SUICIDE AS A DRAMATIC PERFORMANCE

DESCRIPTION

Each suicide is as unique as the individuals involved, especially if oneexamines the nature of the act and to what extent these acts can be viewed as atheatrical performance. Focusing on the dramatic aspects of suicide may seemtangential to the physical and mental pain experienced by those who try to killthemselves, but dramatic aspects often provide important clues forunderstanding the mental state of suicidal individuals. David Lester and StevenStack investigate what happens in the weeks, days and hours before a suicidewhen the suicidal individual must make decisions and formulate the script forhis or her suicidal act. The editors argue that these choices may help usunderstand and prevent other suicides and stimulate new and innovative researchin this important area. Through twenty-five substantive chapters, includingboth quantitative and qualitative analyses, this book offers insights intosuicide as a dramatic act, with chapters on the intended audience, the suicidenote, the location and method chosen, and cultural scripts, includingsuicide-by-cop, sati, seppuku, and duels.
Thecontributors to this volume argue that psychological, social, and culturalfactors influence these choices and that the decisions made by the individualare important for understanding the mental state of the person choosing to dieby suicide.