“What’s going to happen to you now?” my mother asked me. “What if you want to get married again? What man will want you when someone else has been scribbling all over you?”… “I’m sorry,” I told her, “These are my widow’s weeds.”
Elizabeth McCracken’s “It’s Bad Luck To Die” not only demonstrated an atypical love story, but also the effect it had on the speaker’s family. The speaker opened with irony in sharing that she was Jewish and had multiple tattoos of Jesus. The Torah states that tattooing or cutting open ones flesh, is forbidden, alining to the views of her highly traditional mother. Lois’ relationship with Tiny grew, as did the distance with her mother. Due to the religious aspect of her family, Lois respected the views of her mother and covered all tattoos when visiting with her. Once Tiny dies, her mother criticizes her, claiming she had grown up a freak due to her height. This is used as an explanation for her fascination with tattooing. Her mother pays no mind to her daughter’s emotions regarding Tiny’s passing. The ending is powerful with Lois embracing that she was different with her tattoos by allowing them to be seen by everyone despite their opinions.