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Publication
Six feet under : a temática da morte nos Estados Unidos da América
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| 5.74 MB | Adobe PDF |
Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
A morte continua a ser uma das realidades mais interpretadas pelas culturas, pelas
religiões e pelas ciências. As atitudes diante do fim da vida continuam a ser reveladas tanto
pela espiritualidade como pelo medo. Os Estados Unidos da América, como nação singular
no seu “way of life”, a partir da Guerra Civil (1861-1865) adoptou posturas e práticas
mortuárias que se conservam até aos dias de hoje, tendo determinado a expansão de uma
indústria funerária e criado um “way of death” único no mundo.
Ao longo da sua história, a sociedade americana tem mudado de forma dramática a
relação com os seus mortos. Nunca deixando de ser uma comunidade em que os vivos e os
mortos se encontram demasiadas vezes, os americanos, talvez por isso mesmo, não abdicam
de procurar uma certa intimidade com o corpo morto. Essa familiaridade, alterada e
substituída gradualmente ao longo desse tempo por fundamentos e acontecimentos culturais,
sociais, políticos, científicos e até tecnológicos, continua a ser uma condição indispensável à
morte. O cinema e a ficção televisiva actuais, contínuos símbolos culturais de quem os
produz, confirmam a excessiva mostragem do cadáver como portador da verdade.
Sendo o embalsamamento a prática mortuária que mais distingue os americanos dos
costumes funerários de outros povos, também é o que legitima a maioria dos seus académicos
a afirmar que a América denuncia uma negação da morte.
Esta dissertação pretende fazer uma análise histórica, social e cultural desse peculiar
“way of death”, reflectindo se os americanos aceitam ou negam a morte mais do que os
outros.
Como obra de referência do nosso estudo elegemos Six Feet Under, uma série de
televisão criada por Alan Ball e como obras literárias de apoio escolhemos Reading Six Feet
Under, uma compilação de ensaios e Rest in Peace, de Gary Laberman
Death continues to be one of the realities more represented by cultures, religions and sciences. When confronted with the end of life attitudes continue to be revealed through mysticism and fear. The United States of America as a nation with a singular way of life, after the Civil War (1861-1865) adopted funerary practices, that are still in use today, and produced the development of a “death care industry” and created a distinct way of death. In the three hundred years of history, American society has changed dramatically its relation with the dead people. Enduring as a community where the living come across the dead frequently, Americans, and maybe as a result of that affinity, claim on enclose a certain intimacy with the corpse. A familiarity that has changed gradually due to cultural, social, political, scientific and even technological arguments and events, but prevail as an indispensable condition when death happens. Current cinema and television, constant cultural symbols from who produce them, persist on exposing the corpse as the container of the truth. Embalming is the mortuary practice that differs Americans from other people’s funerary customs, and it’s also what scholars use to justify their statement that America is a “death denial nation”. This dissertation pretends to do an historical, social and cultural analysis about that peculiar way of death, debating if Americans accept or deny death more than others. s a reference we select Six Feet Under, a television series created by Alan Ball, and to support our study we choose Reading Six Feet Under, a compilation of essays, and Rest in Peace, written by Gary Laderman.
Death continues to be one of the realities more represented by cultures, religions and sciences. When confronted with the end of life attitudes continue to be revealed through mysticism and fear. The United States of America as a nation with a singular way of life, after the Civil War (1861-1865) adopted funerary practices, that are still in use today, and produced the development of a “death care industry” and created a distinct way of death. In the three hundred years of history, American society has changed dramatically its relation with the dead people. Enduring as a community where the living come across the dead frequently, Americans, and maybe as a result of that affinity, claim on enclose a certain intimacy with the corpse. A familiarity that has changed gradually due to cultural, social, political, scientific and even technological arguments and events, but prevail as an indispensable condition when death happens. Current cinema and television, constant cultural symbols from who produce them, persist on exposing the corpse as the container of the truth. Embalming is the mortuary practice that differs Americans from other people’s funerary customs, and it’s also what scholars use to justify their statement that America is a “death denial nation”. This dissertation pretends to do an historical, social and cultural analysis about that peculiar way of death, debating if Americans accept or deny death more than others. s a reference we select Six Feet Under, a television series created by Alan Ball, and to support our study we choose Reading Six Feet Under, a compilation of essays, and Rest in Peace, written by Gary Laderman.
Description
Dissertação de Mestrado em Estudos Americanos apresentada à Universidade Aberta
Keywords
História Sociedade americana Cultura americana Rituais Hábitos Programas de televisão Crença religiosa Grupos étnicos Costumes e tradições Estados Unidos da América