This thesis examines how a memorial’s narration, stakeholders, and assigned purposes have led to the creation of the National September 11 Memorial. This thesis argues that the stakeholders, the...Show moreThis thesis examines how a memorial’s narration, stakeholders, and assigned purposes have led to the creation of the National September 11 Memorial. This thesis argues that the stakeholders, the creators (the LDMC and the designers), financers, family advocacy groups, and politicians, have constructed a complex memorial that not only serves a cathartic or political purpose, but that also raises questions about the current state of memorialization, its purpose and urgency, in modern American society. By defining the National 9/11 Memorial as a cathartic memorial, a narrative of healing has been created. At the same time, a narrative of victimization has been assigned to the memorial. This victimization offers political capital to the American political apparatus, but also proves to be problematic for certain family advocacy groups of firefighters and policemen who perished in the attacks; these family members desire a heroic memorial to remember their loved ones. These conflicting narratives raise questions about how the memorial will be used and interpreted in the future.Show less
