay pot. In absence of a shelter a fire is made at home. Relating back to the cremation only men can attend it, women are forbidded.
Unlike our social dominant practices it doesn't seem that money is an issue in India. Everything done during in the ceremony there isn't a money factor that causes the family to have to worry about things. Its all religion based. In the U.S, families are always worried about how much they could afford to pay for a casket for it to be nice and affordable. Caskets, funerals, burials, etc are very expensive where we come from. In India they use their own products and materials to create their own funeral burials.
http://hinduism.iskcon.com/practice/604.htm
http://www.iloveindia.com/indian-traditions/funeral-traditions.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyre
http://www.funeralwise.com/customs/hindu
http://www.funeralwise.com/customs/hindu/beliefs
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
HW#54 - Independent Research B
Growing up in a puerto-rican family, it is very traditional to be catholic and follow all the rules of being baptized for original sin, getting your communion done, and confirmation the main steps of being catholic. As well of all these things is that my family and i believe in heaven and hell and depending your behavior on earth will determine your destination in the afterlife. Reading Luke 14, it relates a lot to my religious background. Jesus was stating that if you give or help someone in need then in contrast you will be rewarded. It says "if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” " If you do good for others in your life then you will go to heaven. It is all about giving back to others and being kind to go to the right place in life living well.
Reading Matthew 5-6, is the same kind of concept that behaving well on earth is the way to life. Also no matter where you come from, there is a place for you in the afterlife. You should always turn the cheek to the person who tries to put you down, in the long run when death comes upon you, you will be free. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." In the catholic culture is it believe that most of the time if you do good in life, then you will succeed later on in heaven. If you betray jesus or do wrong in life then will be sent to hell.
Reading Matthew 5-6, is the same kind of concept that behaving well on earth is the way to life. Also no matter where you come from, there is a place for you in the afterlife. You should always turn the cheek to the person who tries to put you down, in the long run when death comes upon you, you will be free. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." In the catholic culture is it believe that most of the time if you do good in life, then you will succeed later on in heaven. If you betray jesus or do wrong in life then will be sent to hell.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
HW#53 - Independent Research A
Dance, Laugh, Drink. Save the Date: It’s a Ghanaian Funeral. By:Sam Dolnick
Death is being symbolized as a happy moment in life. In the Ghanaian culture they have a big party or celebration for the death of their loved ones. Instead of crying why don't we rejoice this moment in life? They raise money to help out with funeral expenses and overall have a good time.
In the Ghanaian culture they don't see death as a bad thing. They want to spend the time laughing enjoying life like we should. The funerals are portrayed as parties for their culture unlike the social dominant practices we usually are known for. We have sad and people crying at funerals while the Ghanaian are celebrating this death. It said "The parties are a direct import from Ghana, where funerals are world-renowned for their size and extravagance. Coffins there sometimes resemble Mardi Gras floats; an athlete’s might be shaped like a soccer ball, a fisherman’s, like a canoe". This isn't your typical funeral. Different countries take death in many different ways.
The Empty Chair in the Dining Room by Patrick Egan
They talk about death more in the senior housing facilities so they become more comfortable with dying because of their age. They have become less terrified and more accepting to dying.
I find it interesting by the fact they have “Dearly Departed” table where there is a person picture there of who died. The people at the senior homes are being able to cope with their turn of death knowing that it will be coming soon. I believe that since the reason the older people are placed there that is why they bring up death so much. “It helps move away from the notion that these places are just warehouses for the elderly,” said Dr. Schumacher. “It’s a community, and the residents contribute in a lot of ways.” Referring the book that i read "The Curtains" it said that society believes in life after death which kind of reminds me of this article because the people at the homes put so much emphasis on comforting the elderly so they can die happy or not terffied.
As Facebook Users Die, Ghosts Reach Out by Jenna Wortman
Not only does death take place right in front of us but also facebook. People are being allowed to have tribute pages to others who have passed away and to take that person alive even though they are dead. It is kind of like an "afterlife" in the virtual world.
Looking at all three texts, they have all provide a way to grief with death. Facebook has provide a way to keep people alive by having deceased person be recongized for their acknowlegement even though they have passed. It allows other people who have know them to cope with their feelings and see their face everyday with the memories that they have cherished. "But death, of course, is unavoidable, and so Facebook must find a way to integrate it into the social experience online." We as a society i feel make things bigger than what they are already are to have this importance in life if its either death, birth, or afterlife.
Death is being symbolized as a happy moment in life. In the Ghanaian culture they have a big party or celebration for the death of their loved ones. Instead of crying why don't we rejoice this moment in life? They raise money to help out with funeral expenses and overall have a good time.
In the Ghanaian culture they don't see death as a bad thing. They want to spend the time laughing enjoying life like we should. The funerals are portrayed as parties for their culture unlike the social dominant practices we usually are known for. We have sad and people crying at funerals while the Ghanaian are celebrating this death. It said "The parties are a direct import from Ghana, where funerals are world-renowned for their size and extravagance. Coffins there sometimes resemble Mardi Gras floats; an athlete’s might be shaped like a soccer ball, a fisherman’s, like a canoe". This isn't your typical funeral. Different countries take death in many different ways.
The Empty Chair in the Dining Room by Patrick Egan
They talk about death more in the senior housing facilities so they become more comfortable with dying because of their age. They have become less terrified and more accepting to dying.
I find it interesting by the fact they have “Dearly Departed” table where there is a person picture there of who died. The people at the senior homes are being able to cope with their turn of death knowing that it will be coming soon. I believe that since the reason the older people are placed there that is why they bring up death so much. “It helps move away from the notion that these places are just warehouses for the elderly,” said Dr. Schumacher. “It’s a community, and the residents contribute in a lot of ways.” Referring the book that i read "The Curtains" it said that society believes in life after death which kind of reminds me of this article because the people at the homes put so much emphasis on comforting the elderly so they can die happy or not terffied.
As Facebook Users Die, Ghosts Reach Out by Jenna Wortman
Not only does death take place right in front of us but also facebook. People are being allowed to have tribute pages to others who have passed away and to take that person alive even though they are dead. It is kind of like an "afterlife" in the virtual world.
Looking at all three texts, they have all provide a way to grief with death. Facebook has provide a way to keep people alive by having deceased person be recongized for their acknowlegement even though they have passed. It allows other people who have know them to cope with their feelings and see their face everyday with the memories that they have cherished. "But death, of course, is unavoidable, and so Facebook must find a way to integrate it into the social experience online." We as a society i feel make things bigger than what they are already are to have this importance in life if its either death, birth, or afterlife.
HW#52 - Third Third of the COTD Book
Precis
What happens after you died? Is there any life there? Society has been altering the whole life after death situation. We want this as a "forever" thing that is why funeral homes and other death related concepts keep the traditional going. Change how people understand death. Like religion used to do.
Quotes
The point of Fernwood is fantasy, a dream of pushing up giant redwoods from below, feeding them with your own hard-won carbon atoms, the afterlife as compost.
If people will pay a million dollars to be buried in a family mausoleum what will they pay to be buried under a three-hundred-year-old oak tree?
The reason funeral homes cant make a connection with their community is not that the community is scared to talk about death, it's that the funeral home is scared to talk about death. That's why funeral homes embalm people, put make-up on them and pretend they're alive. Here we're very realistic. Dead people should look dead.
Death and destruction made more life possible.
The idea of forever works as a sales tool, but in reality, of course, it's a myth.
I think the funeral industry is ahead of the curve, they're at the level of Disney.
Analysis
After reading the book Curtains, i see death is many different ways now other than the mindset i already had on two things. Everybody wants to believe that there is life after death but we never really knows what happens. I think that one of the reason we go all out for funerals and such things because we believe that there is something besides the human life to prepare us in the after life. This relates back to the birth unit becuase we grew up with all these social norms on how the baby should be born it was c-sections vs. natural and hospital vs. home births. In the death unit it was burying someone vs. cremation and then everything else in between. Both of the units display the the existent of permanence.
What happens after you died? Is there any life there? Society has been altering the whole life after death situation. We want this as a "forever" thing that is why funeral homes and other death related concepts keep the traditional going. Change how people understand death. Like religion used to do.
Quotes
The point of Fernwood is fantasy, a dream of pushing up giant redwoods from below, feeding them with your own hard-won carbon atoms, the afterlife as compost.
If people will pay a million dollars to be buried in a family mausoleum what will they pay to be buried under a three-hundred-year-old oak tree?
The reason funeral homes cant make a connection with their community is not that the community is scared to talk about death, it's that the funeral home is scared to talk about death. That's why funeral homes embalm people, put make-up on them and pretend they're alive. Here we're very realistic. Dead people should look dead.
Death and destruction made more life possible.
The idea of forever works as a sales tool, but in reality, of course, it's a myth.
I think the funeral industry is ahead of the curve, they're at the level of Disney.
Analysis
After reading the book Curtains, i see death is many different ways now other than the mindset i already had on two things. Everybody wants to believe that there is life after death but we never really knows what happens. I think that one of the reason we go all out for funerals and such things because we believe that there is something besides the human life to prepare us in the after life. This relates back to the birth unit becuase we grew up with all these social norms on how the baby should be born it was c-sections vs. natural and hospital vs. home births. In the death unit it was burying someone vs. cremation and then everything else in between. Both of the units display the the existent of permanence.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
HW#51 - Second Third of COTD Book
Precis
I have learned that the undertakers take the dead very seriously. The deceased are being well respect and treated as if they are alive. Everybody has their own conclusion to their death meaning having funerals or cremation. The people working in the business have these different roles in which they play to deal with the affliciton with death. Also we had build a certain wall that with these social norms of dominant practice religion also plays a role as well. The dead is very much respected and worried.
Quotes
1.)Funeral director fatigue syndrome:
Exhaustion and loss of energy
Irritability and impatience
Cynicism and detachment
Feeling of omnipotence and indispensability
2.)We're trained to take care of the body, not sell the product.
3.)We do this for the families, we treat the dead like we'd treat our own fathers and aunts, each ease handled with respect and dignity
4.)The idea that dead bodies, unless they're embalmed or shrink wrapped, pose a health risk is undertaker propaganda Finally, please write an analytical paragraph that BOTH says something either funny or sad about the text AND demonstrates that you really read it and thought about it.
Analytical
While I was reading one part that I found kind of funny was when the narrator and another worker were in a preparation room basically disinfecting the body while listening to music and the woman was having fun doing her job. I thought it was weird but funny. You don't usually people cutting up bodies, taking out organs and what-not while blasting music and lip-syncing the lyrics. It's unheard of to me. The narrator was very new to this environment which I also that was humorous because he didn't know how to react to the situation. There was one part where Neil and his wife were actually dancing during a funeral session that was funny. Since they experience death everyday they just detach themselves and do what they can do to stay happy. It's too natural for them I think.
I have learned that the undertakers take the dead very seriously. The deceased are being well respect and treated as if they are alive. Everybody has their own conclusion to their death meaning having funerals or cremation. The people working in the business have these different roles in which they play to deal with the affliciton with death. Also we had build a certain wall that with these social norms of dominant practice religion also plays a role as well. The dead is very much respected and worried.
Quotes
1.)Funeral director fatigue syndrome:
Exhaustion and loss of energy
Irritability and impatience
Cynicism and detachment
Feeling of omnipotence and indispensability
2.)We're trained to take care of the body, not sell the product.
3.)We do this for the families, we treat the dead like we'd treat our own fathers and aunts, each ease handled with respect and dignity
4.)The idea that dead bodies, unless they're embalmed or shrink wrapped, pose a health risk is undertaker propaganda Finally, please write an analytical paragraph that BOTH says something either funny or sad about the text AND demonstrates that you really read it and thought about it.
Analytical
While I was reading one part that I found kind of funny was when the narrator and another worker were in a preparation room basically disinfecting the body while listening to music and the woman was having fun doing her job. I thought it was weird but funny. You don't usually people cutting up bodies, taking out organs and what-not while blasting music and lip-syncing the lyrics. It's unheard of to me. The narrator was very new to this environment which I also that was humorous because he didn't know how to react to the situation. There was one part where Neil and his wife were actually dancing during a funeral session that was funny. Since they experience death everyday they just detach themselves and do what they can do to stay happy. It's too natural for them I think.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
HW#49 - Comments on Best of Your Break HW
For Bianca,
I thought that you post pulled me in a lot. I liked how you talked about the differences you sister had about cremation to you mother. The lines that stood out to were "cremation doesn’t need to be looked at negatively because “to some people, the body is materialistic while the soul is the essence of the body…Any way of disposing of the dead can be considered a human intervention if someone looks at the way to care for the dead in a way that does not manifest love.” I never thought cremation was considered negativity until i heard you mother's perpective of being as one/whole. I never really thought of it like that. The fact that you mention you didn't want to relive the past but being able to gain insight on the caring of the dead was pretty cool. I feel the same way, you never want to relive the past of deceased people. Overall i thought you post was written well. There weren't any mistakes that i found. Keep it Bianca. I really enjoy reading your post and im not just saying that. :)
For Abdul,
I enjoyed reading your post. One of your questions that i found interesting was "Is it more socially acceptable to have a funeral burial or be cremated, and is that an alternative to the dominant social practices?" I was thinking the same way also how do people in other countries deal with the care of the dead. One of the lines that stood out to me was when you said "My Uncle from my mom's side had just had us go to his house about a month or two before his death so we could help him "clean up" because lots of times when we are young we aren't always told the exact true about death because of our age and how we do not percieve it as children. Just like you i was taught to respect the dead. It's funny how you mention that because if we didn't it's kind of like we have consequences of doing so. I thought that all you questions were well thought out and i hope to find the answers to them as well. Good Job!
Leah
____________________________________________________________________________________
Leah,
I wish I could express more empathy with this post but, I have not had as many care of the dead experiences as you have had. Nonetheless, I admire your courage to describe how you felt while looking at your grandfather's dead body in line 9 of paragraph 1, "Looking at him in the coffin was so unnatural just by the fact it wasn't 'him'. When I visited him in the hospital and saw his body there, it was completely different seeing him all dressed up." I would've have liked your writing much more if you had defined what unnatural was and gave your reasoning for putting the word him in quotation marks. Why was the dead body no longer the the person you once you knew? This is an important question to ask because it puts the reader in perspective on terms of the definitions you establish, which will make your thoughts more concise.
In light of other aspects of your posts, I like the fact that you bring up several interesting questions. However, instead of listing one after another, spend some time focusing on one specific question so your thoughts are more insights than bubbles.
One thing that I must stress is Proofreading. Proofreading will do wonders to writing. Little grammatical errors will do no justice to your writing so, please watch out for those small errors (i.e. basic punctuation, spelling mistakes, and incorrect noun usage) - Clarify who you are talking about in each sentence, "then"is vague when a group of people is not mentioned before the "then." Also, work on your transitions so your writing is more coherent.
Nice work. I hope that you take my feedback to heart and I'll be glad to read your future posts.
Bianca
Leah,
Your most beautiful line was, " Looking at him in the coffin was so unnatural just by the fact it wasn't "him." I know exactly how you feel due to personal experience, I know the undertakes and funeral home people try and do their best to make the dead look as 'alive' as possible, but frankly they just don't get the job done. The lipstick, no movements, the way the skin feels is all so fake. Your post brought up several interesting points and questions which I enjoyed.
As far as improvement goes you definitely should consider proofreading more. It really can make a difference. You should try doing you blog assignments in a word document since their spell check is much better and they catch more things than blogger does.
I will be reading you blogs a lot so I will know if you didn't take my advice seriously. Good job and take advantage of the feedback.
Abdul
I thought that you post pulled me in a lot. I liked how you talked about the differences you sister had about cremation to you mother. The lines that stood out to were "cremation doesn’t need to be looked at negatively because “to some people, the body is materialistic while the soul is the essence of the body…Any way of disposing of the dead can be considered a human intervention if someone looks at the way to care for the dead in a way that does not manifest love.” I never thought cremation was considered negativity until i heard you mother's perpective of being as one/whole. I never really thought of it like that. The fact that you mention you didn't want to relive the past but being able to gain insight on the caring of the dead was pretty cool. I feel the same way, you never want to relive the past of deceased people. Overall i thought you post was written well. There weren't any mistakes that i found. Keep it Bianca. I really enjoy reading your post and im not just saying that. :)
For Abdul,
I enjoyed reading your post. One of your questions that i found interesting was "Is it more socially acceptable to have a funeral burial or be cremated, and is that an alternative to the dominant social practices?" I was thinking the same way also how do people in other countries deal with the care of the dead. One of the lines that stood out to me was when you said "My Uncle from my mom's side had just had us go to his house about a month or two before his death so we could help him "clean up" because lots of times when we are young we aren't always told the exact true about death because of our age and how we do not percieve it as children. Just like you i was taught to respect the dead. It's funny how you mention that because if we didn't it's kind of like we have consequences of doing so. I thought that all you questions were well thought out and i hope to find the answers to them as well. Good Job!
Leah
____________________________________________________________________________________
Leah,
I wish I could express more empathy with this post but, I have not had as many care of the dead experiences as you have had. Nonetheless, I admire your courage to describe how you felt while looking at your grandfather's dead body in line 9 of paragraph 1, "Looking at him in the coffin was so unnatural just by the fact it wasn't 'him'. When I visited him in the hospital and saw his body there, it was completely different seeing him all dressed up." I would've have liked your writing much more if you had defined what unnatural was and gave your reasoning for putting the word him in quotation marks. Why was the dead body no longer the the person you once you knew? This is an important question to ask because it puts the reader in perspective on terms of the definitions you establish, which will make your thoughts more concise.
In light of other aspects of your posts, I like the fact that you bring up several interesting questions. However, instead of listing one after another, spend some time focusing on one specific question so your thoughts are more insights than bubbles.
One thing that I must stress is Proofreading. Proofreading will do wonders to writing. Little grammatical errors will do no justice to your writing so, please watch out for those small errors (i.e. basic punctuation, spelling mistakes, and incorrect noun usage) - Clarify who you are talking about in each sentence, "then"is vague when a group of people is not mentioned before the "then." Also, work on your transitions so your writing is more coherent.
Nice work. I hope that you take my feedback to heart and I'll be glad to read your future posts.
Bianca
Leah,
Your most beautiful line was, " Looking at him in the coffin was so unnatural just by the fact it wasn't "him." I know exactly how you feel due to personal experience, I know the undertakes and funeral home people try and do their best to make the dead look as 'alive' as possible, but frankly they just don't get the job done. The lipstick, no movements, the way the skin feels is all so fake. Your post brought up several interesting points and questions which I enjoyed.
As far as improvement goes you definitely should consider proofreading more. It really can make a difference. You should try doing you blog assignments in a word document since their spell check is much better and they catch more things than blogger does.
I will be reading you blogs a lot so I will know if you didn't take my advice seriously. Good job and take advantage of the feedback.
Abdul
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