The first article by John Updike reminded me of what my Aunt Debi went through on September 11th. My aunt was in a meeting in a building nearby and actually saw the first plane smash into the tower. It was interesting to read these articles because I was so young at the time and it seemed that adults tried to sugar coat the truth a little bit so we wouldn't be scared. Now that I'm older watching documentaries and reading articles about the tragedy really help me understand how bad and eminence the whole thing was. I especially understood this quote: "this was not quite real; it could be fixed; the technocracy the towers symbolized would find a way to put out the fire and reverse the damage." When emergencies happen people can't help but think that everything can be fixed and nothing bad is going to happen ; everything will be alright. Sadly that feeling is rarely right, we cling to the tiniest bit of hope there is. I liked that the article was written by a bystander who witnessed 9/11 first hand, it helps explain the whole story in depth in a way that someone who wasn't there can understand.
The second article by Susan Sontag bashes American officials and the media. I agree with Sontag about the fact that everything wasn't ok, but of course the officials and the president is going to try to keep America calm and not shaken. If the leaders of our country gave up and became scared and stoped believing in America, we would have been in more trouble. After such a tragedy a country as a whole has to move on like normal and not show weakness. I appreciated how Sontag included the question: "How many citizens are aware of the ongoing American bombing of Iraq?" There are always two sides.
Interesting personal connection to 9/11, Kate: that must have been a terrifying experience for your aunt. I also like that you support your observations with quotes from the essays: this is an important aspect of academic writing.
ReplyDeleteGood job on getting your blog up and running. Make sure you keep up with the readings and the posts. Another thing to do now is check out some of the other students' blogs and leave them some feedback. A couple of comments a week would be just fine. Make sure you keep a record of where and when you comment so I can give you credit for it. A list of all the blog addresses is on my teacher web page.
Hope your summer is going well, Kate!