Purpose of Remembrance

Dive into a situation where a loved one has died in a tragic event and is soon remembered through a simple memorial. The structure of the memorial, the time it took to make it, and the process of how it was made all affect how we view our loved ones. But why? Why does the way one is commemorated hold tremendous value for his or her loved ones?

To begin, war memorials date back to 1438, when they were made in the United Kingdom to pray for those killed in the ongoing war with France. Ever since then, the use of memorials has spread internationally and are now commonplace. Memorials have a variety of structures, forms, and meanings. For example, Edwin Lutyens, a famous French architect, designed the Thiepval Memorial to remember the 73,501 who went missing after fighting the Battle of the Somme. He incorporated three arches because he believed "absence is rendered in a way that constitutes gigantic presence" (Booth 3). This is merely one of many reasons why memorials bring back the true, but imaginative,  presence of our loved ones. They bring back heartful memories about the loved one and make one appreciate and cherish him/her more than ever. Each part of a memorial adds to a greater meaning to the family or friends of the loved one. 
Thiepval Memorial In France

Memorials are meant to bring tranquility to the heart of one who holds a substantial burden. More importantly, memorials help to unite families of the loved ones and bring them together through times of grief. These monuments have universal and paramount value as they can readily be understood by anyone. Even though some memorials are far more developed than others, at the end of the day, everyone commemorated through memorials is treated equally despite their actions, race, and personality. However, for the family of the soldier or civilian being commemorated, the form may have an impact on how the family remembers him or her. A more meaningfully built monument has the ability to alleviate the gloom from one's life. 

Comments

  1. UnknownSeptember 17, 2017 at 1:37 PM

    What memorials do you believe to be the most meaningful ?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Claire YSeptember 17, 2017 at 1:39 PM

    Wow Sahita! You really dived in deep. Have you ever connected with a memorial?

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownSeptember 17, 2017 at 2:20 PM

    Sahita! I really liked the point you discussed about memorials being universal, and I definitely agree. No matter what country you're in, the significance of memorials never changes. What is one memorial that you've visited that especially impacted you?

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownSeptember 17, 2017 at 2:37 PM

    I loved your use of pictures; they really allowed me to understand the different aspects you mentioned! Also, I liked your idea that no matter how extravagant the memorial is, in the end, it still has the same meaning: to commemorate one's loved ones. Have you ever visited two extremely different memorials, yet felt the same sense of remembrance?

    ReplyDelete
  5. UnknownSeptember 17, 2017 at 5:11 PM

    I really liked the diction you used with words such as "commonplace" and "paramount". You effectively utilized them in your analyses. I also enjoyed the structure of your blog, pondering upon a broad question and continuing to attempt to answer it. This structure made it very easy for me to understand your thoughts.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Preethi KumaranSeptember 17, 2017 at 6:15 PM

    I loved how you talked about the history of memorials and the amount of thought and complex planning involved in making them. I agree with your statement that all memorials are for everyone since their meaning always holds true. Which types of memorials do you think are the most impactful?

    ReplyDelete

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