Photo essay
Before visiting the national monuments, I wanted to know if there was a certain way that people acted while visiting certain monuments. Was their behavior going to be the same at all three of the monuments, or was it going to change at certain ones? While walking through the Washington Monument and Lincoln and World War II Memorials, I discovered that there is a difference in ambiance between the three memorials and thus a difference in people’s behaviors.
There are three distinct differences between the three memorials. The Washington Monument is totally outside, with just stone paving around the monument. There are no signs about conduct around, and it is a generally care-free atmosphere. Kids run around while yelling, and their parents do nothing about it. There is a flag for every state in our country, but they do not seem to serve a symbolical purpose, but just to make noise. There are no emotions associated with it, therefore no undertones of grief or mortality, unlike the World War II Memorial. The World War II Memorial is partially enclosed by fifty columns, one for each state, forming a sort of half-wall around the area. Everywhere you look, you can see engravings that remind us of the soldiers that died fighting, both for our country and for our cause. When children run, they are scolded. Some people talk loudly, but for the most part, they lower their voices. The pond in the middle has small fountains that add a soft, soothing sound to the atmosphere. It almost sounds celebratory, as though they were trying to keep the mood from being too somber, like the Lincoln Memorial. At the Lincoln Memorial, there are no fountains in the reflecting pool. Aside from the ducks swimming in it, it remains still, reflecting the building that a statue of Lincoln sits in. The building is totally enclosed, minus the archways leading to the inside of the memorial. Thirty-six columns line the front and sides of the memorial, once again symbolizing states. This time, they stand for the thirty-six states belonging to the Union at the time of Lincoln’s death. The inside of his memorial is peaceful. Children do not run. Signs guard the entrance, warning visitors to be quiet and respectful. Even those who do not notice the signs proceed with closed mouths, or at least soft voices.
Why is there such a difference between the three memorials? Could it be because of their layout, or because of the significance each one is associated with? I think that it is a mix between the two. Although I didn’t find any evidence supporting this, I think that there isn’t really any significance to the Washington Monument, it’s just celebrating George Washington as our first president. That, paired with the relaxed layout of the memorial, lets people act freely. With the World War II Memorial, things are a little bit more formal. Most people go there to not just visit, but to mourn or remember people or relatives that they knew in the war. Although there is no actual building, there are a kind of walls, which makes the memorial a bit more formal. There is also a sign prohibiting certain activities, such as eating/drinking, smoking, and running while in the memorial. Even though there is no sign prohibiting loud voices, people talk softly anyway out of respect for the memorial and those it stands for. Outside of the Lincoln Memorial, there were a bunch of people sitting on the steps, having conversations, watching kids play. It was noisy, and kind of chaotic while I was trying to make my way up the stairs. But once I got inside, the mood had completely changed. Although it was the most crowded, I would not have been able to tell, judging by the noise level. Few people were holding conversations, but they were very quiet about it. If they were not at least talking quietly, they were whispering. I think this has to do with both the structure of the memorial, and because of what kind of person Abraham Lincoln was. His memorial was the most formal, with full walls and a roof. It was made entirely of marble, and there was a huge statue of him in the middle, with two of his most famous speeches on either side of him; The Gettysburg Address on the left and his second inaugural speech on the right. It also resembles something of a museum, which makes everyone quiet down immediately upon entering. But when it comes to Abraham Lincoln himself, he is the most known and is remembered for all of the great things that he did, probably the greatest being the freeing of all slaves with the Emancipation Proclamation. Ask any first grader what presidents they know- I can guarantee that one of the few will be Abraham Lincoln. Everyone knows of him and respects him, and I think that is why his memorial is given the greatest amount of respect.
All in all, I think it is a mixture of both personal feelings and people’s surroundings that make people act they way they do around certain memorials. Granted, if there is a sign saying “please be quiet and respectful,” then most people will be quiet and respectful. But what is being memorialized also has a big deciding factor in how people act. So, if you want people to act a certain way at a memorial, be sure to consider the lay out and organization of the area, the feelings that you want the visitors to feel, and make sure that you add things that will play off of or generate the desired feelings.
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