Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, was targeted to be bombed on April 19, 1995 by a truck full of explosives parked out front. Over 300 other buildings were affected or destroyed in the explosion as well, this ending up with an overall death count of 168 people along with 650 more injured. The bombing was known as the worst terrorist attack on American soil up until six years later on September 11, 2001 (History.com) In this report I will be going over Edward T. Linenthal’s book “The Unfinished Bombing: Oklahoma City in American Memory”. I will write about his thoughts and view points over the subject as well as comparing and backing them up with other sources. The Oklahoma bombing was a tragic time for all of America,
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He focuses in on three different narratives overall progressive, redemptive, and toxic; he then goes into detail on each of them explaining what they focus on and there points. The progressive narratives focused on the disasters Oklahoma had faced in the past and how they survived and conquered them just like they would with the bombing. These types of writings gave people hope and encouraged them to do anything they could in order to help. The redemptive narratives took a religious view point in telling the story. Faith grew with in the communities and they were all brought as one, religious barriers were broken down and forgotten in the victim’s time of need. Redemptive narratives gave people something to believe in while giving them the helping hand of God to get them through the darkness. The Last narrative Linenthal talks about is a toxic narrative; which focuses in on what affects the bombing had on people emotionally and physically. He tells a story about a grandmother, Jannie Coverdale, who maintains her grandson’s, Aaron and Elijah, room even after losing them from the terrorist attack. Narratives like the toxic narrative gave insight to people about how much victims really had suffered from the attack and it enlightened them on the tragedy on April 19,
He focuses in on three different narratives overall progressive, redemptive, and toxic; he then goes into detail on each of them explaining what they focus on and there points. The progressive narratives focused on the disasters Oklahoma had faced in the past and how they survived and conquered them just like they would with the bombing. These types of writings gave people hope and encouraged them to do anything they could in order to help. The redemptive narratives took a religious view point in telling the story. Faith grew with in the communities and they were all brought as one, religious barriers were broken down and forgotten in the victim’s time of need. Redemptive narratives gave people something to believe in while giving them the helping hand of God to get them through the darkness. The Last narrative Linenthal talks about is a toxic narrative; which focuses in on what affects the bombing had on people emotionally and physically. He tells a story about a grandmother, Jannie Coverdale, who maintains her grandson’s, Aaron and Elijah, room even after losing them from the terrorist attack. Narratives like the toxic narrative gave insight to people about how much victims really had suffered from the attack and it enlightened them on the tragedy on April 19,