Counterfeit Only Child
The Reasons for Masking a Sibling's Death
In this research paper I will discuss the 'masking' of a sibling's death. Masking is more or less hiding an aspect of one's life. In society people are constantly attempting to shield the world from viewing who they really are. Intersectionality is a term that indicates that a human’s character is composed of many different elements. Everything from race, gender, living environment to the make-up of one’s family contributes to the development of a personality. I have attempted to pinpoint the reason behind this behavior. In modern day society mortality rates are down and birth rates are up. Could these sorts of statistics allow room for embarrassment? At younger ages, the thought of being different is very unappealing. From the time we are able to talk, to the time we are just graduating college, ‘fitting in’ is at the top of the priority list. These facts indicate that when a sibling does pass the shock factor has greatly increased, making the individual a rarity. I will go into further detail about the emotions that lie behind these actions. Feelings such as denial and avoidance play a huge role in this masking. The loss of a sibling is detrimental on its own; possibly the addition of an audience makes it even more traumatizing. As we delve into these concepts and theories, we will begin to uncover a side of people that is not so commonly visible.
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