My initial interest in the topic of memory and form stemmed from my second paper for this class entitled “Memorial and Memory: The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.” The paper primarily focused on the role of living memorials in preserving memory while considering the individual nature of memory. I wanted to expand upon this idea by examining different forms of memory and their relation to two different groups of people: those who had direct memories of an event and those who did not.
This study became the basis for my paper and the overall structure of my argument. While I knew the general idea of how I wanted to approach the study, my research on the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial provided much of the structure and detail within my arguments. The varied research and commentaries available on the memorial led in a number of different directions, many of which were in direct conflict. It was by analyzing and incorporating both argument and counterargument for each form in my paper that I was able to paint a complete picture of the effectiveness of form on different degrees of memory. Additionally, concerns I worked to address with this paper were developing a strong thesis, which many readers took issue with during the drafting process, and achieving sound grammar and sentence structure throughout the paper.
JULIANNE CORBIN is a recent graduate of the Boston University Dual Degree Program majoring in Economics & Business Administration with a concentration in Management Information Systems. Originally from historic Valley Forge, PA, Julianne spent her time at BU tutoring first graders in the Boston Public School System as part of the Boston University Initiative for Literary Development. She enjoys cooking, traveling and relaxing with a good cup of coffee in her spare time. Post-graduation, Julianne will be working for Ernst & Young as an IT Risk & Assurance Consultant. This essay was written for Jessica Bozek’s course, WR 150: Reading Disaster.