The Crutch of Ritual: Social Control in the Modern American Capital Punishment System Page: 49
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words, bestow on him an elevated status that starkly contrasts the dehumanizing and
objectifying treatment he has received thus far during his stay on death row. As do most other
ritual elements of the capital punishment process, this change in treatment has multiple social
control purposes that further insulate and justify the death penalty.
In keeping with ancient tradition, most states offer the prisoner about to be executed a
last meal of his choice, subject to varying restrictions such as price and distance (Johnson,
McGunigall-Smith, & Callahan, 2013). According to Harding (2000), "the 'last meal' is probably
one of the most widely-known and followed rituals that proceed the sacrifice by state sanctioned
execution" (p. 201, note 94). Indeed, the last meal tradition is thoroughly pervaded with
ritualism. It serves no practical purpose, as the person eating will be dead within a few hours. It
calls back to older customs, such as the ancient Egyptian practice of burying their royalty with
food and the custom among various religious groups to make offerings of food to saints and other
deceased holy figures (Jones, 2014). Most importantly, as we will see, it transmits symbolic
meanings that are helpful to the state.
As discussed, treating the soon-to-be-executed in an elevated manner speaks to the
reality of capital punishment as ritualized human sacrifice. In his discussion of the similarities
between these two practices, Smith (2000) explains that
the convicted murderer might also be seen as serving another function similar to the
sacrificial victim: he becomes signifier and representative of much more than just himself.
Sacrificial victims are simultaneously 'sacred' and 'profane,' identified with both the
sacrifice and the god, and in some cases made to be the bearer of the signs of the
community at large while also divinized and worshipped. (pp. 14-15)
The special privileges, such as the last meal, given to the condemned immediately preceding his
death reflect the system's need to foster the sacred and revered portion of the sacrificial victim's49
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Pellegrino, Alexandra Clarke. The Crutch of Ritual: Social Control in the Modern American Capital Punishment System, thesis, August 2019; Denton, Texas. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1538795/m1/53/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; .