Katriel and Farrell discuss how scrapbooks are a form of both
an American art of memory as well as a rhetorical practice of construction and
performance of an individual. Scrapbooking is a very common practice and an
element of American culture. Scrapbooks are created for many reasons. People
choose to practice in this form of everyday writing for sentimental reasons,
they value life’s fleeting moments and treasure monumental events and wish to
document these occasions with pictures and other memorabilia. People also
practice scrapbooking for the sake of their family, more specifically, their
children. Parents hope children will grow up and look back on their childhood
fondly. Scrapbooks help children reminisce about times when they were too young
to form substantial memories of their own. Scrapbooks are also a form of
communication to the outside world. For example, if a scrapbook is on display
in a family’s living room, when guests are visiting they can examine the
scrapbook. By simply flipping through the pages, a guest can gain a lot of
insight and knowledge into the family’s history. As discussed earlier, everyday
writing can be both private and public. Scrapbooks or zines can be both,
depending on the creators desires. In my opinion, scrapbooks are zines are
forms of everyday writing. They are a common part of American culture and are
often present in most homes today. Personally, I believe scrapbooks are great
outlet for personal expression. This form of memorabilia is a great way to aesthetically
document one’s life in order to have something tangible in one’s old age to reminisce
with.
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