The Last Stop

Cable's beliefs, in the opening paragraph of the story, are the most honest portrayal of how death is treated today. He describes the idea of death as something that is ignored by the living. As the living, we don't like to think of death as being the ending of life. Cable talks about how death is explained to children as "going away". This was very accurate on how death was portrayed to me while I was growing up. My first experience of death was when my uncle passed away. I assumed that when I saw him in the casket I would be able to tell he was dead. My assumption proved to be wrong. My uncle looked as though he was just sleeping and would wake up and ask me what was going on at any moment. Only after watching him being lowered into the ground did it really hit me that he was gone. I agree with the funeral director when he was saying that being buried will always be around never to be completely replaced by cremated. The ability to see the body being laid to rest is such an important step to the grieving process. Another assumption that turns out to be false is that of the casket itself. They are not plain wooden boxes. They are made out of wood, steel, or bronze. I was extremely impressed with Goodbody Mortuaries. The funeral directer was very professional but also had a heart. The way the building is set up makes anyone passing by think that the building is anything but a mortuary. Its pink paint and large clock hides the buildings actual purpose. The decorations and friendly colors of the couches help to relax and bring peace to those inside. I think that Cable did an outstanding job conveying the impression of a funeral home. I felt like I was right there next to him while he walked up the stairs to the massive doors. I shared a majority of the same assumptions with him. His detail and ability to add humor to the idea of death made me shy away from the idea of death and focus on the logistics that death brings. Reading Cable's story will help me write my essay by showing me how to use detail as well as narration to help guide a reader through my story.