The Perception and Treatment of Death in the Short Story "Everyman"

The Perception and Treatment of Death in the Short Story Everyman
Your Name
Department of ABC, University
ABC 101: Course Name
Professor (or Dr.) Firstname Lastname
Date
The Perception and Treatment of Death in the Short Story Everyone
Introduction
The fear of death is a common phenomenon among humans despite the that death, without a doubt, is part of life. Death does not discriminate, it is unpredictable, and most importantly, it is the ultimate single-most problem that humanity cannot solve to immortality (Robison, 2011). This fear of death (and even bodies) is called thanatophobia, a term derived from the Ancient Greek words 'Thanatos’ and ‘Phobos,' meaning the god of death and fear, respectively. While there are many reasons for fearing it, what is gathered in the short story, Everyone, is that end provides an opportunity for every person to be judged on how they lived their lives and people fear this more than they fear death itself. Therefore, the purpose of the current paper is to highlight the perception and treatment of death in this short story.
Story Context, Structure, and Summary
Everyman is a late 15th-century morality play written by an unknown author (Greg, n.d). It is believed that the Church-sponsored the story (and play) to reconcile humanity to God's ways. In the 15the century, the Church was the single most-organized non-governmental institution whose influence spanned governments and monarchs. Thus, at the time, the Christian worldview (of life and death) was the most reliable in shaping the morals of citizens to lead them to God. In essence, the impact of one's deeds is considered the most crucial incentive for any person when death knocks at the door (Paulson, 2007). This explains why the story is ideal in providing the Christian perception and treatment of death based on what it means in Biblical teachings.
In terms of structure, the story relies largely on allegories. For instance, Everyman (as the main character) represents every person on earth. This is because no one is immune to death on the one hand, and on the hand, death is what makes all people equal regardless of the life they have led or what they have achieved. Other characters that rely on allegory include Good Deeds, Death, Knowledge, God, Five-Wits, Goods, Beauty, Strength, Angel, and Messenger, among others. Good Deeds, for example, represent the excellent Everyman has done in their life. God is the character that is frustrated by Everyman's ways and, therefore, sends another character, Death, to hold Everyman accountable for his deeds. Among all these Characters, Good Deeds is the only one not afraid of death (Little, 2018 ). Knowledge represents an understanding of right and wrong while. In essence, the story does not have real characters, and the representation of characters is through the elements the humans and the Church consider more important for a person when death is close.
The story begins with a purpose: Everyman will be summoned before God, and therefore, people should look to the end of life even when it has just started (Little, 2018 ). God tells the reader that man has since forgotten the sacrifices made on the cross and, therefore, calls for Death to go and hold Everyman accountable since man has embraced the seven deadly sins. Thus, the purpose of Death is to bring Everyman to a reckoning. On seeing Everyman, Death asks him if he has forgotten about God before proposing a journey. But Everyman is shocked and unprepared for death, and the journey frightens him. Everyman tries to bribe Death, asking for more time: Everyman says, "In thy power, it lieth me to save; Yet of my good will I give thee if thou will be kind – Yea, a thousand-pounds shalt though have – and defer this matter till another day." But Death is God's command. It can neither defer nor wait for any man, and most importantly, man should be prepared for death, whether ready or not. Everyman soon realizes that he cannot convince Death otherwise. Therefore, he resorts to other characters (already mentioned) as either bargaining chips or reasons he should be spared or death deferred.
Perception and Treatment of Death
The first perception of death in this story is that it is ultimate. It is a process that every person must undergo regardless of whether they are righteous. Death does not know boundaries and is not affected by class, wealth, poverty, religiosity, or even ignorance. When death knocks, every person must succumb. This becomes clear when Death says that "[he]…will follow God's orders and enforce his commands". Its unpredictable yet specific arrival reveals Everyman's inability to recognize its permanence, which raises the question for the audience of what constitutes this recognition (Paulson, 2007). All the characters except God, Good Deeds, and Knowledge fear Death. Everyman's reac...