September 11th, 2001 is a day that will never be forgotten. Though I was too young to remember, the heartbreak, loss, and memories will still be there for many. We are blessed to live the life we live and should not take any of it for granted. "Talk of the Town" states two strikingly different viewpoints on this terror.
John Updike shared the view from a public bystander during the falling of the towers. People's curiosity was at an all time high. "We knew we had just witnessed thousands of deaths", one of the witnesses stated. The "unfamiliar menace" was larking in the air. The public was in shock. Updike wrote the feelings with such passion and detail, it made it feel as if you were living in the moment. He also touched on the after effect of the terror. "American freedom... One of our prides, has taken a hit", Updike proclaimed. This statement is the true effect that the attack had on our country. We were the ones who took the hit. Updike took a more optimistic look on this issue and said things would be alright, unlike Susan Sontag who took a sharp turn the other direction.
In the second half of the essay, Susan Sontag very clearly stated that the public is being mislead and everything is not O.K. "The voices licensed to follow the event seemed to have joined together in a campaign to infantilize the public", Sontag reported. She believes our country is strong, but according to Sontag that is not all that is important. She wrote, "Let's by all means grieve together. But let's not be stupid together". How do we do that? There are many different opinions and answers. "Talk of the Town" has brought multiple viewpoints on 9/11, but Sontag leaves you questioning if your view is correct.
Hey Kristin! Sontag really does leave you questioning if your view on 9/11 is correct. After reading her article, it really put some ideas into my head that I have never had thought about. I never really thought about how the government kept telling everyone that it was okay when it really was not. They were hiding reality from us. That is why I thought this article was very cool for giving readers like you and I a new viewpoint on 9/11.
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