The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the essay "Behind the Formaldehyde Curtain by Jessica Mitford. Specifically it will contain an analysis of the essay, including the writer's point and the major ways the writer illustrates that point. The author's point in this essay is quite clear from the start. She discusses the practice of embalming, the secrecy behind it, and describes in detail how the procedure works. After reading this essay, the reader has to wonder about the practice of embalming. If more people understood what goes on behind the "formaldehyde curtain," they might not accept embalming quite so readily.
             The author, who seems to be an expert on death and dying, creates a vivid portrayal of the funeral industry in this essay. It is clear her ultimate goal is to share many of the common practices of the funeral industry, and show how barbaric they are. Her point is that if more people understood these practices, North American funeral practices might change, and the mystery of what goes on behind the funeral parlor's doors would be out in the open for everyone to understand and acknowledge. She also makes the point that many of the practices, when discussed in the open, seem barbaric and senseless.
             Mitford opens the essay with a discussion of embalming and the industry in general. She writes, "Embalming is indeed a most extraordinary procedure, and one must wonder at the docility of Americans who each year pay hundreds of millions of dollars for its perpetuation, blissfully ignorant of what it is all about, what is done, how it is done" (Mitford, 1978, p. 1). One purpose of this unsettling essay is to educate the American public about the funeral industry, especially the practice of embalming, and she accomplishes her purpose well. Just about anyone reading this essay will be touched by it, and will probably question their beliefs about funerals and practices, no matter what they are.
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