Behind The Formaldehyde Curtain Analysis

Aniya Martinez

Mrs. sims

Composition/writing for fiction

Summary of Behind the Formaldehyde Curtain

In Jessica Mitford’s “Behind the Formaldehyde Curtain”, many issues involving the embalming of the dead are raised. The author doesn’t agree to what is done to the body after death. She argues most of the traditional funeral practices in the modern American society like the “open casket” funerals are not worth the amount of disrespect to the dead..The author reveals to the audience information involving the legality of embalming, the moral ethics of it, and what actually goes on behind the scenes of the entire funeral process. The author discusses the fact that many people don’t know that their loved ones are being embalmed, let alone what that even truly means or consist
The author reveals to us secrets that surround the entire embalming process. The author's opinion on embalming is clear, she believes that if people are aware of what happens behind the curtains they will be totally opposed to the process. This then will reduce how much money the funeral industry gets. The author mentions that there is no law that requires embalming to happen, no rule at all that states if this process should or should not happen. The ethics of whether consent should be needed for embalming like how consent is needed for an autopsy or for science research purposes is still a big issue. The author quotes from a textbook, The principles and practices of Embalming, to show how some may think on this topic. Many people involved in the embalming process agrees that if the family does not state otherwise, the entrusted funeral service will use implied permission and embalm. The author then begins to enlighten the reader with a very detailed description on what the embalming process consists of and then goes into the debate of whether it is morally right or