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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What did Lynch want his loved ones to do at the graveside?

2. What did Uncle Eddie need help coming up with as he was starting his suicide cleanup business?

3. What did Lynch want his family to toss on top of his casket?

4. What did Reader want done with his body after death?

5. With what did the cuckolded husband kill himself in Chapter 10?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did Lynch suggest February as a good month for his death and burial?

2. Why have more and more Americans opted for cremation, according to Lynch?

3. What did Lynch want from his funeral, when all was said and done?

4. What kind of music did Lynch want at his funeral?

5. How did the funeral processions through town change when the Oak Grove bridge collapsed?

6. How did Lynch react to the body of the young man who shot himself in Chapter 9?

7. How does Sweeney approach the consuming of food delicacies?

8. Describe Matthew Sweeney's personality.

9. What perspective did Lynch reach on the night his mother was buried?

10. Why did authors such as Jessica Mitford attack the funeral industry?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Lynch discussed the criticisms faced by his profession from various authors and the media. Were these criticisms justified? Is there something inherent in the field that makes it impossible for "customers" to get a fair deal? Does preplanning a funeral help avoid some of the more difficult issues? Why do people criticize the profession as a whole while insisting that they themselves had a positive experience in the past? How does Lynch defend his profession?

Essay Topic 2

Lynch's parents were fundamentally different when it came to raising the kids. His father was obsessed about potential dangers and would have placed a short leash on all of them if possible. His mother left her worries to God. How did those two ways of child rearing affect the kids? Given the parents' beliefs and life experiences, would it have been possible for either one to act differently? Could there have been a happy medium between the two extremes or was that impossible? Did the two approaches complement one another or interfere with one another?

Essay Topic 3

Lynch and his brothers embalmed their father's body at his request. What was the significance of this act? Do you think it was painful or satisfying? Why did the father want his sons to do this? Why did the sons agree to it rather than hire another undertaker from outside the family? How did the father benefit from knowing that his sons would be there for him at his death? And how did the sons benefit from this act?

(see the answer keys)

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