Death’s Summer Coat

Introduction

Death is an inevitable part of life, yet it remains one of the most challenging and anxiety-inducing subjects for many people. In her book "Death's Summer Coat," Brandy Schillace takes readers on a fascinating journey through the history of human attitudes towards death, exploring how different cultures and time periods have approached this universal experience.

Schillace's work delves into the complex relationship between humans and death, examining how our views on mortality have evolved over time and continue to shape our lives today. From ancient burial practices to modern medical advancements, the book offers a comprehensive look at how we cope with the end of life and remember those who have passed.

The Human Mind and Death

Categorizing the Uncategorizable

One of the fundamental ways humans make sense of the world is through categorization. Our brains are wired to sort and classify everything we encounter, helping us navigate our environment and make quick decisions. This innate ability is so deeply ingrained that even people born blind have the same neural pathways for categorization as those with sight.

However, death presents a unique challenge to our categorizing minds. It's both a singular event and an ongoing process, making it difficult to fit neatly into any one category. This ambiguity can cause anxiety and discomfort, as our brains struggle to make sense of something that defies easy classification.

The Slow March of Time

The concept of death is further complicated by the fact that we are, in a sense, always dying. As we age, our bodies gradually break down, shedding cells and replacing them with new ones. The dust we see floating in sunlight is often composed of dead skin cells, a constant reminder of our mortality.

This ongoing process of decay and renewal makes it challenging to think about death in concrete terms. It's not just a single moment but a continuum that spans our entire lives. This complexity contributes to our tendency to avoid thinking about death when we're healthy and feeling well.

The Concept of a "Good Death"

Historical Perspectives

The idea of a "good death" has been around for centuries, evolving alongside human societies. In ancient times, when life was often short and violent, there was little opportunity to prepare for death. However, as agricultural societies developed and lifespans increased, people began to have more time to consider their mortality and plan for their passing.

By the eighth century BC, the concept of a good death had taken shape. It involved putting one's affairs in order, both in terms of material possessions and spiritual matters. People would use their final years to reflect on their lives, make amends, and prepare themselves for what they believed would come after death.

Modern Interpretations

Today, the idea of a good death still revolves around preparation and closure. Many people express a desire to die at home, surrounded by loved ones, with their affairs in order. This modern interpretation of a good death often includes elements such as:

1. Writing an autobiography or personal history
2. Documenting the final stages of life
3. Spending quality time with family and friends
4. Resolving any lingering conflicts or issues
5. Making end-of-life decisions and arrangements

Unfortunately, the reality of death often falls short of these ideals. While a majority of Americans express a desire for this kind of peaceful passing, only a small percentage can afford the time and resources necessary to achieve it.

The Changing Face of Death in the 19th Century

The Rise of Body Snatching

The 19th century marked a significant shift in attitudes towards death and the human body. As medical science advanced, there was an increasing demand for cadavers to study anatomy. This need led to a disturbing practice known as body snatching or grave robbing.

Body snatching became so prevalent that it spawned a new profession: the resurrectionist. These individuals would dig up freshly buried corpses and sell them to medical schools for dissection. The practice was widespread in both the United Kingdom and the United States, though it often had racist undertones, with the bodies of marginalized groups being targeted more frequently.

Legal and Ethical Implications

The demand for cadavers led to legal changes, such as the UK's Anatomy Act of 1832, which allowed unclaimed bodies of the poor to be used for medical research. However, this did little to stem the tide of illegal body snatching, which continued well into the late 19th century.

This period marked a significant shift in how society viewed the sanctity of death and the human body. The needs of science began to outweigh traditional religious and moral concerns, leading to a more clinical and detached approach to death and human remains.

Modern Medicine and the Blurring of Life and Death

Redefining Death

Advancements in medical technology have dramatically changed our understanding of what constitutes death. In the past, the cessation of heartbeat was considered the definitive sign of death. However, with the advent of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and other life-saving techniques, this definition no longer suffices.

The development of ventilators and other life-support systems has further complicated matters. Patients can now be kept "alive" for extended periods, even when there is little to no brain activity. This has led to new definitions of death based on neurological criteria, but even these are not without controversy.

Ethical Dilemmas

The ability to artificially prolong life has created numerous ethical dilemmas for medical professionals, families, and society at large. Questions arise about when to continue or withdraw life support, how to define quality of life, and who should make these crucial decisions.

These issues have led to high-profile legal battles, such as the case of Jahi McMath, a young girl declared brain-dead but whose family fought to keep her on life support. Such cases highlight the complex intersection of medical science, ethics, and personal beliefs in determining when life truly ends.

Cultural Perspectives on Death and Mourning

Necrophagy and Ritual Consumption

Throughout history, different cultures have developed unique ways of dealing with death and remembering the deceased. One particularly striking example is the practice of necrophagy, or ritual cannibalism, observed in some societies.

The Wari' tribe of the Brazilian rainforest, for instance, practiced a form of funerary cannibalism until the 1960s. Far from being a gruesome or disrespectful act, this ritual was seen as a way to honor the dead and help the living process their grief. The practice involved:

1. Wailing to ward off evil spirits
2. Ritualized dismemberment of the corpse
3. Cooking the edible parts of the body
4. Consumption of the deceased by extended family members
5. Burning of inedible remains

While such practices may seem shocking to modern sensibilities, they offer insights into alternative ways of maintaining connections with the deceased and processing grief.

Lessons for Modern Mourning

Although few would advocate for a return to cannibalistic practices, the intimacy and directness with which some cultures approach death can provide valuable lessons for modern society. Many contemporary funeral practices create a sense of distance between the living and the dead, potentially making it more difficult for people to process their grief.

By examining these historical and cultural practices, we can consider ways to create more meaningful and personal connections with our deceased loved ones. This might involve more hands-on involvement in funeral preparations, creating personalized memorials, or developing new rituals that help us maintain a sense of connection with those we've lost.

Victorian Era: Memento Mori Photography

Capturing the Dead

The Victorian era saw the emergence of a unique and somewhat unsettling practice: memento mori photography. This trend involved taking photographs of recently deceased individuals, often posed as if they were still alive. These images served as keepsakes for grieving families and a way to remember loved ones who had passed.

Memento mori photographs were often the only images a family might have of a deceased relative, particularly in the case of young children who died before having their picture taken. The practice highlights the importance Victorians placed on remembrance and the lengths they would go to preserve the memory of their loved ones.

Symbolism and Denial

These photographs also reveal a complex relationship with death in Victorian society. While they acknowledged the reality of death, they also sought to soften its impact by presenting the deceased in lifelike poses. This duality reflects a growing ambivalence towards death – a recognition of its inevitability coupled with a desire to deny its finality.

Some key aspects of memento mori photography include:

1. Posing the deceased in lifelike positions
2. Including living family members in the photographs
3. Using props to create the illusion of life
4. Retouching images to add the appearance of open eyes

These practices demonstrate the human capacity for denial in the face of death and the desire to maintain a connection with those who have passed.

Modern Memorial Trends

Life Reenactment Funerals

In recent years, there has been a trend towards more personalized and unconventional funeral practices. One striking example is the emergence of life reenactment funerals, where the deceased is displayed in a lifelike pose, often surrounded by objects that were meaningful to them in life.

These funerals can be seen as a modern twist on the Victorian memento mori tradition. They aim to celebrate the individual's life and personality rather than focusing solely on their death. Examples include:

1. A New Orleans woman posed with her favorite beer and cigarettes
2. A boxer positioned as if ready to enter the ring
3. A motorcyclist seated on his beloved bike

While some may find these displays unsettling, they represent an attempt to create a more personal and meaningful farewell to the deceased.

Digital Memorials

The rise of social media has created new ways to remember and memorialize the dead. Facebook, in particular, has become a significant platform for digital memorials, with millions of profiles belonging to deceased users still active.

These digital memorials offer both opportunities and challenges:

1. They provide a space for friends and family to share memories and support each other
2. They allow for ongoing interaction with the deceased's online presence
3. They can make it difficult for some to accept the finality of death
4. They raise questions about digital privacy and the ownership of online content after death

Some platforms have even developed features that allow users to plan for their digital afterlife, such as Facebook's "If I Die" app, which enables users to schedule posthumous messages to their loved ones.

Reflections on Our Relationship with Death

The Value of Confronting Mortality

Throughout history, humans have developed various ways of dealing with death, from ritual cannibalism to Victorian death photography to modern digital memorials. What these diverse practices share is an attempt to make sense of death and maintain connections with those who have passed.

In many ways, contemporary Western society has become more removed from death than ever before. The professionalization of the funeral industry and advancements in medical care have created a distance between most people and the realities of death and dying. While this distance may provide some comfort, it can also make it more difficult to process grief and accept the inevitability of our own mortality.

Lessons from the Past

By examining historical and cultural approaches to death, we can gain valuable insights into alternative ways of confronting our mortality. Some lessons we might draw include:

1. The importance of personal involvement in death rituals
2. The value of maintaining connections with the deceased
3. The potential benefits of more open discussions about death and dying
4. The need for personalized and meaningful ways to remember the dead

While we may not wish to return to practices like necrophagy or memento mori photography, these historical examples can inspire us to develop more thoughtful and intentional approaches to death and mourning in our own lives.

Moving Forward

As medical technology continues to advance and our understanding of death evolves, we will likely face new challenges and ethical dilemmas related to end-of-life care and the definition of death itself. By cultivating a more open and nuanced relationship with death, we may be better equipped to navigate these complex issues.

Some steps individuals and societies can take to develop a healthier relationship with death include:

1. Encouraging open discussions about death and end-of-life preferences
2. Exploring diverse cultural perspectives on death and mourning
3. Creating personalized and meaningful memorial practices
4. Engaging more directly with the process of caring for the dying and the dead
5. Developing educational programs that address death and dying in a comprehensive manner

Conclusion

"Death's Summer Coat" by Brandy Schillace offers a thought-provoking exploration of humanity's complex relationship with death. By examining historical practices, cultural variations, and modern trends, the book challenges readers to reconsider their own attitudes towards mortality and the ways we remember those who have passed.

The journey through time and across cultures reveals that our current approach to death – often characterized by denial and distance – is neither universal nor inevitable. By learning from the diverse ways humans have confronted death throughout history, we can work towards developing more meaningful and supportive practices for dealing with loss and mortality in our own lives.

Ultimately, the book suggests that by facing death more directly and openly, we may be able to live more fully and find greater meaning in our finite existence. As we continue to grapple with the challenges posed by advancing medical technology and changing social norms, the insights offered in "Death's Summer Coat" provide a valuable foundation for reimagining our relationship with death in the 21st century and beyond.