What makes a monument a monument?

 Over the first two weeks of school, the focus of our English class has been mainly on memorials and how they impact the communities they are built around and who they are meant to memorialize. With all the memorials we learned about, I was left with one question: what creates the atmosphere of a memorial? Is it the attitudes of the people around? Is it the event or person being remembered? Could it be the massive scale? I still feel a sense of awe when looking at the Washington monument even though I know that he owned slaves while still preaching equality and justice for all. I appreciate the serenity of the Vietnam war memorial while still knowing about all of the war crimes committed by the United States throughout the war. It could be the design intended by the architect or it could be the quiet of the typically open space that surrounds a monument leaving you in a sentimental and inwardly reflective feeling. Leaving a memorial, you get a sense that you witnessed something profound and left feeling as if you were missing something before and have found that "thing" that makes you feel whole. You feel as if you have connected with the architect on an emotional level as you try to unravel what they were trying to tell you. I think that what truly makes a memorial a memorial is a way you open yourself up to a memorial and try to understand the intent of the architect. As Kirk Savage put it, "the monument manufactures its own aura."