"How does one go about dying?" the poet Franz Wright asked. "The world is filled with people / Who have never died." For a matter so inevitable, which the best minds of every generation have tackled, a good death seems increasingly out of reach. As modern medicine racks up victories to ensure healthier and longer lives, a quieter, darker parallel story is emerging in even our finest hospitals: people die anxious and in pain, pursuing long-shot treatments instead of comfort. Why is dying so difficult and how can we make death a better experience for others, and ultimately ourselves? This course examines notions of identity, hope, and what counts as a good outcome through a close reading of Paul Kalanithi's dying memoir When Breath Becomes Air and Atul Gawande's Being Mortal. It then turns to how we make sense of suffering, anticipate and practice grief, and care for the memories of the dead through a reading of Michelle Zauner's Crying in H-Mart and Emily Rapp's The Still Point of the Turning World. Finally, we consider philosophical reflections on mortality, including if death is bad, how death should change the way we live, and why we ought to strive to live and die with gratitude.
Registration Closes: August 29, 2024
Credits: 4
View Tuition Information Term
Fall Term 2024
Part of Term
Full Term
Format
Flexible Attendance Web Conference
Credit Status
Graduate, Noncredit, Undergraduate
Section Status
Open