Nonlinear Narratives vs. Linear Monuments


History is represented around us in a multitude of ways. Through statues, cemeteries, cenotaphs, books, articles, and memoirs, we are able to understand and relive the events that occurred in times before us. Remembering the past and reflecting upon it is vital in moving forward. However, what truly shares history in the most accurate manner? In my opinion, linear monuments such as cenotaphs do a far more accurate job at this than, per say, a nonlinear narrative.
The key word in this is “accurate.” Linear monuments are able to accurately portray events in history because they undergo long processes in order to ensure all facts are precise. A number of professionals are called in and the opinions of many, such as family and friends to the deceased as well as historians, are taken into consideration. Furthermore, most of these structures “are bounded by walls of names” that depict exactly who died and how many (Booth 37). The facts provided in the areas encompassing linear memorials, such as words engraved in stone and information in facades, meticulously shares history with the world.


By contrast, narratives are pieces written by human beings, and humans are far from perfect. The perspective regarding a war can differ greatly from person to person. The memories of the author can be distorted due to different factors such as memory loss, PTSD, etc. In addition, there is no real way for readers to know whether the words of the author are true or not. For example, in Tim O’Brien’s novel The Things They Carried, one would assume the scenes depicted actually happened, but O’Brien explicitly says, “Beginning to end…it’s all made up. Every goddamn detail…None of it happened. None of it” (O’Brien 81). Thus, a nonlinear narrative can be embellished with emotions and opinions rather than factual evidence, which does not accurately discuss events that occurred in history.




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