Journal #6

I believe that tombstones can be considered everyday writing. Last week we talked about the main aspects of everyday writing, including purpose, setting, and informality. As pointed out in the article, the purpose of tombstones has changed over time. Where once they were used to reinforce the afterlife and its importance over the body, along with the idea that "the negation of this life is the beginning rather than the end", it later became a way for people to remember the life of a loved one, as Cristina mentioned. The setting of a tombstone is also a factor that makes it everyday writing. At first they were placed only near churches, forcing people to "remember death". Then some people decided to fence tombstones off to "separate the living from the dead", and now people can choose how and where they will be buried. A great example of this was Claire's friend's grandmother, who wanted to be buried in Ireland, rather than the country she died in. This choice of setting says something about the person and their life. It affects the audience and the reaction elicited, as anyone visiting her grave would know how much effort was put into getting her back to her homeland.
The informality of tombstones is key in making them everyday writing. If the tombs were manufactured in mass quantities and given inscriptions in the same way, they would not be considered everyday. Tombs can be made out of different materials, into different shapes and sizes. They can be plain or elaborate, they could have only the name and dates of a person or could include information about who they were in their community. They are usually personalized by a loved one or from their own designs in their life. Because they have a specific purpose, a meaningful setting, and are not industrialized, tombstones are informal and can be considered a part of everyday writing.