Abstract
This essay analyzes the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, focusing on embodied material simulation. I argue that the museum constructs an idealized Oklahoman citizen who works to curb anxieties surrounding domestic threats. The museum mobilizes ideal citizenship through its affective storytelling that functions to traumatize visitors to establish catharsis, which in turn invites visitors to place the blame of domestic terrorism solely on Timothy McVeigh. The rhetorical act of catharsis stunts the community’s ability to challenge the rise of domestic terrorism that has been plaguing the United States long after the Oklahoma City bombing.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have