Death is a heavy term for most Americans to think of. This mentality comes from the 1700s with the Declaration of Independence. In the Declaration of Independence, the phrase “…life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” is written, displaying three basic rights belonging to all Americans. The first word in that famous phrase is “life.” Death represents the end of life and the end of consciousness. In death, Americans lose one of the basic rights granted to them in the Declaration of Independence. This causes death anathema to appear in American culture. Life should be filled with fun, adventure, and experiences; with death, all of those ambitions end and disappear. This is why Americans refuse to incorporate the reality of death into their lives. By thinking of death, people immediately think of the end, and they begin to think of all of the things they never did. The finality of death is a very difficult concept to fully understand, and Americans are so incredibly wrapped up in the idea of life that it is impossible for Americans to think of the concept of death.
The film Beetlejuice actually does a fantastic job of having the American mindset of denying death. The film shows death as a place where nothing is ever done in a timely fashion. An example of this is during the scenes in which both the Maitlands and Betelguise spend their respective times in the waiting rooms to meet with their afterlife caseworkers. In both situations, both groups receive a number that is decently far from the current number being called. Constantly waiting around all day in order for his or her number to be called is not an ideal situation to anyone nor would anyone want to live his or her life in this fashion. Death is shown to be this boring wasteland that is devoid of the fun and adventure that is found in life.
Another scene in which death is
denied is the scene in which Lydia tells the Maitlands she wants to be dead
like they are. However, the Maitlands vehemently reject this idea, telling
Lydia that death does not make things easier. This rejection of the idea of
death by Maitlands is very typical of the American mindset. The Maitlands have
experienced the difficulties of being dead, i.e. not being able to leave their
house, having to be stuck in the same building for 125 years, etc. The couple
does not want to see Lydia go through the same troubles that they are going
through. This shows the mindset of how Americans view death as an inconvenience
and not something one should want. People should want to live their lives and
enjoy it while it last, not wish for the end so soon.
I like how you incorporate the "life, liberty..." in your post. That added a nice touch and also made me think hard about that idea of we as americans feel that we've lost a basic right when we think about the forthcoming death in everyones life. To be completely honest your post is the only post that has me sitting in deep thought about this, i've never actually sat now and deeply thought about death. In your last paragraph you talk about how the Maitlands try to convince Lydia that death does not make anything easier, however its inevitable so she'll find out sooner or later right?
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DeleteIt is inevitable, however the way I interpreted this scene is that the Maitlands do not want Lydia to find out now about what it is like to be dead. The Maitlands want Lydia to live a full and exciting life where she is not bound by any rules. The Maitlands are given the Handbook for the Recently Deceased, and it is basically a set of rules and limitations about what the Maitlands can do in the afterlife. This restriction is something that most people would hate, and so the Maitlands want Lydia to hold off on the inevitable for as long as possible. This goes along with the whole dislike towards death that Americans feel as well.
DeleteI agree Americans take great pride in their life it is something that has been fought for and it hold such great value to where as Americans do not take it lightly. Not only does it hold value but it contains a great amount of respected history behind it. Life is also taken heavily to Americans because lives were given to have the life of equality, freedom a life of liberty that other citizens from different countries come to gain and/ or experience. Life that to people that are of other countries wish they could experience but cannot afford the opportunity to do so. I greatly agree that Tim Burton original film Beetle juice did an amazing job of manipulating death in what it is an its value. He was quite original in doing so of coming up with different scenarios to making comedic scenes of what he saw what death was and it is after life. I like how you brought up the part how the Barbara and Adam Maitland what you say reject the idea of death and being dead as Lydia wish she was . I thought that Tim Burton let a bit of reality shine through as death was not the best choice
ReplyDelete-Olivia Turnage