Memorial Dbq Essay

The factors that go into a monument should be: to have a historic event or person to memorialize, provide insight on the event, provide remembrance to the ones involved, and even memorialize a stoic figure. A historic event or person must be well known so that the people who the monument caters to can understand the story behind it. With the picture of Christopher Columbus staring into the distance, it allows the observer to recall the past and look into the future. The picture may seem to have no purpose, but the lineage behind Columbus’ name is one of the most well known in United States history (Source B). Christopher is memorialized because of his contribution to the history of America, without his contribution we may not be living in …show more content…
Many societies will come and go but “when all is lost to rust and rot, what remains may be two enormous granite oddities in the Great Plains,” (Source C) one of these monuments is a memorial for Crazy Horse; although it may seem to memorialize someone who is dead, Crazy Horse stands for the culture of the Native American people more than what he did as a person. Therefore he stands for the remaining culture that is left in the United States, not what memory we have of him. A similar theme is present with the new unveiling of the Shaq statue. He is memorialized for his play on the basketball court, but he also symbolizes the culture that involves the LA Lakers. Shaq being the figurehead of the LA Lakers was a decision agencies had to make, just like the creation of the Crazy Horse monument. They have to understand what will symbolize their culture as a whole before they plan it. The size of Crazy Horse is described as “hard not to be impressed, even moved, by this effort to honor the memory of a people,” (Source C) and the size of Shaq monument is no exception. The size and people are essential to encompass the large part they play in encompassing the culture they