Memorial Dbq

Following momentous historic events, the population commonly desires some kind of commemoration of what has occurred. Consequently, massive monuments are often erected in the attempt to appease these desires, as well as to bring people together. Rather than achieving this goal, however, these monuments can ostracize certain populations with offensiveness or ignorance. As such, the factors that should be considered in memorializing an event or person are the significance of the event being honored and the impact of the piece on the people. Given the semi-permanence of monuments, it is imperative to determine the value of an event before memorializing it. The event must be impactful to humanity as opposed to a single person in order to create …show more content…
Those directly affected could view the creation as mockery of something distinctly part of their identities. For example, it would not appear fitting to build “a Holocaust museum in the town whose political sages refused to lift a finger to halt the Holocaust” (Source E). If this museum were created, it would only cause anguish to those affected by the Holocaust, for an event that caused the deaths of millions would be paraded as a story for people to read in a country that did nothing to help. It would turn these people into circus animals, ignored until necessary to attract viewers, as well as force them to endure the sight of misery every time they see the monument. As such, the town was dissuaded from creating the museum. Given the intense debate that the potential creation of this monument caused, future monuments could cause the same debate and same discrimination that this museum would. People would no longer feel included or respected, but rather angered at being ignored and showcased, making a monument’s impact on the population a vital factor to consider when memorializing an event. In addition to mocking these people, a monument may not be what they truly desire. In South Dakota, for instance, a monument was being created to honor a single man of Amerindian descent, but many of his tribe believed that there were “better ways to help Indians than a big statue” (Source C). Going against these people’s wishes would force the monument upon them and go against their values. It ignores their struggles in favor of grandeur, and turns a way of life into a tourist attraction. Should the monument be against the wishes of those it is meant to honor, it could appear as being made solely for attention rather than to preserve a memory. Accordingly, the reactions of the