Beginning of Essay
The natural end of every human life is death. Some people, for reasons that have never been fully understood, choose to end their own lives. This is called , which means literally "self-killing." For all the uncertainty that has surrounded the phenomenon of , his ....

Middle of Essay
.... In some societies suicide has had social ties. In Japan, for example, the customs and rules of one's class have demanded suicide under certain circumstances. Called seppuku or popularly known as hara-kiri, which means "self-disembowelment" it has long been viewed as an honorable method of taking one's life. It was used by warriors after losing a battle to avoid the dishonor of defeat. Seppuku was also used as a means of capital punishment to spare warriors the disgrace of execution. In India, widows allowed themselves to be burned to death on their husband's funeral pyre, a practice called suttee. At least since the 18th century, suicide has been ....