Summary Of Michael Lewis The Decline Of American Monuments

Michael J. Lewis gave a lecture at Hillsdale college in Michigan in 2012 that was later adapted to the article “The Decline of American Monuments and Memorials.” This article was published by the college. The goal of article is to convince the audience that the recent generations of monuments and memorials are on a decline regarding their design and concept, and to inform readers the reason why the decline has occurred.
Lewis has is PHD from the university of Pennsylvania. He is currently a professor at Williams College. Lewis has taught at colleges and universities all over the world, and has written for publications as noteworthy as the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Commentary, and The New Criterion. His extensive credentials give the reader/listener confidence in his credibility. When Lewis speaks regarding these topics he speaks with authority.
Lewis begins by discussing the recent erection of the Martin
He explains that these monuments are always timeless recognizable symbols; and they are meant to convey an emotion of loss and mourning. This comparison tugs an emotional feeling form the audience since everyone can imagine or remember the loss of a loved one. This was a creative way of creating a subliminal emotional connection with the audience.
Modern Monuments tend to be narrative and literal. This comes from an attitude that developed across America in the 1960s. The notion that honesty and sincerity is preferable to formal conventions. Lewis gives a great example of how in serious settings as formal conventions are always better than sincere statements. He indirectly compares a bad monument to somebody saying “bummer” at a funeral. This extreme imagery invokes a sense of discomfort when thinking of the effects of these crummy monuments toward future