Michael Lewis and David S. Toolan

In Part I of the following two-part viewpoint, Michael Lewis describes a funeral that commemorated the life of his deceased father-in-law rather than mourning his death. He asserts that this unconventional celebration was more comforting than the formalized displays of grief at traditional funerals. In Part II, David S. Toolan writes about his cousin’s wake, in which family and friends gathered to share remembrances of the deceased. A joyous ritual celebration such as this can remind survivors that life goes on, Toolan contends. Lewis is a senior editor of the New Republic, a weekly liberal magazine. Toolan is an associate editor of America, a weekly magazine of Catholic opinion.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Lewis, what two beliefs govern what he calls WASP...