When You See Millions of the Mouthless Dead
Charles Hamilton Sorley
page 849
The main argument in Charles Hamilton Sorley's work When You See Millions of the Mouthless Dead is that dying is not something to be honored or to be memorialized. More specifically, he argues that death is something to get over quickly and that the only way to do so is accept the fact that people die. He writes, "Nor honour. It is easy to be dead. Say only this, 'They are dead.'" (page 849) Here he is saying that we shouldn't honor the dead because it is not an honorable task, being dead. In conclusion, it is Sorley's belief that death is not honorable and should simply be a typical part of life.
In my opinion, Sorley is wrong in his belief that death cannot be honorable. I think that it is appropriate at the time of one's death to remember that person and to grieve for the loss of their spirit in another's life. For example, I have had many experiences with the losing of loved ones. I've lost many close family members and friends and know many other people who have passed away as well. Most recently, I lost two good friends, two uncles, and a cousin. I have attended 6 funerals within the last year ears. At each, there were people grieving and mourning the loss of their loved ones, and rightfully so. When people close to us leave us, a part of us leaves as well. In conclusion, I think Sorley is wrong to say that death is simply death and that people should be able to grieve over lost loved ones.
