Memorial Dbq

Improved Essays
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

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    If the citizens reject it, it can lead to a loss of interest in the object as well as a swarm of controversy. “The controversy grew from Jewish and non-Jewish communities, primarily due to the fact that a museum dedicated to the memory of the Holocaust would be built in the United States, who did little to stop the Holocaust from occurring.” (Source E) Such as with the proposed Holocaust Memorial Museum in the National Mall, some citizens may take offense from the monument. This can cause an uproar of complaints as well as a loss of business to the companies around it. Additionally, the funds spent to build the structure will be wasted.…

    • 507 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    As people stroll through the park and see the monument, they would remember the impact Columbus had in history and how inspiring he was. The monument of Columbus would not be viewed as something meant to memorialize him if it was placed near a dumpster or an asylum. The location of a monument is essential to successfully memorialize a person or an…

    • 789 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    John Daniel Davidson, the author of “Why We Should Keep The Confederate Monuments Right Were They Are”, provides several arguments against the removal of the statues. One of his reasons to preserve the monuments is in the interest of honoring those who fought for their statehood and passed away. Davidson’s argument revolves around the grieving process for descending family members, and the necessary remembrance for generations to come. Davidson writes that necessity for these statues arose decades later, once many of the remaining veterans died.…

    • 1192 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Memorial Dbq Essay

    • 769 Words
    • 4 Pages

    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).…

    • 769 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Dbq Monument Analysis

    • 1275 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Again, monuments can be created to honor achievements, or they can pay homage/respect to a sacrifice made by an individual or group. A graveyard in Savannah Memorial Park is dedicated to the San Gabriel Valley pioneers who "would bring their dead along with them, preserved somehow, and bury them here" (Source D). This type of "monument" pays homage to the sacrifices and challenges that those pioneers faced. Another imperative step to perform is to decide whether or not a monument should be made in the first place. A sculpture H. Elroy Johnson posed for of him and "his favorite crustacean" waited 40+ years to finally be made into the "monument" it was supposed to be (Source F).…

    • 1275 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Having a heartbreaking breaking relic be represented by a park where children laugh and play is disrespectful. The entire importance of the antiquity would be demolished by the uptone of the symbolization choice. Similarly, the relevance and specificity is important when it comes to symbolizing something valuable. Kirk Savage wrote the published book, Monument Wars: Washington, at which consists of this excerpt. Savage asserts, ‘‘The memorial itself contains no actual relic of Lincoln’’…

    • 589 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    American Hero Dbq

    • 578 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Monuments serve as archaic examples of mortal lifespan and progressing mentality and politics. As proven by the ever-changing form of political stature or correctness, and social mentality to various figures, messagage and controversy ever depicted in the ostentatious "aura" of figuratively and literally failing monuments and depictions throughout society, time and history alike. "The monumental core of washington serves much like a pilgrimage site" (Savage Kirk; Washington D.C, The national mall, and transformation of memorial landscape. Berkely 2009. Source A)…

    • 578 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    There are monuments that have a huge sentimental meaning while others don't. There is a monument that was made that was a man holding a crustacean. Is that really that important to history that they need to actually make a moment out of it. Not really. "No one seemed to want the man and his lobster."…

    • 526 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Monument Dbq

    • 528 Words
    • 3 Pages

    As said in source A: “The public monument speaks to a deep need for attachment that can be met only in a real place, where the imagined community actually materializes and the existence of the nation is confirmed in a simple but powerful way.” The site of the monument needs to be well thought out and planned so that people will be attracted to it. This is why when planning a public monument, you need to take into consideration all people and communities that will accept where the monument would be placed. So a monument should never be built on a site where it will not be…

    • 528 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Context Of A Monument Dbq

    • 942 Words
    • 4 Pages

    On the other hand, the Savannah Memorial Park is the site of a grave, occupied by "pioneers from the Santa Fe Trail [who] would bring their dead along with them...and bury them [there]" (Source D). This site illustrates a memorial that was created as the event it showcases was happening. This makes the monument inherently more accurate, as it is not just a posthumous reproduction, but an encapsulation of actual events. Furthermore, as shown in Source E, a monument's location factors into the message its creation sends. In 2008, the United States set out to build a large but controversial Holocaust museum in Washington D.C.…

    • 942 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    But, I would like to add something-many believe we learn something from statues and I hope that is true, but I know many just glance. Maybe in the place where the statue stood there should be a sign that says what was once here, the history of that person/event, and why it was removed. Basically, I want a plaque that says we learned something. It is now taking us far too long to realize we cannot change the…

    • 342 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    By the early 20th century, military commemoration and historical sites were growing in popularity in the United States. Federal and state governments, as well as private enterprises, were purchasing large amounts of land to serve as cemeteries, reunion grounds and historical parks for the purposes of celebration and remembrance. This was especially true in the American South, where a push for Confederate memorial grounds and commemorative sites sprung up in considerable numbers after the end of the Civil War and the cooling of Reconstruction. However, the rise of commemorative sites in the South often exacerbated local political tensions and reinforced segregation problems. While this did not at first seem to be the explicit intent of Southern commemorative sites, available sources suggest these sites and events -- often established in the early 20th century and tied to other groups-- had a lasting impact on public institutions, race relations, and historical memory in Southern states.…

    • 1557 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Cherokee Nation Dbq

    • 785 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Although Memorial of the Cherokee Nation was a failed petition, it deserves recognition. When people hear the word “memorial,” thoughts of celebration or commemoration emerge. In one period of history, the term “memorial became affiliated to the fate…

    • 785 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    This is not only a debate, but it has risen to violence. Many had found the monuments offensive. An African American high school student in Charlottesville states that the student “feels the history of…

    • 575 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Oregon Trail Pioneers

    • 644 Words
    • 3 Pages

    So why should we build a monument to the pioneers? Why should we honor them, when there are thousands of other historical figures more deserving of recognition? I propose that we think of someone else to build a monument for instead. The faults and the misgivings of the pioneers are too many for them to be immortalized in stone. This cannot happen.…

    • 644 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays