Rituals of Death: The Meaning of Last Words and Last Meals
Linda Ross Meyer
Quinnipiac University School of Law
March 30, 2008
Abstract:
This paper explores the meaning of rituals of last words and last meals in the context of the death penalty. It concludes that the rituals retain the ability to subvert the state's retributivist message, even while they are necessary to it.
Number of Pages in PDF File: 64
Keywords: death penalty, last words, last meals, capital punishment, retribution
working papers series
Suggested Citation
Meyer, Linda Ross, Rituals of Death: The Meaning of Last Words and Last Meals (March 30, 2008). Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1480686 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1480686
