Life and Death

 



These past two weeks we’ve been focusing a lot on memorials and the deeper meanings to these memorials. But there was only really one that caught my attention. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial located in Washington D.C.. Previously, we were assigned to read a passage from Postcard from the Trenches by Allyson Booth. Throughout the passage there was a reoccurring idea, the relationship between corpses and corspelessness. I believe this means the balance and between life and death. In the Vietnam Memorial, the memorial is built to where it is placed in the center of a field surrounded by trees (as seen in the photo above). I’m assuming this was done on purpose to show the contrast of the dead and living, but how there is a harmony in between because there is no death without life. To add on to this the architect of the memorial Maya Lin, even said that she wanted to create an interface between “our world” and the “quieter, darker, more peaceful world beyond”. I also find the little details of this memorial to be interesting. In the first photo pictured above, the memorial is designed to where you can walk through and read all of the deceased’s names. This must’ve been what Maya Lin envisioned as everybody who walks down the memorial is reading the names of the lost veterans. Not only that though, the plaques where the names are carved into is reflective. Making the visitors feel a personal connection to their loved ones, or even strangers. This creates that interface that Maya wanted. In my opinion, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is the perfect example to the past and present.

Comments

  1. Tara TalluSeptember 8, 2024 at 5:20 PM

    I really like how you explained the contrast of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the purpose of it from Maya Lin's point of view. Knowing the thought process behind the memorial adds much more value, so for you to mention that adds to the significance of the monument.

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