What 38 million obituaries reveal about how Americans define a ‘life well lived’

Collective disruptions like 9/11 and COVID impact the moral vocabulary families use when commemorating loved ones. They shift what it means to have lived a good life.

(Luca Bruno | AP) The Eco di Bergamo newspaper features several pages of obituaries in its March 17, 2020 edition, in Mediglia, Italy, Wednesday, March 18, 2020.