I think that overall, both essays did a good job of getting their respective points across. in “Slave Site for a Symbol of Freedom”, it is clearly addressed that the entire slavery issue that was associated with George Washington’s house was being glossed over. Even after this fact is pointed out, and the Park officials say that they will make another monument or at least a site commemorating slaves in another area, it is an area that receives far fewer visitors than that of the Liberty Bell. It was also interesting how that officials kept stating that further information about the site that had to do with information other than the Liberty Bell that would be added on would only confuse visitors. But the essay also provides us with choice bits of history about the site, including personal stories of at least one of the slaves that had worked there. This creates a nice balance between the knowledge that there are people that would cover up humiliating history and the real information of the site’s history.
In regards to the second essay, “The Image as Memorial”, I completely agree with the idea that it is the personal images that have the most impact. After all, a professional photographer can take a wonderfully composed picture of a scene, but there really is something in a family photo that has some sort of direct connection to the event in question. This is probably one of the best instances in which the phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words” can be used.
Filed under: assignments | Tagged: image, memorial
