Have you ever noticed that when someone is reported on the news to have been killed due to accident or crime, they are always well spoken of? The reporter imposes on relatives, neighbors, coworkers, etc., hoping to wring a little more sensation/emotion out of the event. And regardless of the circumstances - even if the the person died during the commission of a horrific crime - those who knew him/her invariably give a charitable comment about the character of the deceased. "He was a good neighbor - always ready to lend a helping hand." "She was the most generous woman. She would do anything for you, whether she knew you or not." "He had really turned his life around and was going to do great things." "He was such a wonderful husband and father." No doubt such praise is often well deserved. But not always. It's either part of our human nature or subtly drilled into us from an early age the we mustn't speak ill of the dead. I guess that's only fair since the person cannot possibly defend himself against attack at that point. Still it is an interesting phenomenon.
In her novel Emma, Jane Austen made this wry observation: "A young person who either marries or dies is sure to be kindly spoken of." Borrowing a portion of one of her more famous lines, I opened my first novel (The Darcys of Pemberley) with a similar thought: "It is a truth universally acknowledged that even the most ignoble person on the face of the earth appears more praiseworthy after death." In the story, this proves true as the significant defects of the man's disposition (the recently deceased) are quickly forgotten and everyone remarks how fond they always were of the man they previously could not abide.
Come to think of it, this theme is echoed by the poem I shared earlier (see Feb. 8th entry). I suppose it is a comfort to know that, although our personal detractors may have few scruples about slandering us while we live, we have the ultimate hope of much better reviews in future.
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