A Deeper Meaning to Memorials


I’ve visited many memorials throughout my life, but I have never thought much about them. I just assumed they were built to commemorate fallen soldiers. Under that impression, when my AP English teacher said that we were going to analyze war memorials, I was a little skeptical. What was there even to analyze? Aren’t they pretty self-explanatory? However, after the class discussion, it became very evident that there was significance in all aspects of the memorials. The Marine Corps War Memorial, for example, has a base made out of rough granite. This material is used because granite is usually smooth, implying that people believe war is positive as it allows individuals to gain freedom and/or rights. However, the reality is that war results in large amounts of casualties, which is depicted through the roughness of the granite. Also, the faces of three surviving soldiers were molded into the memorial. The purpose behind this was not only to acknowledge the dead, but to also recognize the great courage and bravery all the soldiers demonstrated in the war. Another example presented in Postcards from the Trenches are arches. As booth stated “the missing body is marked by unoccupied space,” the arches are used to symbolize soldiers without the presence of their body. After this week, I learned that every feature, whether it be the materials used or the design of the memorial, holds great importance in understanding the meaning behind the memorial.

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