In the "Empire Of Innocence" by Patricia Nelson Limerick, she tries to give different angles and views, in order to more accurately show the past. John Edgar Wideman, an African-American born in Pittsburgh to a working-class family writes an essay, "Our Time" in which Wideman clarifies his propose; to find the truths of his family's past.

While many people try to show the past, a memorial only shows the partial truth. In society, a memorial respects those from the past and also respects cultural pride.

The New England Holocaust Memorial is a six towered columns, which each tower prints the names of one million concentration camp victims, symbolizing six million Jews that died during the Holocaust. What was the intent? Is memorial representing the souls of who died and a consequence of a revenge. For example Robby anger of Garths death made be a different person, as Wideman states "My mother h

This however can be accepted on different levels. For example, Limericks evidence on research are based on primary and secondary sources which she accepts her evidence of proof. But Wideman's evidence, is based on a secondary source which is his brother and mother. There are reliable for him due to the fact of being his family, which on the other hand makes it hard for him to accept the truth. As Wideman states "He's doing wrong and he knows it but nothing I say makes any difference. He's not like the rest youall. You'd misbehave but I could talk to you or smack you if I had to and you'd straighten up. I'd listen and get angry at my brother because he was bringing danger on himself " (714). Furthermore, Wideman gets offended on what his brother is telling him, as he claims that he can't handle the truth "I have a lot to hide. Places inside myself where truth hurts" (738). This means that Wideman faces the reality of the truth in which his brother confesses, but it is hard for him to believe what Robby confessed to him. Thus, this might mean that even though truth hurts, will Wideman manipulate the truth, to benefit his brother?

Evaluating Limerick's perception of thinking in diverse ways, as claimed "It helps to think anthropologically. One lesson of anthropology is the extraordinary power of cultural persistence" (502). This means you have to think in different ways to rationalize of what the truth version is of both parts. Relating this to Holocaust Memorial, its perception has to be thought on why it was built, its location, and the reason to its creation. The reason of its construction is to symbolize an era in history which a great part of humanity lost their souls due to having a different cultural comprehension to life. However, why did it take so long to build this memorial if the Holocaust took place in the second world war? This was maybe due to the fact of other cultures not accepting this memorial or political issues.

When analyzing a memorial, its significance is normally a memory of a hero or dignity of cultures. Wideman mentions Garth as being innocent. On the other hand, when knowing that Garth is a "Ghetto boy" (709), who doesn't respect the community and law, why should such person be respected with dignity? Is Garth an example to society? On memorials cultures are respe

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Approximate Word count = 1559
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)