We are Breaking the Silence about Death - Four Levels | Mero solution

We are Breaking the Silence about Death Four Levels 

Four Levels of We are Breaking the Silence about Death

                                                   - Daniel Goleman

1.LITERAL COMPREHENSION :
In this essay, the essayist has dealt with the issue related to the feelings of dying people with reference to the Psychiatrist Elizabeth Kubler -Ross who worked a lot for the dying patients.

Before the mid 60s medical schools avoided the topic of death and dying. Even the doctors were reluctant to talk about death. But now it is often discussed in books, seminars, articles and classes at every level and Kubler-Ross has contributed a lot to make this topic popular. She suggested the dying people to die in their own homes rather than in a strange hospital. She views that family members, relatives and even the pets of the dying patients should be allowed to visit them freely without any limitation of visiting hours so that they could pass their remaining life fully.

Elizabeth Kubler-Ross's career has been humanitarian from the start. She worked for the survivors of bombed-out cities and health camps during the World War Second. She worked with mentally retarded children after becoming a psychiatrist. From the thousands of hours she has spent with patients facing death, Ross has charted the psychological stages people typically go through once they know they are soon to die. They are: 1. Denial of death 2. Rage 3. Bargaining 4. Depression 5. Acceptance. She also says that these reactions are not restricted to dying but can occur with a loss of any kind and in the ordinary course of life changes because every change is a loss and every beginning is an end.

A person's first reaction to the news of his death is denial. It reduces the harmful effect of death and he gets time to find everything trivial. Talking openly about the patient's death allows the patient share his feelings with his family and be mentally prepared for the death. Genuine emotions are much easier on the patient than the secrecy which creates a barrier on the sharing of feelings with his near ones. There is a time to talk, cry together and take care of important matters under less emotional pressure.

The second stage is rage or anger. The patient shows his aggression to anyone else. He asks the question, "why me?" not others. When his anger decreases, he starts bargaining with the God. Then question switches to 'why now?" he hopes for more time to settle the things:

With full acceptance of his approaching death, a person often becomes depressed. Sense of death brings him a sense of hopelessness, helplessness and isolation. He mourns past losses and regrets things left undone or wrongs he has committed. This is a preparation for the departure. He may stop seeing family and friends and become silent.

Finally the dying person reaches a peaceful acceptance. He is no longer concerned with the remaining life. He feels inner peace and wants to live remaining days fully and die well. He enjoys today without waiting for tomorrow. It is a great lesson for us. If we don't expect much and are able to enjoy the present to the fullest, we can easily accept and face the bitter reality of death.

2.INTERPRETATION :
This essay says that we should not keep secret about the death of patients. We should tell them clearly all the information of their health conditions. In this essay, the essayist says that after knowing about their death, the patient passes through five stages i.e denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.If we tell about their death,Later he/she accepts his/her death and tries to spent remaing life happily.

3.CRITICAL THINKING :
Although the essay is interesting to read, I have some questions regarding the issue of the essay.
1)How can a person easily accept his death after knowing about his aproaching death?
2) How does the essayist predict the stages of death?
Moreover, it is difficult to control himself after knowing about his death.Some of the patients may die suddenly due to lack of confidence.So, for all patients, this stages may not work.

4.ASSIMILATION :
After reading this essay I remembered my  uncle's death who was hospitalized in last year and suffering from blood cancer. His death was fix. And my Aunt told about his death. After knowing about his death uncle feels helplessness and later he accepted his death and lived remaing life happily.
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