Synthesis Essay: The Importance Of Designing A Monument

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There are many ways to memorialize a person or event. One can write a song, piece together a scrapbook, or design a monument to commemorate a special person or an event. A monument, through careful consideration of its location, size, material, and purpose, can effectively pay homage to deep sacrifice or honor moments of great achievement.
When a group or agency first contemplates memorializing an event or person through a monument, they should consider location. A beautiful park or a place where the person held close to their heart can elevate the meaning of the monument. A monument of Christopher Columbus stands tall in Riverside Park in Eaton, Pennsylvania (Source B). Seeing his monument while strolling under the trees on a sunny day in …show more content…
The size of the monument or museum is important to ensure that the person or event being commemorated gets the proper amount of remembrance. After the decision to build a Holocaust Museum in the Mall in Washington, D.C. was made, protesters began debating that the design plan was too large (E). The purpose of the museum was to remember the Holocaust, “not to overpower the Mall or its visitors” (Source E). By downsizing the museum, they were able to create a place of remembrance without overpowering the other memorials and monuments in the Mall. The material of a monument can also help provide the right sense of remembrance. When designing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., Maya Lin put much thought into the material of the monument. She chose “black granite in order to make the surface reflective and peaceful” (Source G). The mirroring effect of the Granite helped to create a world of reality and a world of remembrance. Her choice of material helps to complete the feeling of sorrow while remembering the bravery of those who served in Vietnam. The material and size of a memorial can greatly change the feeling of remembrance and its effect on those paying change to an event or
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