Thursday, March 5, 2009

The Falling Man

September 11th was a monumental event in American history, and it has impacted the lives of many Americans. Interestingly, however, I have never seen the picture of the falling man as controversial, but this discussion has broadened my scope of the effect this event and the art and literature produced has had on people. To myself, art and literature are necessary in order to capture important events and are useful in determining why and how it happened. It is making history, before we completely understand it is history. I understand the notion that it is not glamorous or beautiful for someone to choose to take their life, but at the same token, this person was not given many options when faced with this situation. Many people found the symbolism of the falling man as a disrespect for that man's family and believed he deserved his anonimity. Although I can understand this plea, I think art can be very powerful in representing an event, as grusome as it may be. This picture is captures the essence of that horrible day, and I think it is important for others to comprehend that.

I think it is completely unrealistic and immpractical to sensor certain pieces of art and literature. Something is bound to offend someone, and that can't be the reason to limit what is produced. As we well know, it is important to learn from our past in order to choose wisely for our future. I think many people are more offended about how 9/11 is portrayed because many of us witnessed the event either firsthand in NY or on the television as is happened. In doing so, many people have a particular image or portrayal of how 9/11 has made them feel.

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