It doesn't have to be. I break this a lot in my writing. That doesn't mean I never write about death as horrifying, but rather, I don't make that the default. A death can be horrifying if, say, someone is tortured, or dies young for no reason, or whatnot. People can freak out about it. But it's also possible for death to be meaningful, or sublime, or welcome, or just a thing that naturally happens and isn't a huge deal.
Different cultures have different perspectives on death. America is not one of the more rational ones. So I look for more variety.
Well...
It doesn't have to be. I break this a lot in my writing. That doesn't mean I never write about death as horrifying, but rather, I don't make that the default. A death can be horrifying if, say, someone is tortured, or dies young for no reason, or whatnot. People can freak out about it. But it's also possible for death to be meaningful, or sublime, or welcome, or just a thing that naturally happens and isn't a huge deal.
Different cultures have different perspectives on death. America is not one of the more rational ones. So I look for more variety.