Although documentary evidence is more factual and objective than memory, it is devoid of personal experience. Hence personal history, although more subjective, is also more inclusive of its effect on the individual. This symbiosis is evident in the website, September 11: Bearing Witness to History, The Smithsonian Museum, is deemed “America’s national education facility”, placing value on facts and evidence. Conversely, it is also an American institution that values ideas and beliefs that guide their country. Therefore, their representation of this defining moment is subjective but crucial to Americans and others affected by this act of terror. In the short film 11’09’01 September 11, Samira Makhmalbaf represents a perspective on the events, setting her film in a refugee camp for Afghan refugees in Iran. Iran had recently been named as part of the “Axis of Evil” by George Bush, which is challenged in the film by the interactions between children and their teacher. Together, both documentary evidence and personal history produce emotive and often unanticipated awareness of facts, as evident in Smithsonian website, a digital memorial that includes a collection of objects linked to the events of September 11 and the combined American experience. The collection contains a selection of photographs including “World Trade Centre Aluminum” which is contextualised in the imagery, “Tallest building in the world… gleaming exterior… golden sheen”. This contextualisation heightens the significance of the towers and propels the World Trade Centre into the realm of myth, through its extraordinary description. The curator’s comment “it stripped off and folded like wrapping paper” utilises simile to evoke a sense of fragility and vulnerabilit... ... middle of paper ... ...intains her position as one who must educate the children on the events by using the chimney. The combination of the high and low angle shots reveals the vulnerability and powerlessness of the children with the dominance of the tower symbolising the World Trade Centres. Then a high angle shot includes the children with the tower, augmented by the non-diegetic song of Islamic prayer, a fitting memorial to the people who died in the attacks. The viewer is positioned to consider the perspectives of the marginalised with the emotions emphasised in the website. Consequently, objective documentary evidence is more factual than personal history. However, it lacks the reality of personal suffering. Memory, although more subjective, is also more inclusive. This symbiotic relationship is evident in September 11: Bearing Witness to History as well as 11’09’01 September 11.
The strong relationship created between history and memory is one of a vexing nature due to deliberate selection and emphasis. It does however result in a confluence of different representations, that is, personal stories (memory) and public stories (history). Mark Baker’s biography and autobiography ‘The Fiftieth Gate: A Journey Through Memory’, explores his parents’ memories which are both verified and contradicted by Baker’s historical findings, as each asserts their claim through these different theories of representation drawing on such established criteria as evidence, accuracy, authenticity, authority and detail. Steven Spielberg’s horror-psychological thriller film, ‘Schindler’s List’ shows how amongst the abhorrence of the Holocaust, one man can make a difference for the better and leave a legacy of his generosity but it is also a question of what else he did that wasn’t emphasised due to the context of the film. Lastly, the poem ‘The Send-Off’ by Wilfred Owen expresses Owen’s personal feelings towards war which is enunciated through his strong emotive language.
Imagine walking up on the scene of that fateful day of 9/11 knowing absolutely nothing apart from the talk around you, seeing the black smoke accumulating around the World Trade Centers, hearing the blare of sirens as the police cars accelerate by. Thomas Beller knew what all those things felt like. He was a simple pedestrian riding his bike going about his everyday life when he saw the black smoke, heard the sirens, and felt the whip of the police cars speeding by. Beller had no clue what was going on when he approached the scene, but in his personal narrative “The Ashen Guy” he explains his recollection of what he experienced on that historical day. Beller uses tones such as chaotic, nervous, confused, and worry to illustrate a picture of what it was like for him to approach the World Trade Center.
The Korean War Veterans Memorial Research Paper: The Korean War Veterans Memorial is an ominous depiction of an American squad on patrol alongside a 164 foot mural wall, to show that freedom is not free. The memorial is dedicated to those who served in the Korean War but more importantly those of them who were killed in action, are still missing in action, or were held as prisoners of war. The memorial was created by Frank Gaylord and Louis Nelson. The objective of the memorial is to remind the public of the dedication to the United States of the men and women who served in the Korean War. The memorial was designed to show the trials and tribulations that many of the military personnel faced during the war.
War memorials consist of civic memorials, war cemeteries, larger national monuments, private memorials and a variety of practical designs such as parks, dedicated to remembering those involved in a conflict. Sometimes these memorials work, but other times they do not. Simply put, Camp Logan does not memorialize World War I or the fallen troops. Aside from a historical marker located on the edge of the massive Memorial Park, there are few physical remains of the camp hidden by the wooded landscape and most visitors do not know of the camp’s existence in the first place. Also, the camp played a role in some of the darkest moments in Houston history that most would rather leave forgotten. These things, especially when combined, further take away the little bit of presence that Camp Logan has in public remembrance.
On the first day after the Twin Towers fell, when the skies were silent and the country cried, a sense of patriotism was greatly increased and appreciated. Many people came from several different countries, with many different skills, but everyone who came all had one
Ask any two people if they remember where they were on 9/11 and you will receive a stunningly detailed description. However, if you ask those same two people for a detailed account of what happened that day you would receive two vastly different stories. Why is that? Well, memory is a very subjective thing. Public memory is subject to even more hazy recollections. Scholars, witness, and government officials all have different versions about the details. Often times it is artists who bring together these accounts by creating work which encourages public discussion. Two such artists are Isabelle Gardner, writer of the poem "Children Are Game " and Andy Warhol, painter of "Atomic Bomb". These two artists contribute to the collective memory of the atomic bomb by helping us grapple with its meaning. They do this by reflecting back on society the struggle of exact memory, which any society faces when dealing with such traumatic events, into their work by using cycles of memory and forgetting. Through this process Warhol and Gardner create a venue through which significant public discussion can occur about the bomb and people can discern for themselves the accuracy of the generally accepted public memory of the bomb.
Margulies, Joseph. 2013. What Changed When Everything Changed: 9/11 and the Making of National Identity. Yale University Press.
Roadside memorials are seen on the side of a street or highway often times after the passing of a loved one in a car accident. While a grave marks where a body is finally laid, the roadside memorial marks the last place where a person was alive. The memorial is usually kept up by family and close friends and is decorated with flowers, messages, and a cross or plaque. However, often times controversial, these families believe that their moral authority to remember a loved one trumps any governmental regulations set in place.
The September 11th terrorists' attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon has altered our perspective of the world in which we dwell. A nineteen year old Courage member told Fr. Harvey how she desires to reach out to everyone in these days of mourning. In doing so, she found her friends so open.
Michael Moore brilliantly manipulates the conventions of film to make the audience see and feel these political and moral issues the way he does. Moore, an outspoken loather of the President has shaped his film like a cinematic bullet, with character assassination as his priority. “Fahrenheit 9/11” shows a series of solemn images and sound bites, arranged as a critical history of the President’s actions since he took office, including the abuse of power and use of fear tactics that have been employed for his monetary and narcissistic gains. Regardless of personal political leanings, “Fahrenheit 9/11” is an amazing accomplishment of individual expression and anti-government aggression.
On September 11, 2001, foreign terrorists hijacked and deliberately crashed commercial airplanes into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington D.C. The attack and resulting loss of nearly 6000 lives have changed the way Americans view the world and life in their own country. This was mentioned to show how education is part of our ongoing culture, how schools have responded to crises in the past and how schools can promote democratic values and multicultural understanding in a time of crisis.
...elying on the time, individual, subject and other factors. These findings have technically made a vital contribution to us. For instance, juries in judiciary of law usually take Eyewitness Testimony (EWT) really solemn. However, the usage of DNA technology recently has substantiated what some psychologists have alleged for a quite long periods that eyewitnesses can be incorrect. Although memories can be astonishingly true over long periods of time, it tends to be reconstructive rather than reproductive. Memory is able to compose broad idea of previous events, however it is much more simplified and is very biased and idiosyncratic among human beings. For that reason, we should be conscious of the memory subjectivity, particularly when we count on its authenticity and precision when scripting a history, in eyewitness testimonies or even scripting a memoirs or journal.
Ida Fink’s work, “The Table”, is an example of how old or disturbing memories may not contain the factual details required for legal documentation. The purpose of her writing is to show us that people remember traumatic events not through images, sounds, and details, but through feelings and emotions. To break that down into two parts, Fink uses vague characters to speak aloud about their experiences to prove their inconsistencies, while using their actions and manners to show their emotions as they dig through their memories in search of answers in order to show that though their spoken stories may differ, they each feel the same pain and fear.
Finally, on that rainy April morning, we made our way down to Ground Zero. As we entered the church, the smell of stale books and soggy clothing filled our noses. It was that smell of just coming out of a fresh rain, wet hair and wet faces surrounded us. Booths displaying medical stations, sleeping areas, and food stations were set up. They were frozen statues, the ghosts of the events that took place on September 11th and the weeks after. We shuffled through the pews and lined ourselves up at the front of the church.
“Alabanza: In Praise of Local 100” by Martín Espada, is a poem in praise of immigrants who worked at the top of the World Trade Center. Throughout Espada’s piece, the author committed himself in representing and celebrating the lives, stories and history of those who have dealt with a tragic loss. He successfully tells a story, and respectfully shows his emotions, logic and credibility for the individuals who were involved in the attack on September 11. He does not hesitate to argue how the society has had a lack of knowledge when it came to the tragic event at the World Trade Center, because he did not find justice in labeling police officers and firefighters as heroes. His purpose was to give credit to the innocent, hardworking people who were not recognized, but were still harmed by the attack.