First Advisor

Carrie Collenberg-Gonzalez

Date of Award

5-25-2018

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Political Science and University Honors

Department

Political Science

Language

English

Subjects

World Trade Center Site (New York, N.Y.) -- Pictorial works, Photography -- Political aspects -- United States -- 21st century, Exceptionalism -- United States, American National characteristics, John Botte. Aftermath : unseen 9/11 photos by a New York City cop, Joel Meyerowitz (1938- ). Aftermath : World Trade Center Archive

DOI

10.15760/honors.631

Abstract

The events of September 11th, 2001 rattled the U.S. public and left them in need of direction when approaching death and grief. Thousands of photographs were taken on 9/11, however, not many were taken of the construction occasionally referred to as "ground zero." In this project, it is demonstrated just how the photographs in two individual projects Aftermath: World Trade Center Archive by Joel Meyerowitz and Aftermath: Unseen Photos by a New York City Cop by John Botte, both perpetuate the myth of moral exceptionalism in the United States post 9/11. Using ideas put forth by Roland Barthes in his works Camera Lucida and Mythologies, the form and content of each Aftermath project are carefully analyzed. A selected set of photographs from each project and the use of the term "ground zero," is also analyzed in this work as a tool for the creation and continuation of myth. By masking certain photographs with tropes of American exceptionalism and survival, these projects can be viewed as propaganda that prepared the U.S. public for retaliation and war without examining the 9/11 attacks any further.

Rights

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/25527

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