Objects Of The Dead: Mourning And Memory In Everyday Life

Margaret Gibson

Sep 2008 · Melbourne Univ. Publishing

About this ebook

What is the fate of objects after a death-a daughter's hairbrush, a father's favourite chair, an aunt's earrings, a husband's clothes? Why do some things stay and some go from our lives and memories? Objects of the Dead examines a poignant and universal experience-the death of a loved one and the often uneasy process of living with, and discarding, the objects that are left behind. How and when family property is sorted through after a death is often fraught with difficulties, regrets and disagreements. Through personal stories, literature, film and memoir Margaret Gibson reveals the power of things to bind and undo relationships. This is a remarkable reflection on grieving-of both saying goodbye and living with death.

About the author

Dr Margaret Gibson has written widely in the areas of mourning and grief, identity and embodiment, and representations of death. She teaches sociology at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia.