Premium Essay

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Analysis

Submitted By
Words 1332
Pages 6
For years the United States and the world have been at war. Whether it is within the countries own borders, with a neighboring country or countries across the planet; We as humans have been been battling everything from small conflicts and massive world wars. These wars haven’t been the most beautiful thing nor have they been the worst. Most wars and conflicts have had the end goal of better the country but some haven’t been. These also bring up a different type of conflict, one of which that dwells inside each and everyone of us. Is war the right choice or not?
Vietnam Veterans Memorial One of the most notable and prominent remembrances of war is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C, which was designed and proposed by Maya Lin. …show more content…
The mural became his main focus and wanted to be portray the devastation, destruction and pain of all the innocent lives lost during that bombing campaign. Picasso had to stand on ladders and use extended poles on is paint brushes to reach the corners of massive mural that spans a whopping 11 feet long and 25.6 feet high (PabloPicasso.org, 2009). This painting uses only black and white paint with varying shade scales to bring out the dramatics of the artwork. Picasso never told anyone what the meaning of the subjects of the artwork meant but only “This bull is a bull and this horse is a horse. If you give a meaning to certain things in my paintings it may be very true, but it is not my idea to give this meaning. What ideas and conclusions you have got I obtained too, but instinctively, unconsciously. I make the painting for the painting. I paint the objects for what they are” (Arbeiter, 2015).
Guernica painting in the United Nations building. (United Nations Headquarters, N.Y., …show more content…
When the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was first proposed, most objected to it’s extreme minimalistic design. This design was frowned upon and looked at as a disgrace to those who were killed or served in Vietnam. When the memorial first opened people petitioned to have other memorials added to it so that the minimal wall was highlighted. These included a flag pole with The Three Servicemen Statue which features a 18 foot tall statue that looks towards the memorial wall. This was done so that it added to the minimal design, yet didn’t take away from the wall too much. Later the Vietnam Women’s Memorial was added, again to enhance the overall effect of the Memorial Wall. While the Vietnam Veterans Memorial shows a dedication to those who have served, something that we can look back on and remember those who are no longer with us without realizing the destruction and pain of war, Guernica does the exact opposite. The memorial wall was judged, and so was the Guernica when it first was displayed. It didn’t draw too many people to the revealing at the world fair in France (Witham, 2013). These criticisms demanded that it be replaced with something that was more traditional and able to show a better future for the

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Poetry Analysis

...“Facing It”: A Poetry Analysis The Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall in Washington, D.C. is a unique setting for Yusef Komunyakaa's poem "Facing It". Not only does the wall display the names of the American military troops who died in the war, the wall is made of polished stone so those who look at it can see their own faces reflecting off the names of the dead. By facing "it", the Memorial, the speaker also finds himself in the face of other "its", including his past as a veteran and his mixed feelings about the present. In Komunyakaa’s poem, “Facing It”, he uses imagery and metaphor to shed light on the psychological impact of war and loss. At the start of the poem, “Facing It”, Yusef Komunyakaa uses imagery to indicate his race in the first lines. He writes “My black face fades, / hiding inside the black granite" (lines 1-2). The word ‘black’ has been repeated twice in these lines, once to explain his skin color and the other in relation to the color of the war memorial. By Komunyakaa doing this he not only has made it known that he is an African American, but he also creates a connection between himself and the color of the memorial wall. He becomes one with the wall as he goes on to explain that his face “fades” and “hides inside” the granite. The outline of his face that allows him to be noticeable from the memorial vanishes, and he and the memorial have become one item. This coming together is not only on a general level, as his face goes "inside" the granite, but he is...

Words: 1125 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Why Men Love War

...William Broyles, Jr.: Why Men Love War (1984) ● In what way do the veterans feel a certain ambivalence towards the war, according to Broyles? In one way, the soldiers is raised in the believe that war is a horrible thing you and you can’t like such things. In another way, the men loved being in war. It’s gives them an intoxication, that they can’t have any other way. ● How does he portray the life of a Vietnam veteran? Invariably filled with boozy awkwardness, forced camaraderie ending in sadness and tears. ● Explain and comment on the following statement: "There were no metaphors that connected the war to everyday life." (p. 130). Vietnam veteran why talk about everyday life it makes absolutely no sense when you’ve been in war and you’ve experienced so many things and you can’t connect war and everyday life, the difference is too big. ● Explain and comment on the following sentence: "War is the enduring condition of man …" (p. 131). It is a male instinct to experience war at some point in his life. The text says; “There is a reason for every war and a war for every reason.” There is always an excuse for war. ● How does Broyles characterise himself? Why does he miss the war at some points? Djdj ● Sum up the reasons Broyles gives for why men love war. In this connection, comment on the statements below. Find more statements that explain why men love war and comment on them:    ◦ War is an escape from the everyday (p. 133)    ◦ War is a game (p. 133) ...

Words: 533 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Maya Lin

...expresses her work through objects she makes. This objects or architectural works she has done are all made so people all feel connected in the same way. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington Dc, are two black granite walls which are together linked and have engraved text in chronological order with the names of the men and women who gave up their live for this war. You see that she expresses the amount of sadness and depression in a simple black marble wall that represents much more than that; the color black represents the amount of pain people passed through this years of war and the names written in chronological order make the viewer see all the people that died and see that the person was marked in making the United States a peaceful country. The ideal she wants to express in her work is to make a place for individuals within the landscape that can connect to her artwork. The landscape art Lin makes are sculptures, parks, monuments, and architectural projects in every work of art she express the aspects of nature. In every piece of art is has done she reflects the great amount of interest she has with nature. Lin incorporates aspects of mature in her works because she feels that viewers have to think about the world we live in and the sympathetic existence that we have with nature. For example, the Civil Rights Memorial she made a sculpture of a “water table”. This water table is a flat rounded table and has the movement of water running through out the whole upper layer...

Words: 918 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Maya Lin

...expresses her work through objects she makes. This objects or architectural works she has done are all made so people all feel connected in the same way. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington Dc, are two black granite walls which are together linked and have engraved text in chronological order with the names of the men and women who gave up their live for this war. You see that she expresses the amount of sadness and depression in a simple black marble wall that represents much more than that; the color black represents the amount of pain people passed through this years of war and the names written in chronological order make the viewer see all the people that died and see that the person was marked in making the United States a peaceful country. The ideal she wants to express in her work is to make a place for individuals within the landscape that can connect to her artwork. The landscape art Lin makes are sculptures, parks, monuments, and architectural projects in every work of art she express the aspects of nature. In every piece of art is has done she reflects the great amount of interest she has with nature. Lin incorporates aspects of mature in her works because she feels that viewers have to think about the world we live in and the sympathetic existence that we have with nature. For example, the Civil Rights Memorial she made a sculpture of a “water table”. This water table is a flat rounded table and has the movement of water running through out the whole upper layer...

Words: 918 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Vietnam Memorial Review

...Anthony Chatman 8/5/2014 The Vietnam Memorial The purpose of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is to honor members of the United States Armed Forces who fought and died during the Vietnam War. The memorial consists of a 250-foot long series of polished black walls sunk into the ground. On the walls are inscribed 58,000 names of servicemen who were declared Killed in Action or Missing in Action during the Vietnam War. The names are listed in chronological order beginning at the top of the wall and visitors who come to view the names are able to see their own reflection in the black walls. The end points of the wall point to the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial. A few feet away from the entrance to the wall is statue of three soldiers in clothes that would be exactly as they would have been during the Vietnam War. They are called “The Three Soldiers.” The wall evokes diverse individual reflections on the Vietnam War because of its design. The wall is among the most famous monuments to American history on the Washington Mall, its difference from other forms of memorial reflect the controversy surrounding the Vietnam War. The Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial, are both designed with pillars and white granite, and is are seen. The Vietnam Memorial however, is not visible until you are almost on top of it. If you approach it from behind it almost disappears into the land. The memorial represents the stigma brought upon veterans returning home from the war. The wall...

Words: 740 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Yusef Komunyakka Facing It Poem

...Facing It Vietnam War veteran, Yusef Komunyakka describes a direct experience into his emotions when he went a visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in the poem Facing It. In the poem Facing It, Komunyakka caught my attention because of the title, and how Komunyakka explains the meaning of his title, by the types of speech he has in his poem, and how he describes the wall. Komunyakka’s figurative launuage in this poem drives home the speaker’s feelings and memories that he is encountering at the war memorial, Yusef starts the poem off with an example of visual imagery. He states, “black face fades.” This tells us that Yusef is African American, and it also tells us the key word fades, meaning that he wasn’t the only person affected by the...

Words: 715 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Maya Lin Memorial Analysis

...What I overall admire with Maya Lin’s design is that she made it about the veterans, she wanted it to be about the people and not the politics. The memorial would be about honesty, for people to be able to accept the pain and death, to admit and overcome it. Her design was fairly simple, but for a memorial that her essay described much more then simplicity, it would win the contest. Her design was underground, and on the black surfaces that represented the black surface of the earth (the earth polished) would be carved all the names in chronological order of those Veterans. With Maya Lin’s original idea, she received offensive and hateful comments and criticism. Due to Lin being not only a young woman but an Asian woman some people felt that...

Words: 258 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

How the Visual Arts Communicate

...The Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall was constructed in 1982 in Washington D.C. and designed by Maya lin. This wall honors the service members who died fighting in the Vietnam War. During the 60’s over one third of Americans were against the war. Because of this, there were groups that lead anti-war protests. Many of these people where again the war because of the draft. I have known many people that where drafted during this time. One of those people was my farter who joined the Air Force because his draft number was up and served in the Vietnam War. I can remember walking in a mall with my dad in the mid 70’s and a woman yelling at him calling him a baby killer. I was only eight or nine at the time but I can still see her yelling today. This is why the wall is so very important to Vietnam Veterans. This wall shows that over fifty eight thousand men and women died for their service during this war. This wall is more than just a large piece of art for many people it is a memorial of their loved ones and friends. The Raft of the Medusa is a painting based on an event during the artist Theodore Gericault’s lifetime. The event was a ship call the Medusa stuck a sand bar and had to be abandon. The captain only let wealthy and well-connected people use the lifeboats. This forced the rest of the crew to make a raft out of parts of the ship. The rate at one time held 149 people but only fifteen survived to rescue. Shortly after their rescue five more die. The painting shows a makeshift...

Words: 355 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Maya Lin Vietnam Veterans Memorial

...Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Maya Lin, 1982. Maya Lin's "Vietnam Veterans Memorial," is a monument in Washington D.C. honoring those who perished in the Vietnam war. It is comprised of two large black polished slabs of stone, which connect perpendicularly to create a recessed v in the side of the Earthen landscape. The names of the fallen and missing soldiers are etched into the stone. "Vietnam Veterans Memorial" is a groundbreaking composition and a first of its kind, but it is also reminiscent of ancient Chinese art because of the connection made with nature. "Chinese society, basically agricultural, has always laid great stress on understanding the pattern of nature and living in accordance with it" (Silbergeld & Sullivan). The memorial reminds...

Words: 348 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Maya Lin: The Vietnam Veteran Memorial

...work, and journey as an artist, I could not help but feel a sense of admiration at the great strides that she has taken as an artist. Initially, while I familiarized myself with Lin’s work, I was surprised that her journey as an artist began several decades ago. My amazement was specifically influenced by the reality that while she was just a 21 years old student at Yale, in a period where immigrants were sidelined in most areas of society, she managed to excel and create a design that outdid her competition. Her journey in designing the Vietnam Veteran Memorial, which is now my most favorite piece of monument, is nothing short of inspirational. While watching the videos and explanations by Lee Mock and Anne Wagner, I could understand that while the piece may seem to have been a simple project, it was more than that. The monument became her tribute, and subsequently, that of America, which could finally pay homage to the fallen heroes of the Vietnam War. Through her symbolic V-shaped design that descends into the ground, visitors to the monument can...

Words: 772 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

The Black Wall: The Vietnam Memorial In Vietnam

...The Black Wall The Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C., is a memorial to the dead and missing men and women who served in the Vietnam War in the late 1960’s and mid 1970’s. This war was hated by a majority of Americans and the returning soldiers bore a lot of the people’s bitter anger. Their memorial is a triumph of the veteran’s tribute to their fallen fellow soldier. Jan Scruggs served in this war and often had nightmares of the death of his comrades. He finally decided to build a memorial for them, listing all the names of those killed and missing. But how to get the necessary funds? And who would design it? Finally, why would Americans want to build a memorial anyway? Jan went ahead. He gave speeches, held meetings and...

Words: 801 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Cemetaery Anthropology

...Pamela Kofton ANT 102 Cultural Anthropology Fall 2012 Ellsworth Center Marlboro Cemetery Lamoine, MaineThis old time cemetery in Hancock County, Maine seems, at first glance, to be a forgotten patch of Maine woods. Adjacent to a new housing development, Marlboro Woods with large homes spread out on Ldyia's lane, a seemingly bustling neighborhood of the future, an overgrown woods path leads to an entrance marked with a bent iron gate attached to stone pillars and delineated by a wire fence. Marlboro Cemetery is located in Lamoine, Maine off Route 204 (called Partridge Cove Rd) approximately 4.4 miles from the intersection of Rt 184 and 204. Turn left onto Lydia's Lane, drive approximately 0.1 miles. There is a path to the cemetery on the right. The cemetery is named Marlboro Cemetery. Marlboro is a village which was incorporated into the town of Lamoine. Although a number of gravestones do display Christian symbols, there seems to be no obvious church or religious affiliation represented, leading me to deduce this cemetery was used by all town members. There are a total of twenty two surnames represented with no prevailing ethnicity. Wives are buried with their husbands showing this is a patriarchal society. Most stones are crafted from the local granite with a few different types unrecognizable to me. Surnames Represented in Marlboro Cemetery (QTY) | Bowden (2) | Bragdon (6) | Closson (1) | Corey (1 + 1 Dog) | Ford (5) | Frye...

Words: 1153 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

The Military, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Personality

...The Military, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, and Personality Jaye Crouse Northcentral University Dr. Claire Clifford PSY8100 Jul 20, 2014 Introduction The field of personality psychology has developed out of the necessity to know why people act, feel, and think like they do, to analyze their inward and outward motivations, and to discover where behaviors originate. It is the age-old debate of nature versus nurture that is found in many psychological theories and personality is no exception. Some researchers are convinced that the structure of personality is uniform and personality traits are universal, fundamentally heritable, and comprised of broadly defined dimensions where cultural, social, and gender influences are irrelevant and personality traits are fairly stable (Cattell, Eber, & Tatsuoka, 1970; McCrae & Costa, 1997: Terracciano & McCrae, 2006). Other psychologists such as humanistic and positive psychologists believe quite the opposite and contend that humans are essentially good with free will to make choices, change outcomes, and seek out opportunities to enhance their quality of life with the goal of self-actualizing, making personality a more fluid and less deterministic perspective with a focus on values, resiliency, and subjective well-being (Cloninger, 2013). Other researchers such as Freud, Adler, Horney, and Jung believe culture, society, and environment are profoundly important influences on personality (working in tandem...

Words: 7789 - Pages: 32

Free Essay

Vietnam Tourism Marketing Strategy

...VIETNAM TOURISM MARKETING STRATEGY TO 2020 & ACTION PLAN: 2013-2015 (PROPOSED) Executive Summary Developed by: European Union funded Environmentally & Socially Responsible Tourism (ESRT) Capacity Development Programme Vietnam Tourism Marketing Strategy To 2020 & Action Plan: 2013-2015 (Proposed) Executive Summary Page 1 © 2013 Environmentally and Socially Responsible Tourism Capacity Development Programme This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union funded Environmentally and Socially Responsible Tourism Capacity Development Programme (ESRT). The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the ESRT programme and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union. The European Union and ESRT do not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this publication and accept no responsibility for any consequence of their use. By making any designation of our reference to a particular territory or geographic area, or by using the term “country” in this document, ESRT and the EU do not intend to make any judgements as to the legal or other status of any territory or area. ESRT and the EU encourage printing or copying exclusively for personal and non-commercial use with proper acknowledgement of ESRT and the EU. Users are restricted from reselling, redistributing, or creating derivative works for commercial purposes without the express, written consent of ESRT and the EU. Environmentally...

Words: 10550 - Pages: 43

Free Essay

Sally's Dilemma

...Editor Case Abstracts Cases “Sally’s Dilemma: Making Tough Choices in Collaborative Visioning” Karl A. Hickerson, David J. O’Connell & Arun K. Pillutla, St. Ambrose University “The Death of a Salesman Revisited: Part A” Herbert Sherman, Long Island University & Daniel James Rowley, University of Northern Colorado “The Death of a Salesman Revisited: Part B” Herbert Sherman, Long Island University & Daniel James Rowley, University of Northern Colorado “Customer Service at the Jewish Community Center” Edward Demarais, Salem State College, Sandra Sheckman, & Gina Vega, Salem State “The Frozen Production Line” Anton Massman, U.S. Air Force, Elaine Davis & Janell M. Kurtz, St. Cloud State University “Dow Chemical and Agent Orange in Vietnam” Cedric Dawkins, California State Polytechnic University – Pomona Membership Form Page 2 The CASE Journal Volume 4, Issue 2 (Spring 2008) EDITORIAL POLICY The audience for this journal includes both practitioners and academics and thus encourages submissions from a broad range of individuals. The CASE Journal invites submissions of cases designed for classroom use. Cases from all business disciplines will be considered. Cases must be factual, and releases must be available where necessary. All cases must be accompanied by an instructor’s manual which identifies the intended course, relevant theoretical concepts or models that can be applied, and the research methodology for the case. The instructor’s manual should...

Words: 31523 - Pages: 127