Death is a part of everyone’s lives, and people have had to deal with death since the beginning of mankind. Over time there have been many death mentalities, as described by Ariès. They are embedded in society, and linked to historical periods. There is continuity within these death mentalities, and they are still relevant and traceable today. There are many expressions of dealing with death in the 21st century. An example of such an expression is a song by the Canadian alternative rock singer Avril Lavigne, titled Slipped Away.

The song is about Lavigne’s grandfather who passed away while she was on tour. Lavigne and her grandfather were very close and she moans about his death and not being able to say goodbye.. She sings I “miss you so bad, I don't forget you, oh, it's so sad” and emphasizes how “The day [he] slipped away was the day [she] found it won't be the same”.

In this song the death mentality ‘your death – the death of the other’ is expressed. The characteristics are obviously traceable. ‘Your death’ is about ties, and Lavigne and her grandfather had a strong family tie. She expresses love in her song by showing her emotions – she mourns, is dramatic about her loss and it is obvious that she does not want to accept her grandfather’s death. The line “Now you're gone [-] Somewhere I can't bring you back" (Lavigne, 2004) shows how for Lavigne death is a break. She accepts death as a fact but does not tolerate the separation from her grandfather, she wants him back.

Ariès' ‘Your death’-mentality describes the start of a memory cult. Lavigne clearly commemorates her grandfather and thinks about him so much that she even writes a song about him. Her song demonstrates a significant characteristic of ‘Your death’: death was always feared, but what is feared and mourned in ‘Your death’ is the death of the other. That Lavigne’s whole song is full of the death mentality ‘Your death’ proves that Ariès death mentalities are still relevant in the 21st century.

References:

Lavigne, A. (2004). “Slipped away”. Under my skin

Avril Lavigne Wiki (n.d.). In FANDOM. Retrieved May 08, 2019 from https://avrillavigne.fandom.com/wiki/Slipped_Away