To say that America is a death-denying society is an understatement. Unlike most cultures that view death as a celebration of life, Americans take it as a time of mourning. Death is a mysterious notion that most Americans love to avoid because we prefer to stray away from anything dismal and gloomy. We discuss the subject infrequently; we get to a point where we believe it does not even occur. We choose to bury the dark concept in the back of our minds so much that we simply look at it as a thought. However, when death strikes a family member or a close friend, we are forced to deal with the unfavorable situation financially and expressively. In regards to
Beetlejuice, Tim Burton flipped the concept of death on its head. Normally in a movie or in life, when a death occurs, people are sent into a state of shock. The atmosphere usually escalates, tears are falling, and hearts are racing. This doesn't seem to be the case in
Beetlejuice. For example, early in the movie, the Maitlands are sent to their deaths; the situation is very comical instead of horrific because a dog stepping off a board caused them to fall into the water and drown. Americans not only fear death, but they fear the idea of what comes after death. In
Beetlejuice, Burton played with idea of an afterlife. For instance, when one dies, it is thought that he or she will go to heaven or hell. In the movie, Burton created a little afterworld that was very similar to normal life. Barbara and Adam Maitland cannot leave their house; however, when they do, they fall into a very colorful afterworld with strange serpent-like creatures traveling through sand. Following the Handbook for the Recently Deceased, the Maitlands construct a door that leads them to an eerie waiting room. It is here where they are attempting to make an appointment with Juno, their caseworker. These few instances reflect Tim Burton’s attempt at making a mockery out of society’s fear of death. He strategically portrayed death in this movie in a way to show us that there is nothing to be afraid of when it comes to dying. We should acknowledge that death is in fact very real, but instead of dodging its existence, we shall embrace it, and live our lives to the fullest.
I love the way you put it. I have heard of a culture that buries, digs up, and reburies their dead parents in order to keep good karma and prosper. They do not show tears when they dig up their deceased parents. They celebrate with music and dance, and they are proud of it. I cannot recall the location of this society, but it does exist. I also agree that in America, we tend to avoid the sad, gloomy and the not knowing of the afterlife. I believe that Beetlejuice is a horror-parody because of the way that Burton portrays something we would typically find horrifying. Death isn’t scary; it’s funny; it’s ironic. The afterlife isn’t floating above clouds, nor is it chains, whips and fire. The afterlife is as boring and frustrating as the live life. Overall, I agree with your argument one hundred percent. The American culture just isn’t ready to accept death.
ReplyDelete~Chrishell L. Lennox :)
Akeem,
ReplyDeleteBecause of experience, we humans are aware that death indeed occurs. However, that is as far as we get, for we cannot possibly have any knowledge about what comes after death. The notion of the afterlife is abstract and perplexing. I think that our doubt about the afterlife is what often leads us into attempting to grasp its “reality”. And it is in this attempt, that we create imaginary worlds for the dead. In many cases, like in those religious “myths”, these worlds are very complex, but nonetheless they are just “theories”. As you have put it in one example, “when one dies, it is thought that he or she will go to heaven or hell”. This Christian concept, which is also commonly an American one, is taken as a religious truth. Therefore, those who believe in this truth will live according to it. I mention this in order to demonstrate that a notion of death, whatever that notion may be, influences our lifestyle; which is one of the things that Burton is portraying in Beetlejuice. Now, referring to the American denial of death, there are several things I would like to say. As I see it, Americans deny death because they are attached to life. This attachment, being materialistic or not, doesn’t accept death. “We choose to bury the dark concept in the back of our minds so much that we simply look at it as a thought”, and so is it that death is sort of ignored. What dazes me here is the irony. First, that people look death as a thought. Second, that they choose to ignore it and not live life to the fullest. And third, that they fear it. Death is a reality and it should be embraced, because if we embrace death then we enjoy life. Some people spend their lives shitting their pants because they are afraid to die: fear of death is pointless because it is fear of the unknown. Burton takes the unknown and invents it; he criticizes this American rejection of death by rejecting death.