Journal 6

If you had asked me at the beginning of this class if I thought tombstones were a form of everyday writing, I would have said absolutely not, but now that I have a better understanding of what it means for something to be a piece of everyday writing, I would say that tombstones are a perfect example of everyday writing. While they may not be made by the human being that it is representing, they are made in order to express a message about someone and their life, and the message on each individual tombstone is unique, in terms of the shape of the tombstone, and the font on it, in addition to the information printed on it. The whole thing creates a story for everyone who sees the tombstone to read, and to use to remember the individual it is put up in memory of. Also, since tombstones date hundreds (if not thousands) of years, it is defiantly not something that is taught by an institution.

Additionally, I agree with what Tayina said, the place and scene of a tombstone is crucial as well. Typically, the deceased person says where they would like to be buried in their will, or they picked out a plot where they wanted to be buried before they died, and that says a great deal about them. They may choose to be buried in a church cemetery, or in a private family cemetery or plot in a cemetery, or they may want to be buried in their hometown/the town where they were born. This adds to the message of the tombstone.