"Gracious dying is a huge, macabre and expensive joke on the American public"

This quote by Jessica Mitford is a criticism of the American funeral service market. She is suggesting that the market is taking advantage of individuals in their most susceptible state, when they are grieving the death of a loved one. She is implying that the industry is profiting from people's sorrow by charging them outrageous rates for services that are frequently unneeded. She is likewise recommending that the industry is perpetuating a false concept of what a "correct" funeral ought to look like, which is often far gotten rid of from the desires of the deceased. Mitford's quote is a powerful indictment of the funeral industry and its practices, and a tip that individuals should be aware of the capacity for exploitation when making funeral plans.