“Mrs. Thompson's Viewpoint” is an account of the author's experiences in Bloomington, Illinois, shortly after the September 11 attacks. Based largely on his thoughts as he watched the events unfold on TV at a neighbor's house, the essay contains descriptions of the clips shown and insights into the reactions of the people surrounding the author. The word “vision” can mean either a vision or a mindset, 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 Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Initially, Wallace focuses not on the tragedy itself, but on his efforts to purchase a flag to display in the wake of the event. Though they are everywhere in his hometown, uniting citizens across class and geography lines, he can't find one and fears that the sight of his flagless house seems like a negative statement on his part. Questioning his neighbors about their reasons for hanging the flags, he noted that their statements are quite identical: It's about unity, support and pride. Although he ultimately creates a makeshift flag out of paper and magic markers, the power of appearances and images to variably unite and isolate is an important theme in the essay, and seems especially relevant considering the racial profiling that has occurred in the name of national security. after September 11th. At the moment, however, this is not yet a concern. Wallace is watching the news in Mrs. Thompson's living room, surrounded by other neighbors and other church members, and his description of the scene brings to mind an observation from the opening paragraph: It's as if everyone is there watching the same car crash. Despite their different opinions and mentalities, this tragedy is a shared horror. Furthermore, the essay indicates that what people see and how they react to it can actually reveal their priorities. For example, although the footage of the collapsing skyscrapers was shocking, it was still visible, while the clip of people falling from the North Tower was shown once and never played again. As it plays, Wallace tells us that the people in the room with him seem traumatized, simultaneously terrified and tired, and eventually he moves on, unsure of what to say. While he and his neighbors can handle the large-scale destruction of buildings, the sight of people jumping from them – almost lost but not yet – is too much to bear. Perhaps it is because people are naturally predisposed to sympathize with those in danger, or perhaps it is because it could just as easily have happened anywhere, but these reactions to Mrs Thompson's televised images of the tragedy show that, despite the rise of consumerism and of greed in In American culture, after all, humanity still matters to us infinitely more 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 affected people's ability to understand the situation. For example, Wallace mentions a woman who said that at first her children thought the tragedy was just a movie, until they noticed it was being played on all channels. This innocence led them to react with less anger and hurt than many adults, even after learning the truth about the matter. Wallace also explains how differences in geographic location affected people's mindsets regarding the tragedy. He says that.