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That Elizabeth-Jane Farfrae be not told of my death, or made to grieve on account of me. And that I be not bury'd in consecrated ground. And that no sexton be asked to toll the bell. And that nobody is wished to see my dead body. And that no murners walk behind me at my funeral. And that no flours be planted on my grave. And that no man remember me.

Thomas Hardy#51

DeathMemoryLegacyFuneralPrivacySadness

About this quote

What does it mean?
The speaker requests a completely private death with no mourners, burial rites, or memory left behind.
In plain terms
Do not tell Elizabeth-Jane about my death, do not bury me in holy ground, and let no one remember me.
What can you take from it?
Seek a quiet exit without burdening others with grief or ceremony.

Where it applies

  • funeral planning
  • end of life
  • personal wishes

Putting it to work

  • writing a will
  • communicating wishes
  • funeral instructions

Questions to consider

  • Why might someone wish to be forgotten?
  • What does this say about the speaker's view of love?

Another view

This request contradicts the human need for closure and community support after loss.

More from Thomas Hardy

  1. But the ingenious machinery contrived by the Gods for reducing human possibilities of amelioration to a minimum - which arranges that wisdom to do shall come p…

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  2. Her strong sense that neither she nor any human being deserved less than was given, did not blind her to the fact that there were others receiving less who had…

    Permalink to quote #52
  3. Who is such a reprobate as I! And yet it seems that even I be in Somebody's hand!

    Permalink to quote #49

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