Going to God: Death and Dying in the 19th Century

The study of death and dying brings greater understanding of a society and its values and customs, as well as what it means to be human. Western death culture in the modern age bears little resemblance to the world which came before it, when death was frequent, and people were forced to reckon with its immediacy. This paper seeks to analyze the ways in which a society responds to death by using the example of the Western world during the 19th century, mostly focusing on Victorian England and the United States before the start of World War I. Discussions of the periods which preceded and followed the 19th century will place it in its proper context, demonstrating how death culture changes over time in response to socioeconomic trends and shifts. The conclusion will provide an analysis of the significance of this period of western history to the drastic changes of the 20th century and the attitudes and practices surrounding death and dying today.