Behind the Formaldehyde Curtain by Jessica Mitford

Behind the Formaldehyde is an excerpt from an exposé called The American Way of Death (1963) by Jessica Mitford.  It contains details on the process of embalming, what is done during the process, and what is used during the process.  An example is used to help with the explanation of the process of embalming, which can be defined as forestalling decomposition of a human corpse and making it suitable for public display at a funeral.  The example is used in the attempt to connect to the readers and show them how a deceased human’s body is expensively prepared for a funeral ceremony.  The author greatly details each and every action is taken during the embalming phase from the fixing of tissue, the draining of blood, to the replacement of missing body parts.  The author also mentions the continued restoration process taken post-embalmment.  The author then finishes by explaining how the body is then wheeled to the slumber room where the finishing touches are made to make the cadaver ready for viewership.

            After reading this excerpt, I was indeed impressed on how the author was able to detail each step taken during embalming.  I had to look up what embalming was to get a proper understanding, but after finding that out, I was easily able to get at what the author was trying to get across.  The author’s heavy detail on the many actions taken during the process of embalmment and what was used during really helps one understand how expensive such a process could be.  This perspective is also drawn from the part where the author compares embalming to cosmetic surgery.  Knowing how expensive cosmetic surgery is, helped me to understand the author’s point-of-view on the subject and it aided me in seeing how the author would probably urge people to seek alternatives on how to prepare the deceased for their final farewell.