Reflection of the Novel

“A Fine and Private Place” Reflection
A book of Hope!
I liked this book, but I have to say that it was quite a stretch of the imagination for me. I hold very strong beliefs about what happens after life. The creativity the author used and the love story he created in that kept me reading. I think Beagle did a great job of catching the reader’s attention in the beginning of the novel when Michael wakes up in a casket. This really was a way to start the book off with an unusual storyline.
I think Rebeck represents man-kind and our resistance to change. I think we all go through a time where we have to be open to change. Rebeck was not ready for the turn over in his life of bankruptcy and losing the one thing he loved which was helping people at the pharmacy. He lost hope much like the newly deceased that he would begin helping as they passed through this part of the after-life.
After this happens though I think Rebeck and the rest of the characters begin to realize they are going through a rejuvenating transformation into a new thing. Rebeck starts realizing he can help people in a whole new way, in a way he never imagined. There was no future to look forward to of good health for these people or a drug that can make them better again; these people were hungry and desiring a hope for something more.
There is love and romance in this book, but on a level none of us could understand. I think we get so caught up in life sometimes that we forget what really matters. We forget to slow down and remember why we love who we love. Michael and Laura have nothing left to offer each other except their love. Money, houses, cars and all of those things held no purpose to them anymore. They truly just wanted to have the hope of happiness.
We fail to acknowledge that everyday we can get up and be alive, have a career, breath, walk…The characters in this book had to fight all the time to remember these things so that they could have something to call an afterlife. These characters had eternity to reflect on memories of the lives they made when living.
We take for granted a lot of things that theoretically in this book could mean worlds of difference after life. Sitting, walking, standing, and all the things we do every day were an effortful battle for the characters like Laura and Michael. As time passes the ghosts and Mr. Rebeck develop an unusual relationship. Rebeck is trying everything to continue his passion of helping people even if that means leaving the living and helping the dead. What he doesn’t realize is that in doing this he is reviving himself back to life along with Mrs. Klapper’s help.
The theme that I would have to choose from the book would have to be hope. We talked about in class that you cannot be in a cemetery without at least glimpsing at the after-life. This book provides an unusual perspective about what happens when the deceased come to cross over to whatever is after death. There is a hidden message of hope for the living and the dead. Rebeck faces some change and turns to a place where he thought he and his dead spirit could go. He ends up finding hope and giving hope in the place he thought surely everything was dead.
What this entire novel comes down to is not really about death. I think that is how I was able to read it with interest is because it was really about life. Even with the far-fetched plot and characters, the author did a wonderful job of creating a story of hope. Beagle was trying to show us to slow down and smell the roses. Take every breath as if it was your last and cherish the moments we spend alive. He wrote this book to tell us in a magical and unexpected way to wake up, make memories, love life while its here. If at the end all we were left with was the memories of our lives and our consciousness, how would we feel about how we lived?

Final Reflection

It has been quite journey learning about Spring Grove, but I must say it has transformed on some small level. It has made me think about things in a way I never thought I could. I have always had such a bad perspective on cemeteries. In the last ten years I have had four people very close to me die. Having to go to cemeteries for that reason alone can really make a person hate going even if its to visit the grave of a loved one. It seems like the more I visit my deceased loved ones at the grave site the sadder I become because I am thinking about how much I miss them and all the sad things associated with losing someone close. Spring Grove has really inspired me to look beyond death and see the beauty of a resting place. To be buried in a cemetery is one thing, but to be buried in a place surrounded by beautiful luscious plant life and a lake that reflects its environment doesn’t sound to eerie or sad.
Being in Spring Grove taught me something different each week. I learned so much about what these people and their families are trying to relay to us. Whether it was the huge Dexter standing tall and confident across the lake, or the small headstone that said “Gone Fishin..” I still left inspired. The time I have spent doing reflections on these class days have been full of effortful thinking about how I felt that week. Who would have ever thought I would have enjoyed spending three hours in a cemetery every week. The huge monuments and mausoleums and crypts all seemed so intriguing to me…like an untold or unfinished story. It made me think…what do I want my monument’s story to tell…what will people think of me. I have formed my own opinions about these people buried at Spring Grove, but I will never truly know their personality, their character, or their thoughts on life.
What is a cemetery? I think it is a place of rest for the living and the dead. It is a place of reflection on life. Why is a cemetery? A cemetery is because of culture. It is because we have to have closure in some manner over what happens to our loved ones. It is because we might forget to honor and acknowledge those who have passed on unless there is a place to remember them.
Our society teaches us to respect the dead, but we see many cemeteries in ruins locally. The family has passed and now what are we to do with all of these people and their stories. I learned a lot this term about why it is and not just how or what. It really helped to split the topics up into very specific bits of information about iconography, plant life, and burial customs. It was not every week I had something philosophical to reflect on, but some weeks like the one we took the class over to the memorial mausoleum. That particular class still has me thinking about being put under ground or being cremated, and I never thought I would be thinking of being cremated. The stories in stone book helped me better understand the lives and stories of the people buried at Spring Grove and the book “A Fine and Private Place” helped the mysteries of the unseen come to life. We received concrete teaching about the things one can see, touch, and hear. We also were subconsciously reflecting personally about what we saw and how it made us feel. This class was an awesome experience. It has changed my outlook on all cemeteries and I think anyone who looks at them like I did needs to experience Spring Grove. Being around that much history and beauty and associating it with a cemetery was more than therapeutic it was spiritually awakening.

Week 8 Reflection

We had quite a discussion on Thursday. I wanted to write down like everything that man said about everthing. He really said a lot in just a few words. I loved hearing about his experience and perspective of the cemetery. I was thinking about the comment I made a few weeks ago about the cemetery being diversity at its finest because after death prejudice has really no place in a cemetery...but there seems to be a level of arrogance at Spring Gorve. I mean some of these people put so much effort and money into these huge monuments and mausoleums just so they can portray that they had money..or were a big deal or whaterver..maybe to honor the family but still there is a part of me that has to thnk about the small gravestones in the back. I mean there is an entire class built around the beauty of the huge monuments in spring Grove and how interesting they are. It makes me think that even after death there has to at least be a monument that represents prejudice even if it is just for the lower class people. So diversity at its finest..not really I guess...maybe diversity at its deadest...
Also, I was thinking about nature by design, is it real? fake? Well the beauty and livelihood of the plants makes it real enough for me...

Reflection of Week 7

Luke 9:59-62 But he said to him, 'Lord, let me first go and bury my father.' 60 But he said to him, 'Leave the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.'

We have been talking alot about buring our dead being something that is for the living. These huge monuments and things are only for the ones who were left behind by their loved one. But why are we so stuck on the idea of going back to this burial place where all that is left is the body and remains of that person....no soul....no memories....no personality...if anything I think it would be a better custom to not go visit the burial site...whenever I go to see my grandfathers grave all I can think about is how much I miss him and how hes not here anymore....but if I only remembered the good memories while I'm sitting at home looking at pictures...his death doesen't hurt so bad. I don't know. Thats why I really like this verse from Luke in the bible, let the living who are dead in spirit go and bury the dead while I go on living and doing what I gotta do. Why revisit a dead thing with no life???
Anyways I thought a lot this week about also being buried underground. I know that at a funeral that is the worst part..to see my loved one go under the surface of the earth...maybe a public mausoleum is not such a wierd idea..??? Still thinking on it....

Reflecting on Week 6

Well, throughout the past 6 weeks my perspective of cemeteries has really changed. It is just wierd finding myself thinking about my own grave site, monument, and legacy. What a strange thing to be thinking about at 20 years old...where do I want to be buried?....what do I want my monument to say?..look like?...I don't know...my hope is that I will not be a seedless fruit..you know like the ones that are organically manipulated to not have seeds....because then once I'm gone..I'm gone...no I want to leave a legacy when I am gone from this world...I hope that I touch enough lives with my own for people to remember me not because they have to but because I was an inspiration...Yes it would be nice to have a nice oblisque or mausoleum...but if I can't afford that I think I can settle for changing people's lives by the way I live my own!

Reflection on Week 5

This week it was particularly interesting to find out about the local cemeteries in the others towns and villages. It is wierd how everywhere I go since this class I keep out an extra look for old cemeteries hidden in different places. I find myself stopping off on the side of the road often to just look at the different gravestones and iconography. I think I have about drove my husband insane. Whenever we pass an interesting cemetery I want to talk about what the cherubs, veils, and tall monuments are. I was also thinking alot about what Marcha said about what we are supposed to do with cemeteries when theyre no longer active, the family has perished, and we are left with a lawn full of stone. Also, here are some more metaphors I have come up with this week..some more abstract than others..
A cemetery is a reason to visit the dead.
A cemetery is a playground for the soul.
A cemetery is an artshow for the makers of monuments.
A cemetery is a place for the forgotten who wish to be remembered.
A cemetery is a broken organized refridgerator where everything goes spoiled.
A cemetery is an individualized hotel for the dead.
A cemetery is full of seeds planted to grow no more.

Local Cemetery Project

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Local Cemetery Project

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Reflection of week 4

I loved the trolly ride. It was so interesting to see how far the cemetery has come. We saw the parts of the cemetery where al of the gravesites looked exactly alike and there was absolutely no variety to any of them. We also went to the more contemorary parts of the cemetery where the monuments were not so large but more just average and for the more common families. Each section of Spring Grove has its own swagger. All the sections were from different times and eras and you can see what trends were popular and when. It was interesting to go to the top and look out it was as if the cemetery never ended. My favorite monument had to be the Mayor's where he was fishing on the back and formal on the front...can you say ICONOGRAPHY! Also I like coming around toward the front of spring grove where there was a central monument and many different people had bought sites around it. It was neat to walk around that circle of people and read the headstones...each were very very different people..but all ended up right in the same plot!

Monument Documentation

This is the Burnet Vault (crypt) Section 22 lot 52. From the first time I saw this crypt it caught my attention. It was so beautiful and elaborate. It is in fair condition considering the weathered surface with no signs of devestating vandalism. The one thing that caught my eye first was the angels holding the veil. The veil is supposed to represent the crossing over from life into death, but when I think of a veil I think of entering into what Christians call the Holy of Holies. This is the place in the temple where only the spirit can enter and I think that this family may have had some religious connotations attached to that veil. Maybe they believed they would all enter into God's presence after death into a new life. There are 2 spots on the front of the monument that look as if there might have been something there earlier on but there is nothing that says that there were. On many cathedrals though there are places like this on the outside walls where statues of saints are placed, maybe it is a symbol of emptiness or that the saints inside the vault have gone on to the next life.

Some iconography on the monument was an urn on both top corners of the front of the building used as a common decoration for this time period even though this monument has no one in it who is cremated. Kind of ironic. Also underneath the name carved under the angels are a bundle of poppy flowers which is normally associated with sleep or death. The angels represent intermediaries between God and humanity. This family must have believed in Guardian angels or that they had a very close connection to God. The two anges are holding up a viel and between them is an urn. Most monuments have the urn draped with the veil and I like that this one added a little twist to that common symbol. Also, right across from this beautiful monument is a lake with water springing up. I just thougth that was such a perfect place for this particular crypt.
Inside the crypt's vault I found through my research that there were the remains of at least 10 people in the Burnet family. Some were married in while others were born into the family. The following are the members buried in the vault for sure: David Burnet, George W. Burnet Sr. and Jr., hannah Burnet, harriot Burnet, Jacob Burnet Sr. and Jr., Robert W. Burnet, Staats G. Burnet, and Mary Stubbs.The earliest born member was George W. Burnet born in 1805. He was also the earliest burial, put in the vault on May 11, 1859. The lates deceases was Jacob Burnet who died on July 16, 1910 and was also buried last on July 21, 1920. A lot of this family was moved to the vault or the the lot from Presbetyrian Cemetery in Cincinnati, OH. The ones who came from this cemetery were David, Hannah, harriot, Jacob Jr., Jacob Sr., Robert Jr., and Staats G. The name used in the documentation for this vault was Vachel Worthington's vault. Only once was it called the Burnet vault. I'm not sure why that is. Also I am guessing that Charles Pomeroy and Robert Pomeroy either had some distant relation to the Burnet's, were close friends of the family, or bought those spots from owner Robert W. Burnet of the lot.

Here is a informational list of the people buried inside the vault:

David Burnet-died same month he was born. Son of Jacob and Rebecca.

George W. Barnet-died of pneumonia. Son of Robert and Margaret Barnet. Died at 32 years old.

George W. Barnet-died at 54 years old of consumption.

Hannah Barnet-died at one month old. Daughter of Jacob and Rebecca.

Harriot Barnet-died at one year old. Daughter of Rebecca and Jacob.

Jacob Barnet Jr.-son of Rebecca and Jacob Sr.

Jacob Barnet Sr.-died at 83 years old son of Mary Barnet

Robert W. Barnet-died at 90 years old. Owner of lot.

Staats Groesbeck Barnet-died at 7 years old. Parents were John and Rebecca.

Mary Stubbs-was born in England, died in Rhode Island, died at 88 years old.

The following is a list of the people buried on the lot but no in the vault:

John Groesbeck Barnet-died at 35 years old of diptheria.

Margarent Groesbeck Barnet-died at 75 years old of angina pectoris. Daughter of John and Mary.

Rebecca Barnet-born in Delaware, died at 89 years old of "congestion in lungs and heart."

Robert W. Barnet Jr.-died at 5 years old of "casualty."

Charles C. Pomeroy-died at 65 years old of heart disease. Born in cincinnati. Died in New York.

Robert B. Pomeroy- died at 5 days old of heart disease.

3rd Week Reflection

This week was particularly interesting. I really enjoyed looking at all the inconography around the cemetery. I think its neat to think of your own meaning for the symbols before you look up the meanings. I believe some of those symbols were meant to speak and some were meant just to look pretty.The picture below was my favorite photo I took this day. It was part of the tree monument we looked at with the priest, squirrel, and ax on it. I loved that monument. It had to be one of the most symbolic monuments at Spring Grove. I like this picture because it is like God's hand pointing to the person's name in the Lamb's book of life.

2nd Adventure Reflection

Wow. What an experience. Those mausoleums and crypts were amazing. I never understood the difference between them until yesterday. It is so interesting to have this entire place that is just a big museum of people's lives. Monuments built to honor the dead and the family names. We live in such a culture that has so much respect for the dead and their burial when under neath all the faded bronze sculptures of beautiful angels and high monuments reaching toward the sun all we will find is the shell and remains of what once was a human being. But still, no soul, no beating heart, and no emotion...just a name and some sort of marker showing the world who they were. The only thing that is really living and breathing in the entire place of Spring Grove besides the on-lookers are the luscious flowers and various plants. They are as intriguing as the history underneath them.

25 Questions about Spring Grove????

1. Is there any meaning to the Ivy growing in patterns on the ground?
2. Why are so many monuments in the same shape (the tall and pointed tops)? What does this symbolize?

3. Why are the doors to the house-like monuments with many family members bolted and locked shut even though the doors are ones unable to be opened?

4. What does the G symbol with two arrows around it mean? 5. Who were the Harrison's, there are so many of them buried together?
6. What does the wooden arch mean?
7. There was a double stacked coffin burial stone. Why was this made this way? Was it redone because it had worn away or because another person was buried there? 8. Is it disrespectful to sit on the bench-type monuments?
9. Who was Ottomar Topff? Is this his picture?

10. What are the wooden planks on the ground and what do they mean?

11. Why are there such grand monuments for some people? Were they famous or rich if they had large memorials?

12. What does this burial mean? Is this supposed to symbolize a doorway to somewhere?

13. What is the meaning behind the art on the Leon Van Loo monument?
14. What does F.G. Fore mean? Why was it on several graves?
15. Why do some graves only have initials, or first names or titles written on them such as Mamma without other defining characteristics in order to know who was buried there?
16. What do the leaves on house-like monument mean? Are they symbolic to the family or do they have some general special meaning?
17. Do the angels on some of the graves symbolize what the person may have done in their lives? Some are of guardian angels and some are of warrior angels?
18. Are the bodies of those in the house-like monuments buried in the walls of the structure?
19. What does perpetual care mean? It was on several burial sites?
20. What does the symbol that looks like the star of David mean when it has the letters O, E, and S next to it?
21. Are the leaves around the tree stump monuments just for beauty or do they represent something more?

22. Who was Samuel Davis Jr.?

23. Who was Daniel Drake?

24. Were all the Drakes who were buried together family?

25. Who is Charles Davis?
26. What does the little lamb on graves mean? Does this mean a child is buried here?

My Thoughts Feelings and Experiences with Cemeteries

My Thoughts Feelings and Experiences with Cemeteries
I have never really given much thought to how I really feel about cemeteries. I guess between the ghost stories, the death, and the sadness that surrounds them I don’t really have any good things to say about them. I have only known them as a scary, eerie, or sad place. I would even venture to say that I would probably be a little scared to go to one in the middle of the night just because of the character that a cemetery holds. I am excited to be able to get a new perspective on cemeteries and I am glad to be able to have this opportunity at such a well known cemetery.
The emotion that stands out from the rest I think would be sadness. I have had a lot of people close to me die in the past few years and can almost not stand even walking into one. Also, just the thought of walking on ground where underneath you are hundreds of dead bodies….ewwww….and what the bugs are doing to them. I am excited about this class but at the same time I hope it really changes how I view cemeteries. Maybe I won’t look at them in such a negative light after I learn a little more about the details and the heart of this one cemetery.
I know that there is a lot of thought that goes into picking each gravestone and each inscription on them. There is so much history in a cemetery. Each six foot deep grave holds a different story yet all the people ended up in the same piece of land. The inscriptions are very interesting to read. Each inscription is like a small window into the person’s life that lies underneath your feet. It is like for just one second you feel like you have just met that person.
Maybe my feelings about cemeteries are a bit bizarre, but I can’t help it to feel the way I do. I see the reality in what they really are..a place to put the dead and that really creeps me out. I want to walk away from this class looking at Spring Grove as a place for those of us who pass to rest in peace. Spring Grove is a beautiful place and I don’t want my way of thinking to cause me to miss out on a true work of art.