Talk of the Town

When the planes from the September 11 attacks of 2001 crashed into the hearts, minds, safety, and security of millions, I was almost five years old.  Although it is difficult to remember much of what happened in my life at that time and age, I can honestly say that I do remember the occurrence of 9/11.  I can still see myself standing in the narrow hallway of my home that led to my parents bedroom, wondering why my mother locked herself away in her room to ensure privacy as she talked on the phone.  She was trying to protect me and my sister from the hurt and pain that everyone else was experiencing.  I could sense that something was very wrong, but I was too young to fathom and understand an event as tragic as this.  The atmosphere in the air from that very moment and that very day was frantic and trying.  Authors John Updike and Susan Sontag would attest to this statement.  Both have written about their experience and thoughts in regards to the events that took place on 9/11, and they have expressed them in a way that contradict one another; the opinions are almost polar opposites.

On the northern side, there is the story by John Updike.  Throughout his essay he explained his own personal experience and story about what he had seen that day.  The event seemed so unreal that Updike describes it as if he were watching "the false intimacy of television."  He provides the reader with such clear images that one could almost say he or she was witnessing the moment and memory with him.  Updike personifies the attack, which makes it more visible and descriptive.  Statements such as "ballooning flame," "tinkling shiver," and "a groan of concussion" are perfect examples of the style he used.  Although it seems as if this day would never end, and the United States would be left in ruins, Updike says something that could leave a reader with a sense of hope.  When Updike states, "the ruins were still sending out smoke, but New York looked glorious," it sends out a message that says sure, we may have been hurt, but this act of terrorism isn't going to hold our country back. 

On the southern hemisphere, Susan Sontag throws down her ideas in a much more rigid and opinionated fashion.  Sontag picks apart, scrutinizes, and criticizes whether or not the United States truly "is O.K." like the government leaders had stated.  She argues her disgust with the fact that although many of America's leaders disagree with what "robotic President" George W. Bush has to say, they go along with it anyway. Because of this, Sontag argues that this country is "unworthy of a mature democracy" because decisions aren't being made in everyone's best interests; it is simply a game of follow the leader.  What a reader can take out of this essay is that even though many view the United States as a number one power, courageous, strong, and on the top, it is not okay to rely on these thoughts to believe that nothing bad could ever happen. Sontag agrees to this statement when she says, ""Our country is strong," we are told again and again.  I for one don't find this entirely consoling."  9/11 goes to show that America is not invincible; there is always vulnerability present.

Simply by reading the two articles from "Talk of the Town," it is easy to recognize that there are a number of different opinions following the attacks on 9/11.  Like Updike, some see it as a moment to remember and prosper from, and like Sontag, some people question the morals of our government and how the United States should continue forward.  However, there is a platform of middle ground.  As each calendar year ticks by, it always comes back to September 11, where we remember those who we have lost.