Lincoln Memorial Dbq

The history of commemorating and celebrating lives or moments in history dates back to the Neolithic Period. Often the actual shrine will withstand the winds of time, but as society's perceptions of a person or event can shift from when the remembrance was first erected, the desire to keep the memorial of an infamous individual or the atrocity perpetrated in a war can lead the monument to become an unpleasant reminder. Although monuments embody a way to capture an understanding of an iconic personage, or occasion in history and cast it in marble, granite, and bronze, they are often controversial. So individuals need to research the subject intensively and carefully consider the location, the medium, and the design to be sure to depict an incorruptible

representation.
To start, before erecting a monument, the builders must carefully choose the site, building materials, and the design but most importantly be sure that the person or event is ethically represented.

Indeed, America celebrates heroic people and just wars to commemorate their achievements and honor their deeds, so an exceptional and honorable monument generates an aura that stirs an emotional response. As an example, an iconic memorial that pays tribute to the 16th president is the Lincoln Memorial that gazes out over the Reflecting Pool and symbolizes the American doctrine of democracy. To honor the man who reunited the country, Congress “provided a commission to secure plans and designs for a monument or memorial to Abraham Lincoln” (Source F). In 1911, the “Arts and Progress Journal,” the author (name unknown) described the tremendous amount of money that had been apportioned: $2,000,000 for the erection of the monument. The writer explains that this constitutes the largest sum spent to date, due to the monuments combination of “grandeur and beauty” (Source F). As a result, Americans' witness how the creators built a “pure representation” that engenders in any visitor to sustain an “experience [that] marks it as extraordinary and authoritative” (Document A). With the use of marble as the material, the memorial was built with the viewer recognizing that this exceptional monument will endure the ravages of time. The sheer enormity of the tribute evokes feelings of awe and the

reverence with which we view the heroic man. In addition, the magnificent monument of Abraham Lincoln epitomizes all that is extraordinary about a memorial. However, in discussions of The Lincoln Memorial, a controversial issue is whether Lincoln's actual intent in fighting the Civil War was to free the slaves. While some argue that he was fighting for the belief that all men are created equally, others contend that he was just referring to wealthy white men, and that in fact, on September 18, 1858, he specifically asserted during the Douglas/Lincoln Debates: “I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races.” In many historical documents, the actuality that Lincoln was not an abolitionist nor did he believe in equal rights for everybody is distinctly demonstrated. My own view is that the Lincoln Memorial is, without a doubt, an impressive monument, nevertheless, I still contend that Lincoln's message is not genuinely represented. (Agreeing and Disagreeing Simultaneously) I claim that if people are going to honor or commemorate an event, the monument must be honestly depicted.
Furthermore, before erecting a monument, the builders need to carefully scrutinize the period or person they desire to memorialize to be confident it will be well received and worthy of acclaim because there is no finality to history, as historians unearth more information that can change perceptions. Often memorials are built without much insight into the possible repercussions of producing them, and controversy surrounds them. For example, the carved sculpture of Crazy Horse has had mixed reactions. Many Americans state that it was an astounding concept to commemorate a Native American hero. On the other hand, other people, including many Native Americans, believe that the carving will do nothing to help their society and is a colossal waste of valuable money that is only defacing a mountainside. In a New York Times article describing the construction of the memorial, Lawrence Downes wrote, “Kelly Looking Horse, a Sioux artist I talked with as he sewed a skin drum at Mount Rushmore, said there were probably better ways to help Indians than a big statue”(Document C). It is absurd to think that an extravagant memorial would ameliorate the decimation Americans' perpetrated on the groups of Native Americans. It is an ironic monument that reminds the world that American citizens are continuing to sully the grace and beauty of the mountains which towered over and watched as the white men perpetrated their wrongs. Thus, Downe's article conveys the message that perhaps this monument was not a well-received tribute to Crazy Horse and that the 30 years of effort by the artist is a considerable waste of time and money, especially since the carving is not near completion. Furthermore, examples of memorials which honor an undeserving figure are statues of Christopher Columbus. In recent discussions of Christopher Columbus monuments, a controversial issue has been whether they should be dismantled. On the one hand, some argue that it is too expensive to take them down. From this perspective, the nation is leaving up the memorial because that is the cheapest solution. On the other hand, however, others argue that the statues are being vandalized and that it is embarrassing for the nation to have monuments to false heroes. One particular highly controversial remembrance represented by the photograph of the statue of Christopher Columbus in Riverside Park, Easton, Pennsylvania. All over the country, monuments to Columbus are being desecrated and torn down. As Americans learn about Christopher Columbus, they are discovering that he was not the man our textbooks painted him. First of all, he did not discover America. Secondly, he horribly and violently mistreated Native Americans to the point that when his superiors learned of his misdeeds, he and his brother were taken in chains back to Spain. Therefore, there was a good reason as to why he died penniless and without acclaim. If the individuals building the monuments of Columbus scattered across the country had done their due diligence in finding out the facts about Christopher Columbus, there would not be the need for the controversy and the high expense needed to take down the statues of the illustrious man (Source B). Consequently, it is incumbent on the people to ensure that the period or person they want to memorialize is deserving because a monument is a lasting memorial that makes a profound statement.
A monument that epitomizes the choice of location, medium, design, and message is the Vietnam War Memorial, despite the fact that there was controversy when it was built.

No one disputes that the fact that successive presidents embroiled the US in the Vietnam War does not reflect well on America. The proxy war ended with over one million people dead and about 5,700 Americans which doesn't include soldiers that are still missing. In spite of the enormous controversy over the United State's reasons and actions in the war, Americans believe it is of vital importance to honor our fallen soldiers. Therefore, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund hosted a contest for a monument design. There were specific qualifications that included, “all the names of those missing and killed (57,000) must be a part of the memorial; the design must be apolitical, harmonious with the site, and conciliatory”(Document G). In a class at Yale, the professor had his students fulfill the requirements of the competition. A student Maya Lin received a “B” for her entry, yet she won first place because the jurors unanimously agreed that her design exactly matched every one of their visions of the monument. Moreover, the location of the piece was central to Lin's design. With great specificity, she placed the tandem walls, “[...] so that one pointed to the Lincoln Memorial and the other pointed to the Washington Monument. By linking these two strong symbols for the country, I wanted to create a unity between

the nation's past and present” (Document G). Furthermore, the design and placement make it especially compelling to the viewers:
It would be an interface, between our world and the quieter, darker, more peaceful world beyond. I chose black granite in order to make the surface reflective and peaceful. I never looked at the memorial as a wall, an object, but as an edge to the earth, an opened side. The mirrored effect would double the size of the park, creating two worlds, one we are a part of and one we cannot enter (Document G).
In addition, when looking at the memorial one can see their reflection and are reminded that the passing of life is inevitable and that it can be tranquil. Moreover, the way that the memorial conveys the names of the soldiers who died in the Vietnam war is especially potent (Source G). The black wall embedded in the side of a grassy hill holds all of the names of soldiers for the public and families to see and touch. The kinesthetic and visual result of the multitude of names becomes a way to “bring back everything someone could remember about a person.” Lin's structure elicits intense emotions in its viewers, whether they see loved one's names or feel a universal sadness for a soldier whose life ended earlier than necessary by the atrocity of war. Even though the judges all agreed that Lin met the requirement of an apolitical monument, like the war itself, many people had differing opinions. Some people complained that the monument only honored the dead heroes and not the soldiers who survived the war. Others protested that the black marble combined with the fact that it is sunken into the earth made the remembrance depressing. Against the creator's wishes, two additional traditional statues were appended in an attempt to quiet the complaints and controversy surrounding the memorial. I disagree with the naysayers, as the War Memorial is one of the most magnificent designs I have ever encountered. To me, the commemoration looked like a gash in the land and that represented the terrifying film depictions I had viewed of guerilla warfare. (Disagreeing, With Reasons).
The creation of monuments can be very controversial and upsetting to viewers who disagree with the design or message. When designing memorials, one must keep in mind the area, the materials, and the artistic blueprint of the idea as all the components work together to illustrate an honest grasp of the person and events in which the memorial aims to commemorate. Therefore, creators need to educate themselves excessively about the individual in which they to plan to idolize. Although, it may be a better idea to redirect attention and money into aiding the survivors instead of pouring money into monuments.