Karl S. Guthke, Last Words: Variations on a Theme in Cultural History
Princeton Univ Press | ISBN 0691056889 | 1992 | PDF | 1 MB | 263 pages
Why this interest in last words? Presenting statements from such figures as Socrates, Nathan Hale, Marie Antoinette, and Oscar Wilde ("I am dying as I have lived, beyond my means"), Guthke examines our fascination in terms of our need for closure, our desire for immortality, and our attraction to the mystique of death scenes. The author considers both authentic and invented final statements as he looks at the formation of symbols and legends and their function in our culture.
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