In Making the Memorial, I felt truly sympathetic toward Maya Lin and the situation she had to go through for creating the monument. The reasons she gave for her idea of the memorial and the medium really made sense to me after reading the article.
I have been to the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington D.C and I have always felt curious to why she chose to use black granite rather than something more traditional like white marble. Her goal was to make the surface reflective and peaceful and create a mirrored effect. Indeed, she did create the illusion of two world, "one we are a part of and one we cannot enter." The black granite was pretty subtle and somehow creates the idea that it is part of the earth.
The idea that she described as "taking a knife and cutting into the earth, opening it up and initial violence and pain that in time would heal. The grass would grow back, but the initial cut would remain a pure flat surface..." Her description makes you think that its a brilliant idea that could not have done any better. The Vietnam War was not a very proud moment in our history and there are still veterans out there that continue to feel the pain. All the violence was uncalled for and gone but the wounds still remain. It just makes sense that the granite would give the illusion as if it were part of the ground because the war did leave wounds and pain...but in time that would heal, leaving a scar and a memory behind.
Maya Lin did an excellent job in emphasizing the names of everyone who served in the war. So many precious, innocent lives were lost during this war and it would only be appropriate to remember them, individually. "The ability of a name to bring back every single memory you have of that person is far more realistic and specific and much more comprehensive than a still photograph..." It is true, there is something meaningful about seeing and hearing a person's name. I've heard it described in many different occasions by people who have lost loved ones that hearing a person's name really hits home.
I understand that such a monument would cause controversy because it was an unpopular war but it was wrong for it to be judged as "too Asian". When I read this, I became really upset. I couldn't believe that this piece that was meant to unite, would be judged just because it was created by a certain person. Great ideas should never be discarded because of the person who thought of it, that doesn't take away from the fact that it is still a great idea.
One example that came to mind was of Albert Einstein. No one discarded his great ideas and contributions to World War II just because he was from the enemy country. I understand that ignorance still exists in the world but judging her monument, which was meant to be neutral, was wrong.
Knowing the meaning behind the monument really helped me better understand it and I can't wait to see it again.