Death In 'Burden And Blessing Of Mortality'

Dying may be seen by many as a burden, but in Hans Jonas’s article, “The Burden and Blessing of Mortality,” dying is analyzed as not only a burden but also a blessing. By employing rhetorical modes such as division, definition, and illustration, Jonas paints a beautiful picture of how one should view death and the many views in which one can look at its foreboding shadow.
Just by reading the title of this excerpt, the reader can easily establish that the rhetor uses many examples of division, the concept of death being divided into both a burden and a blessing. Jonas tells the reader that mortality is like a burden because, “… life must depend on conditions over which it was no control…” (Jonas 417). The unpredictable quality of life and the lack of control people have over theirs makes their short lives difficult and therefore one can never truly experience the joy of life because time runs out before they can. Mortality is a blessing however because it gives people the push to live their lives to the fullest before it’s no longer an option.
Hans Jonas uses illustration to help the reader understand why mortality is a positive thing. Stating that with age comes a long past and therefore a great deal
On the opposite side, however, he speaks of the blessing of mortality as the push to make our lives count, stating that, “… the knowledge that we are here but briefly and a non-negotiable limit is set to our expected time may even be necessary as the incentive to number our days and make them count.” (Jonas 425). This example reminds the reader that although life is short and sometimes it is not fantastic but those moments that are, those moments that spark with love and joy are the ones people live for and those should always be remembered and chased