Liam McNeish Butler
Narrative Analysis
Prof. Lee – Research Methods
Hyperlink: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugp_QluPos4
Objective: 2.3 Evaluate the usefulness of various methods in the project.
Abstract
I found the abstract to be at the beginning of the video documentary. Rather than relying on support from an older narrator to quickly describe the thoughts the children had, the video instead shows the children answering questions on what 9/11 means to them. The kids consistently reference what New York City is like to them today, and how they know that something still hangs in the air during every month of September. They also reference how their parents educated them about the attacks, or how their family was affected.
Orientation
A lot of people see videos from 9/11 and picture a fictional event, a movie, something so awful that it couldn’t possibly be real. That’s what it is like for many children who grew up after 9/11, and for many that weren’t even born yet. The setting is New York City that has police on every corner, armed service members in every public place, and a curriculum that normally teaches kids about terrorism.
Action
The action in this instance refers to the timeline of the lives of those children who weren’t able to fully experience 9/11. Their action most commonly refers to how they learned about 9/11 as they group up, or how over time the adults in their life became more willing to share a part of what 9/11 was like for them. For many it is the slow realization that something really awful took place before you were born.
Result
The result is that growing up is a lot harder for kids who were affected by 9/11 in this way. The ways in which they are effected by the idea of terrorism, and the ideas that they have about how attacks like 9/11 can happen at any time to people just like them. Prior to 9/11 America had this macho aura, but after the attacks that idea of untouchability disappeared.
Evaluation
The central point of this story seems to be how tragedies can affect people who weren’t even alive when they took place. Additional points include how the stories of children seem to get lost in the chaos following events like these, and it also includes how important it is for them to be able to talk about how they have been affected by 9/11.
Coda
The children return to the present when they discuss how 9/11 might affect the rest of their lives, for many the idea is the same, it will always be there.
2. If some components are not present, suggest what could have been spoken/written by the narrator to illustrate them.
I think it would have been really interesting if the piece had included what their education tells them specifically about 9/11. Since their stories about how 9/11 has affected them are so important, it would have been amazing to learn how their education shaped the ideas they have about the attacks.
3. Suggest if any part of the narration is significant but is not applicable to the components. (Resources: Patterson “narratives of events” under Quiz 6; in-class exercise on Michelle Wu.)
I think that every part of this piece includes components featured in the reading, and it also touches on parts of the subject far deeper than the components might recognize.