Journal #6

Tombstones and Richard Morris, through his article entitled “Death on Display,” help us to understand that everyday writing involves a rhetorical situation. In the case of death and tombstones, the problem in question is death, and we, as humans, cope with this problem through “gravescapes,” which commemorate a person who was lost, while also reminding future generations of the morals and traditions of a past culture. Furthermore, “gravescapes” around the time of colonization were exposed to a relatively local audience as they “were located at the community’s center…and uniformly presented visitors” with a lasting message that one’s time on this earth is limited and that a spiritual world awaits us after death. Another element of everyday writing that is reflected in tombstones and “gravescapes” is place/scene. The location of “gravescapes” is often viewed by the living as a place of sanctity and a place that is not to be disturbed. The sanctified locations of “gravescapes” determine the overall setting and the mood with respect to the audience through the consequential designation of an escape for the living from ephemeral temptations and the final stage of the journey for the dead towards judgment. As Brandon mentioned in his journal, tombstones are made to elicit a certain response, which is grief. However, I would like to argue that although tombstones can initially be connected to an individual’s grieving over a recently deceased loved one, over time that tombstone’s visitor will most likely associate the tombstone with their memory of their loved one. For most people, grief subsides after losing a loved one and what remains are the memories that you have of that person. Often, a tombstone or “gravescape,” among other things, can elicit these bittersweet memories.