« The View From Mrs. Thompson's" is an account of the author's experiences in Bloomington, Illinois, directly after the September 11 attacks. Largely based on his thoughts as he watched the events unfold on television at a neighbor's house, the essay contains descriptions of the clips shown and insight into the reactions of those surrounding the author. The word “sight” can mean either a vision or a state of mind, and it is clear that both meanings resonate in Wallace's essay. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay At first, Wallace focuses not on the tragedy itself, but on his efforts to purchase a flag to display following the event. Although they are everywhere in his hometown, uniting citizens of all social classes and geography, he is unable to find one and fears that the sight of his house without a flag will appear as a negative statement on his part. Questioning his neighbors about the reasons that push them to hang flags, he notes that their words are quite identical: it is about unity, support and pride. Although he ends up creating a makeshift flag from paper and magic markers, the power of appearances and images to variably unite and isolate is an important theme of the essay, and one that seems particularly relevant given the racial profiling that has occurred in the name of national security. after September 11. But for now, this is not yet a cause for concern. Wallace watches the news in Mrs. Thompson's living room, surrounded by other neighbors and church members, and his description of the scene recalls an observation from the first paragraph: It's as if everyone is there watch the same road accident. Despite their different opinions and mentalities, this tragedy is a shared horror. Furthermore, the essay indicates that what people see and how they respond to it can actually reveal their priorities. For example, although the images of the collapsing skyscrapers were shocking, they were still visible, whereas the clip of people falling from the North Tower was only shown once, and was never shown. rebroadcast. During the reading, Wallace tells us that the people in the room with him seem traumatized, both terrified and jaded, and eventually move on, not knowing what to say. Even though he and his neighbors could handle the large-scale destruction of buildings, the sight of people jumping from them - almost but not yet lost - is too much to bear. Perhaps it is because people are naturally predisposed to sympathize with those in peril, or perhaps because it could just as easily have happened anywhere, but these reactions to images of tragedy broadcast in Ms. Thompson's television show, which, despite the increased consumerism and greed in the world, American culture, ultimately humanity still matters infinitely more to us than property. View could also refer to the different opinions and perspectives that informed the American public's responses to 9/11. In many cases, these differences are based on age, as this greatly affects people's ability to understand the situation. For example, Wallace mentions a woman who said that at first her sons thought the tragedy was just a movie, until they noticed the movie was showing on every channel. This innocence led them to react with less anger and grief than many adults, even after learning the truth. Wallace also explains.