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9/11 in the American Context

Min Xiang Lee

Soka University of America

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The incident that occurred on the 11th of September, 2001 has been written in the history

books as one of the biggest tragedies in American history. On this momentous day, individuals

claiming to be part of the radical Islamic group Al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial airplanes -

two headed for the World Trade Center in New York City, one towards the Pentagon in

Washington D.C, and one crashed in Pennsylvania. The most iconic and devastating

consequence of the hijacks was the crash of Flight 11 and Flight 175 into the World Trade

Center, killing close to 3,000 people in the towers and within the vicinity (History.com, 2015).

The after effects of these hijacks were the heightening of security screenings at airports, a

declaration of “war against terrorism” by then President George W. Bush, a heightened sense of

patriotism and an increase in distrust towards the Islamic community in America. This essay

assignment will explore the different visual texts which include a newspaper headline, a

photograph exhibited in the 9/11 Memorial Museum, and a public art installation by English

artist, Banksy, to determine the perception of 9/11 in the American context.

The first piece of visual text in our exploration is the headline of The New York Times a

day after the tragedy, which reads “U.S. ATTACKED. HIJACKED JETS DESTROY TWIN

TOWERS AND HIT PENTAGON IN DAY OF TERROR” (Figure 1). Established since the

early 1800s, The New York Times holds a worldwide reputation as a reliable and independent

news source. Adding to its credibility, the paper has also been awarded 114 Pulitzer Prizes,

more than any other news organization in the world. Therefore, the editor-in-chief’s decision to

print the headline with the bold words “U.S. ATTACKED” was a surprise. The headline was

printed on 12 September 2001, only a day after the hijacks and crashes, without any party

claiming to have committed the hijackings. This headline is problematic because it assumes and

insinuates that the whole nation is being under attacked, as if there is a war breaking out between

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the US and another country or organization. The public depends on the media for credible news

and thus they hold the responsibility to report based on facts, not assumptions. Hence, it can be

inferred that the headline was used to incite fear amongst the American public, even people

living in different states and thousands of miles away from the crash sites. The implication of

this news report was the heightening of American patriotism to stand up against terrorism and

the heroization of first responders who lost their lives at Ground Zero in many years to come.

Today, a 9/11 Responders Remembered Park has been established to honor the first responders

who have passed during and after that tragic event. Furthermore, multiple exhibition pieces in

the 9/11 Memorial Museum, such as an ambulance, a fire truck, and an American flag pulled

from the rubble serve as permanent pieces in the museum to honor the heroes of 9/11. The

heightening of American patriotism against terrorism is evident in an article by Lisa Daniel of

the American Forces Press Service. Daniel reports Army Sgt. Cheri Depenbrock’s post 9/11

account, quoting her saying that “It was all about the patriotism…They didn’t care about

anything else. Money had nothing do with it. I swear, I think half those kids would have joined if

we hadn’t paid them” (Daniel, 2011). Moreover, Daniel’s article also reports that there was a

sustained increase of young people’s propensity to enlist in the military right after 9/11.

Furthermore, one such exhibit at the 9/11 Memorial Museum that shows both American

patriotism and the heroization of first responders is a photograph by Thomas E. Franklin

depicting firefighters raising the American flag at Ground Zero after the collapse of the World

Trade Center, titled Raising the Flag at Ground Zero (Figure 2). This photograph is in many

ways similar with the iconic photograph captured by Joe Rosenthal, titled Raising the Flag on

Iwo Jima, and connections of patriotism and hope can be made between the two photographs.

According to CNN, Raising the Flag at Ground Zero has been widely reproduced in the form of

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postage stamps and has raised over 10 million US Dollars for the families of first responders

killed or permanently disabled while at Ground Zero (Ahlers, 2005). The picture is composed

vertically, showing three firefighters looking up at the American flag being raised on a diagonal

flag pole. Generally, only the firefighters and the American flag are colored while the

background of rubbles is greyish; this contrast shows life and death, life being color and death

being the lack of color. Moreover, the firefighters have slightly confused expressions on their

faces as can be seen with their squinting eyes. It looks as if they are questioning the validity of

the American flag. The diagonal flag pole and the confused looks on the firefighters’ face is

evident that the 9/11 incident suggests a wakeup call for America to reexamine its values and

principles. Therefore, to many this photo might be patriotic and an honor to the victims of 9/11,

but this photo can also be seen as questioning the very essence and foundation that America is

built upon. Ultimately, it is how the photograph is being displayed and shared in the media that

sets the perception of the American public.

The next piece of visual text about the 9/11 tragedy is a public art installation by Banksy,

a British artist who overran New York City with one piece of art a day for a month. During this

period of a month, Banksy created a tribute piece that resembles the 9/11 incident on a sidewalk

(Figure 3). It is uncertain when Banksy produced this piece, but it was first discovered on

October 15th 2013 in Tribeca, New York City. The silhouette charcoal art of the World Trade

Center and its surrounding buildings, combined with an orange daisy to represent the crash is

simple yet recognizable to local New York residents. There is nothing complex about this art

installation, but Banksy’s decision to place it lower than eye level and to use charcoal is an

interesting one. By placing the artwork lower than eye level, people who want to take pictures of

the artwork will have to crouch or kneel in front of it, making them look like they are praying in

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a Muslim fashion or paying tribute (Figure 4). Moreover, Banksy also chose to use charcoal to

create his artwork, which is temporary and can be washed away by rain, perhaps showing the

impermanence of pain, loss, and memory; as time went by, New York City had been slowly

rebuilding itself. The new One World Trade Center now stands at 1,776 feet above Ground

Zero, symbolizing a fresh start, freedom, and hope towards a better future. With the new tower

now erected over the once devastated Ground Zero, the memories of pain and loss are now

buried under it, serving as the foundation of today’s freedom and hope.

Having explored these three different visual texts, it can be inferred that the 9/11 incident

has been manipulated by news and government agencies to further their agendas of war against

terrorism while art is still largely independent from political motives. It is truly surprising how

President George W. Bush was able to coordinate and launch Operation Enduring Freedom just

barely a month from the 9/11 incident (History.com, 2015). This grand scale operation would

not have been possible if the American public did not have a reason to legitimize U.S. troops

entering the Middle East. Meanwhile, Thomas E. Franklin’s photograph perfectly describes the

after effects of the 9/11 incident; the confused looks on the firefighters face show that they do

not know what America is anymore. Americans are giving up their privacy and freedom in the

name of security against terrorism. America was built upon the democratic values of liberty,

equality, and justice, which are now just mere words taught in schools. In contrast, as an

individual foreign to New York City, Banksy went with a simple artwork but still conveyed his

message of remembrance and impermanence across. Nonetheless, it should be noted that

Banksy’s political stance is critical of imperialism and war, which does not align with the actions

of the US government in its war against terrorism.

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Appendix

Figure 1

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Figure 2

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Figure 3

Figure 4

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Reference

Ahlers, M.M. (2005, July 27). September 11 stamp raises $10.5 million. CNN. Retrieved from:

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/07/27/september11.stamp/

Daniel, L. (2011, Sept 8). Recruiters Recall Patriotism of Post-9/11 America. U.S Department of

Defense. Retrieved from: http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=65272

History.com. (2015). 9/11 Attacks. Retrieved from: http://www.history.com/topics/9-11-attacks