A Monumental Week:
The first couple weeks of school have been nothing short of a whirlwind. While I spend most of my classes looking toward the upcoming tests and quizzes, English has been the one hour I spend focusing on the past as we study memorials and consider what the most important aspect of a monument is.
After analyzing and discussing the synthesis packet as a class, my group and I agreed that hisotircal context is crucial for the success of a monument. For example, a Holocaust Museum was installed in the National Mall in Washington D.C., even though the United States did not significantly help stop the Holocaust as it happened. Some of the public viewed the Museum as an insult to Jews and felt that it was not enough to appropriately represent their history.
An example of a thoughtfully designed monument, well in context, would be the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, also located in Washington D.C. The memorial is in a secluded area, where friends and family members can take time to pay their respects. The tranquil space is appropriate for reflection and represents how a monument should be.
We go to monuments to experience a small piece of history. Memorials can be an otherworldly site where we connect with our nation’s past. When visitors come together to view a monument, a community is momentarily formed when everyone silently admires the monument and remembers the history behind it. Being conscious of historical context when building a memorial goes a long way in making it a success for the public.
I agree with you. A community is formed when people come together as a community to grieve and cherish someone and the memories associated with them. The geographical part of a memorial is also significant because it reflects how the person may have felt or wanted to feel. Do you think only historically relevant memorials deserve this value?
ReplyDeleteHi Anusha! I really like your idea of a community being formed when viewing a monument and I totally agree with it. Just because someone is viewing a monument on their own, doesn't mean they are alone in doing so. People come together to honor and remember the memory that the dead left behind, which some could argue is the true beauty of memorials.
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