The Business of Dying follows a woman who feels entrapped by inherited, gendered expectations of caregiving. She must confront her own moments of selfishness as she begins to question what she has taken for granted, as well as her sense of identity. Her journey begins with anger and resentment, but gradually leads to a questioning of societal expectations placed on women—especially daughters—and the roles they are expected to play as parents age. As she moves through the journey of grief, shame and death, she learns tolerance, self-acceptance, and accepts the call to move forward with hope.

The accompanying Critical Reflection invites conversations regarding grief studies and the medical humanities, with particular attention to the silence and stigma surrounding illness and the expectations on women as caregivers. Where canonical representations of women who resist prescribed roles—such as The Awakening and The Yellow Wallpaper—culminate in madness or death, The Business of Dying presents an alternative trajectory: its protagonist moves through moments of profound weakness toward agency, embracing vulnerability. The reflection bridges the creative piece and lived experience, reflecting on caregiving, grief, and advocacy, and considering how these experiences might be more openly acknowledged and shared, including a short list of resources for further reading.