First Draft Essay Framework

Introduction:   Defintion of a hero and justification that JFK fills this . Pose question as to whether this is manufactured or naturally occuring based upon success.

Section 1    How myths are created linked in with the creation of Camelot.  

Role of other Kennedy family members- Bobby,  Current generation ( Caroline Kennedy )

Section 2    Other areas which use his image to represent something positive (taking him out of context of man and being associated with movements or ideas  -  Image of generation- good times in early 60s,  LBJ, African American rights.

Section 3   Situations which created further sympathy/ had an impact on the way he was percieved naturally
- Assassination  and Funeral
- negative post Kennedy situation in America

Section 4   Actions during presidency and whether they justify his reputation
- Cuban Missile Crisis vs Bay of Pigs
- Blame for Vietnam
- Inspirational speeches ?

Section 5 /(potentially my conclusion )   Is there an issue with manufacturing a myth if it is just an elaboration of the truth?Remembering people for their best.


I would also like to include discussion on the idea that he was "taken before his time" and the illusion of having greater potential. I'm unsure of which section this fits in best with, either his actions in presidency as to whether they do suggest he had further potential(4)  , linked in with his assassination (3) or linked in with a specific action of a group of people to suggest that he had potential to change the way he is percieved (1).  I'm even debating tying it with the the image of moving forward (2) . Overall it looks like it could go pretty much anywhere so I should stop worrying so much about where to place it!

What we remember

"History is a tissue of such tender episodes, if also an imperfect record of them"

                                   - Paul Maliszewski , Smithsonian magazine, September 2003

I just came across this sentence in an article on Smithsonian.com about iconic images of the 9/11 tragedy, reposted today as part of a remembrance series for the 10th Anniversary. Not only does it echo a lot of my own opinions on the nature of History and how we can manipulate how events are remembered to leave multiple conflicting versions of History, it also links nicely to my project.  History is by no measure always an accurate record of events, particularly when the people and events in question provoke such high levels of emotional involvement of the masses. In fact, I'm not even sure there is such a thing as an "accurate record" as very little of real life is quantitative and therefore to some degree every recollection of history is simply a subjective record, whether innocently in an observer only naturally noticing what they are inclined to notice or more intentionally in the case of propaganda schemes. Overall, just down to way history is recorded to some JFK's hero status will feel truly deserved whereas to others who interpret the same evidence differently it may feel more manufactured. At the end of the day, it's nicer to remember people for the best in their life rather than the worst, and so even though there may be many people out there who equally deserve to have a heroic status it doesn't take a way from the fact that Kennedy, a man whose word's and action have brought inspiration and happiness to many, deserves this status at least to some extent, regardless of the less endearing decisions he made at points in his life