When I initially signed up for this class, I thought it would be interesting enough to fill my art FDR class. However, the past three weeks learning about memorials have completely changed my viewpoint and made me reconsider every one that I pass by. It is interesting how we talked about the Robert E. Lee statue in Richmond and how people walk by it without really noticing it, because I have definitely done the same thing with other memorials. Now, I am much more aware of where they are located, what they represent, and what narrative they are telling. The biggest takeaway I have from this class so far is how frequently narratives are altered based on who is constructing a memorial. Since our trip to VMI, I have kept thinking back to the statue of the superintendent and wondering if, by memorializing Francis Smith as an intellectual, VMI is trying to cover up the fact that he was incredibly racist. It also makes me wonder what other narratives are hidden in memorials that I see frequently. Even Lee Chapel tells a certain narrative, and whether it is the fact that we want to diminish in our memories his role in the Confederacy, or the fact that Lee himself wanted to move past it, there is definitely and intentional narrative being told of him as president of W&L. To me, that is the most interesting thing we've discussed this semester.
One major question that I have is the role of commercialism in memorials. We have touched on it a bit, but I wonder if it plays a larger role than most people realize. Does it take away from the memorial itself, or enhance it by people either 1) buying something to leave at the memorial or 2) taking a piece of the memorial home with them? Is leaving mass produced items sold on site different than the mass produced items that people bring themselves? Is this an industry that takes advantage of grieving people?
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