Henry James's Funeral

Henry James’ article from Lippincott’s magazine expresses a tone of sarcasm and disgust. In a time, where social classes where easily distinct in England, Henry James wrote an article distinguishing the “indecent” from what presumably is his upper class status.
The diction in James’s writing shows disgust and sarcasm towards the funeral. James states the funeral as being “grotesque”. The connotation of the word “grotesque” is seen as disgust towards the funeral and it attendants. Unlike using a simpler connotation such as odd or bizarre to show the author’s shock and not insult the less fortunate. James also sees the funeral as a “serious comedy”. Two terms which placed together form an oxymoron and contradict themselves, show the author’s