My personal experience with the events that occurred on 9/11 is extremely brief. The only thing I can actually remember from that day, is my sister announcing on the way home from school that an airplane accidentally hit a building. Although I didn't witness the event firsthand, I do still carry an opinion on the topic, which, conveniently enough, fits right in with the essays written by John Updike and Susan Sontag. Mr. Updike uses his eyewitness account of the event to create descriptive phrases and metaphors which help those of us who didn't see it happen picture the event in our minds. Miss Sontag, on the other hand, expresses her opinion of the reaction our media and government had to the events of 9/11.
John Updike's first reaction to the destruction of the twin towers was that of an actor playing out a horror movie. He compared the surreal experience to watching a television show, it couldn't possibly be real. He witnessed the event with his wife, and as they both stood there, they realized how much was changing in those quick moments of destruction: thousands of people lost their lives, no one in his or her right mind was going to board a plane, and planes full of innocent people were turned into a weapon that would terrorize an entire country. "This is a country worth fighting for." stated Updike, and when he got up the next morning, he saw New York rising from the ashes of the previous days events.
Susan Sontag took a much less optimistic view of what had occurred, possibly because of how obviously disappointed she was in how our government chose to handle the terrorist attack. She begins her essay by pointing out that while America is a victim, we were not the only victim. As a world super-power, we posed a threat to Iraq, and this was their form of retaliation; however, many Americans were kept unaware of previous American activities in Iraq. In fact, according to Sontag, citizens of America were blissfully unaware of the reality of the situation. Politicians simply stated that everything was OK and America still stands tall. Sontag declares later in her essay, "The politics of a democracy, [have] been replaced by psychotherapy." Meaning that politicians simply stand there to reassure us that everything will be OK, even when we are going to war.
After reading Updike's take on 9/11, I felt as though I had a better picture in my mind of what had happened; although, after reading Sontag's essay, I felt as though my opinion on the topic has shifted slightly. I wouldn't say I agree with her statements wholeheartedly, but I do feel as though she made some good points. I feel as though our government waits to inform us of what is really going on until a time that is most convenient for them; however, this might also be a good way for them to prevent mass panic and chaos. In the end, I am still formulating my official opinion on the topic.
