beduya, misa chap 1( comments in parentheses in between sentences)

CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Rationale
“Death is life’s ending” (Luper, 2009) and whether people like it or not, death is and will always be an inevitable part of people’s lives (Topbas, 2010). Most of the time, death is viewed as something which everyone should avoid talking about or even avoid thinking about. Death, in most part of diverse cultures, is a taboo topic that is always viewed as something negative. Oftentimes, people fear death. People pity the dying, as if death will not come to them (Rinpoche, 1992).
Of course, people’s perceptions on death vary culture by culture, as well as by religion. African people for instance, have a tradition of removing the dead body not through the door but through a hole in the wall (Anderson, 2011). Anderson (2011) further stated that the Africans’ reason for this is to make it hard, if not impossible, for the dead to return to their home. Furthermore, he said that the Africans believed that this will take effect as soon as they close the hole in the wall in which the dead body has passed through. He asserted that there are also times that these Africans remove the corpse’s feet first so as to make it symbolically point away from the corpse’s former home.
Furthermore, some religions believed in life after death or reincarnation such as the Hindus who believed that when a person dies, only his/her physical body is deteriorated but not his/her soul (Carino, as cited in Arjona, Arnaldo, Fojas, Maniwang, & Alcuizar, 1993). Carino (as cited in Arjona, Arnaldo, Fojas, Maniwang, & Alcuizar, 1993) further added that the Hindus believed that the soul of that person will transfer to another body, and it may be on a higher or lower form depending on how one meaningfully lived his life on earth. Furthermore, he remarked the Hindus’ belief (check) that to be united with Brahman which was God’s counterpart (whose God?), one must first undergo a series of life-death-rebirth cycles.
However, it must be noted that there are also some factors that distorts (check) a person’s concept of death. One of which was the mass media which depicted massacre scenes on the evening news and photograph of charred bodies from the victims of fire or plane crash on the television and newspapers which would surely make anyone fear death (Arjona, Arnaldo, Fojas, Maniwang, & Alcuizar, 1993). Furthermore, Arjona, Arnaldo, Fojas, Maniwang, and Alcuizar (1993) argued that the media is also responsible of symbolizing death as an enemy that needs to be defeated instead of a companion in one’s growth. They continued that this notion was made stronger by our competitive society. From that, they deduced that when one is dying and has not yet reached his/her goals, it would mean that he/she has lost the battle. They further assumed that when one is dying, he/she also became an unproductive source that will burden the society which is always in competition with others.
Moreover, it must be also noted that how a person perceives death can be influenced by his/her maturity and health. A healthy person does not take death much into account compared to an ill person (Demmin, 1986), just like how young people do not care much about death in comparison to the old ones. Thus, the ill person’s awareness of his/her sickness and/or imminent death evoked him/her to cope with death (Kalish, as cited in Copp, 1998). Further, it’s possible that a person’s past experiences with death strengthened his/her urge to cope with death. Moreover, it was in the coping process with death that a dying person felt less like a victim of death and consequently learned to accept death (Corr, as cited in Copp, 1998). Lastly, the experience on coping process with death also enhanced the concepts of death of the dying person’s family and friends (Corr, as cited in Copp, 1998).
The novel by Mitch Albom entitled Tuesdays with Morrie (italics) was (remove was.replace tells) about how someone suffering an insidious disease copes with, and accepts his own death. The novel depicted (depicts) the main character’s (Morrie Scwartz) remaining life, and how he struggles with the deadly disease. It presented (tense) his insight on life, death, and the lessons he learned, and the knowledge he acquired from his experiences. He (who?)also shared how death is a very much important part of our life. It (what?)could help us realize that the best things in life are things we cannot buy or take with us after death. (present tense for narration or book review)
What’s interesting about the book’s story was (is) Morrie Schwartz’s positivity amidst the disease taking over his body. Also, Schwartz’s eagerness to share his philosophies was (is) quite inspiring even if he needs to compromise his privacy to the media. The novel had a very inspirational message not only to the dying, but also the ones who are living.
This study came of out (check) researchers’ curiosity of (about) why people fear death and concern of the subject matter (vague). Death has always been approached by most people with coldness and/or negativity. Moreover, people also treated the dying people coldly or with pity, when in fact everyone dies. To give a sound judgment on this issue, the researchers chose this topic as their research study. Through Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie (italics), the researchers wanted to know what causes the people to fear death. The researchers also wanted to know what the dying people feel as they approach death and how they face or cope with death. Through this study, people could fully understand death, understand and relate to dying people’s feelings, know how significant one’s presence to a dying person and know how to live a life with meaning.
Statement of the Problem
The researchers of this study would like to determine the concept of death, as well as the coping process of the dying in the novel Tuesdays with Morrie.
To be specific, the objectives of the researchers are the following:
To know how the two characters (Morrie Schwartz and Mitch Albom) in the story view death
To compare and contrast the differences of the views of the two characters on death
To determine how Schwartz’s views on death affect that of Mitch’s
To find out how the factors such as a) experience and b) health evoke Morrie to cope with death
To find out how the experience on coping process with death affect Morrie’s and Mitch’s concepts of death
Significance (of the Study)
People cannot escape death. No matter how much people try to avoid or escape death, death will eventually come to all people (them). With death being universal, it is essential to know that death is not necessarily a negative aspect in life. Death is an essential part of life that helps the people to grow and thus, must be accepted and prepared of.
First and foremost, the researchers learned that death should not be feared and condemned, that death is always a part of life, and that it is a natural occurrence. Furthermore, the researchers also learned that death should be embraced when it comes, and that the researchers must stay positive at all times. Having learned these things, the researchers felt obliged to disseminate these ideas which were derived from reading the Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie (italics) to the general public.
With this study, the dying people will learn many things. Specifically, the dying people will learn to accept their death. They would be given an idea to approach death with positivity. They would be given a reason to hang on their lives and not to commit suicide or euthanasia. They would be urged to cope with death instead of fearing or denying it and thus, will help them grow even as they approach their death. Lastly, as they approach death, the dying people will be able to discern the important things in life and are not.
The families of the dying people will also benefit from this study. With this study, they will be able to realize how significance (significant) their presences are to the dying people. They will also find out that in participating in the dying people’s coping process with death, they are also helping themselves. Specifically, the concepts of death of the dying people’s families will develop and mature. In other words, they will be able to fully grasp/understand death. With this study, they will find out that the dying people’s needs do not only include the physical needs, but also include the psychological, social and spiritual needs. Thus, with this study, they will know what the things that the dying people really need are. The same with the dying people, these families will also be able to discern the important things in life and are not. Lastly, this study will also help them prepare for their own deaths.
This study will also aid the bereaved people. With this study, these bereaved people will learn to accept the death of their loved ones. They will understand how natural death is and that there’s no need to fear it. Moreover, this study will also help them prepare for their own deaths. And lastly, as what Morrie said, they will learn that “Death ends only a life, not a relationship” and thus they will learn to view death with positivity.
Lastly, the health institutions such as the hospitals and its workers such as the doctors, nurses and hospice care workers will benefit from this study. They will learn that the patients, especially the dying patient, do not only need medical assistance. Specifically, they will learn that the patients need them in securing the patient’s psychological, social and spiritual needs. Moreover, they will be aware that their treatment toward the dying patients and dead patients affects people’s, especially the dying patients’, (check) attitudes toward death. They will be able to value the morale and feelings of the patients as they treat/heal them. Most of all, with this study, they will be able to relate, communicate, treat/heal and meet the needs of their patients fully and effectively.