Remembering and forgetting the "Final Solution": a rhetorical pilgrimage through the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum

Author: Marouf Hasian Jr

Source: Critical Studies in Media Communication, Volume 21, Number 1, March 2004 , pp. 64-92(29)

Publisher: Routledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group

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Abstract:

This essay explores some of the rhetorical dimensions of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, arguing that the curators, planners, and fund raisers used this architectural structure as a vehicle for Americanizing the Holocaust. The essay further argues that those critics or visitors who take a rhetorical pilgrimage of the facility will find that the museum's dominant narrative advances at least five key arguments: a) the Allied liberation of some of the camps made this an American affair; b) overwhelming photographic and documentary proof shows the ontological existence of the Holocaust; c) there were millions of Jews and others who lost their lives during the "Final Solution"; d) western immigration restrictions contributed to this tragedy; and e) a tour of the museum can help reduce the likelihood of future genocide.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0739318042000184352

Publication date: 2004-03-01