I WILL REMEMBER YOU:
An analysis of remembrance
Often memorialization preserves the positive. Written on the tombstone is a summation of accomplishment; “Father, Friend, Husband” and not the immoral aspects of those relationships; “Abuser, Enemy, Cheater.” When soldiers return from war dead we recount their life through memories which all too often painfully remind us of the deceased. We do not wish to recount those that they killed in war or those that have been hurt by the individual. We simply remember their lives as distinct of their sins even daring to celebrate their death in terms of the life that preceded it and, in religions across the world, succeeds it. This brings us to the fundamental reason for memorialization, as a way of creating meaning out of someone’s life. Such is the framework we are given to understand the role of remembrance. This can be better understood by assessing the importance, uniformity, artistry and literature produced for memorialization. The importance of remembrance serves as a basis for understanding the careful effort placed into memorialization.
The Talmud (a text of law and ethics in Judaism) has a portion that reads “There are stars whose light only reaches the earth long after they have fallen apart. There are people whose remembrance gives light in this world, long after they have passed away. This light shines in our darkest nights on the road we must follow.” This isn’t simply a religious quote, often the importance of those that have died is deeply rooted in this belief that their remembrance somehow comes to us in time of need. Another text in the book of Corinthians reads “24and when he had given thanks, he broke [bread] and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." 25In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."
[i] Jesus laid out an act (communion) for which the disciples could remember him by. It was important that he be remembered in this way and the words written in Corinthians solidify his intention. We ask of ourselves now why we would consider it so important to remember the dead and these two quotes speak to that. The importance of remembrance is possibly far deeper than the formalities of a grave. The actions associated with remembrance are also incredibly important. The new question that comes of this is whether or not uniformity is possible in our remembrances (i.e. communion and other such acts).
As was referenced in Benjamin Montoya’s presentation, when dead soldiers were returning from WWI there was a strong emphasis placed on having uniformity in the graves as a symbol of national identity. This would be a “fitting” way for them to be remembered. There they would be laid to rest in symmetrical patterns with consistent emphasis on the cross. It is the living who choose to remember the dead, for the dead would hold no offense if they were to be buried in one way over another, which proves important in understanding remembrance. John W. Whitehead of the Huffington post draws an interesting distinction concerning national memorialization; “The way we take care of our veterans says a lot about us as Americans, as well as our country. These men and women put their lives on the line in order to defend the Constitution and protect the security and well-being of the United States and its citizens. For those who give their lives in the line of duty, we erect monuments in their honor. Yet those who survive are left to fend for themselves, with little help from the government.”
[ii] This brings us to ask questions about why we feel the need to memorialize the dead with more effort than we do those who are living. I would argue that it is our own way of somehow contributing to the preservation of the memory. By laying 1500 crosses on grounds in a symmetrical pattern we are preserving in visual form the beauty of life and specifically the lives of those laid to rest there. This artistic avenue of preservation can be seen globally as a means of remembrance.
It can be seen from paintings depicting Jesus and the Last Supper to statues of world leaders to the murals on walls preserving our memories of Jimi Hendrix and Woodstock. While we do remember the dead, the living are also remembered in uniform ways. Uniformity is an important way of moving towards cohesion and healing. This uniformity is evident in the arts produced for memorialization. Art is produced for the pleasure of the public and it is for this reason that art and death so often are joined together for remembrance. Often the morbid meaning of death is transformed into a beautiful piece which can be used as a lasting product of importance. Literature also often promotes a similar experience.
From obituaries to books that remember those that have died. Words hold the power for healing and for hurt. As was mentioned prior, the words that preserve the dead are generally positive except when taking into account extreme criminals or other such cases. This is our American dilemma that we seek to preserve the good before we consider the honesty of the situation. When a celebrity commits suicide, little attention is laid on the killing of oneself rather than preserving good memories. This can be seen in the example of Jimi Hendrix. His death remains a cloud of suspicion as to what his intentions were, but it is his musical capacity that he will be remembered for. Kurt Cobain of Seattle fame is believed to have killed himself and it is his work with Nirvana that will be remembered. This calls into question the motive of modern remembrance when compared to former remembrance.
Today, we face a war on two fronts. We face economic indecision on the home front. Today, someone will die. How is it that a family will choose to remember them? A website calling itself mydeathspace.com is comprised of online obituaries that are inspired by vacant MySpace pages due to the death of those people. There intent is preserve the memories of the dead. At the end of WWI there was no internet to communicate this information; there was no social networking website that allowed people to communicate seamlessly across the nation and the world. I would argue that technology has made uniformity less important. When the famous die or there is a massive death toll (September 11), thousands of blogs erupt with memorials and prayers and naturally the lonely grandmother from Tennessee will be remembered by her family and few friends. Film, internet, and television have made it nearly impossible to forget the dead of fame. However, death is not our sole avenue of remembrance. Often memorialized is great achievement.
Memorialzation in death is similar to our memorialization in life. In sports, banners are hung to preserve the memory of victory and the year in which that victory was brought about. In music, the 25th anniversary edition of an album is released. In film, awards ceremonies preserve the memory of great performances and work. In families, a graduation present is given to memorialize that milestone. In marriage, a ring is given to preserve the day of legal partnership. We choose to remember these life moments for some of the same reasons we choose to preserve our memory of the dead. Our avenue of remembrance says a lot about our meaning making. We place importance on life milestones and death alike to give us a sense of accomplishment. The above arguments and examples are meant to make the argument that memorialization, as was said at the beginning of this piece, does not preserve death but rather preserves the life that preceded it, and possibly the life that succeeds it.
[i] New International Version
[ii] "John W. Whitehead: We Remember the Dead by Helping the Living." Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post. 20 Apr. 2009
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