Each person has a different story to tell. Our experiences are what make us unique and, just like fingerprints, not one is the same. Where we live, who we see, and what we do and encounter are just some of the things that mold and shape our minds. With these varying experiences come varying points of view. These varying points of view express themselves in numerous interpretations of society, from current events to the written word. For instance, an essay about abolishing the death penalty might be viewed differently from a member of the victim's family and from a strong liberal. Similarly, a piece on the treatment of slaves in the 1800s would mean a lot more to an African American than to a white, upper-class teenager. Thus, to say that all essays have one point of view- that is, just one way to interpret the words on the paper- is to say that all people share the same opinion and the same way of thinking. An essay is open to interpretation, and a good example of this is Jessica Mitford's essay "Behind the Formaldehyde Curtain."" .
Mitford's essay is a selection from her best-selling novel The American Way of Death. The novel is a look into her dissatisfaction with the way Americans treat the deceased, from the prices of funerals to the lack of proper schooling the embalmers received. This selection is specifically about the practice of embalming and what exactly goes on during the process to get the body ready for an open-casket funeral. By "parting the formaldehyde curtain,"" Mitford's descriptions, as gruesome, detailed and sarcastic as they are, serve to shock and horrify those who read them. An example of this is in Mitford's step by step analysis of the embalmer's duties on a "Mr. Jones:- .
The next step is to have at Mr. Jones with a thing called a trocar. This is a long, hollow needle attached to a tube. It is jabbed into the abdomen, poked around the entrails and chest cavity, the contents of which are pumped out and replaced with cavity fluid.
