Week 8 Journal

Week 8

Morris explains how there is a cultural and rhetorical significance in the practice of commemorating the dead by using tombstones. Graveyards are a “convenient place to dispose of the dead” according to Morris, but there is a deeper purpose behind identifying each grave with a unique tombstone and grave site. Additionally, there is something to be said of the decaying conditions of graveyards and the effort taken to separate the grave site from the outside world. Grave sites are memorials that speak to visitors a singular purpose, a tradition of dedicating and memorializing our lost loved ones. In this way, tombstones are everyday writing. Everyday writing serves a purpose that is specific to the rhetor and the audience. In this case, the audience is the loved ones and rhetor is creator of the tombstone, all with the same purpose in mind to remember the dead. Furthermore, Graveyards are a common site. Almost every town has one by default.  Morris goes on to explain the manifestation and purpose of grave sites and their significance in respect to the iconography, mottos, and inscriptions. Special attention is made to the significance of time and identify. The two most important elements of a tombstone are the name which identifies the body and the years that define the life. The years can be taken into account to postulate what the person’s life was like and generate many questions. Did the purpose live a long life? Did they die young? Are they buried with family members? Were they a military veteran? How did they die? All of these important questions stem from simply observing the grave site and taking note to any and all inscriptions and symbols included. Tombstones limit the message that can be delivered due to space, thus special attention must be made to what was deemed important enough to include on the headstone. Burial sites are an important aspect of any culture and vary greatly from culture to culture. By utilizing the space provided on the tombstone, one can successfully commemorate a loved one and send a message that fulfills the purpose of paying respects to the dead.