September 11th, 2001, the arguably most significant event in American history occurred and changed the face of American pride and national security. On this day in history, a group of Islamic terrorists hijacked commercial airline planes and flew them into the twin towers, World Trade Center and attempted to crash other airlines. On September 11, 2001, at 8:45 a.m., two planes were flown into the towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, a third plane hit the Pentagon just outside Washington, D.C., and the fourth plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. These terrorist attacks killed over 3,000 innocent people in New York City and Washington, D.C and reeked havoc on the American ideals of freedom and protection. The “Revival of the Big Apple” by Lindsay Little displays the destruction through the use of angles, and color that the terrorist attacks had upon New York City’s infrastructure and the American moral. The burning question now was, how was New York city’s residents were going to rebuild their city while trying to restore their morale. 

The Twin Towers were a top tourist attraction and a symbol of New York City’s–and America’s–ideals of prosperity, the booming movement of the economy, and a symbol of the future. This image “The Strike” marks the point at which the devastation began. It gives the starting point of the destruction and the following images displays the spread. These towers symbolized the American dream of peace through globalization and the power of international trade. Standing tall at 1,368 feet, these buildings were the tallest buildings in the world and shaped the New York skyline. The background of the clean blue skies contrasts the black aggressive smoke that is pouring out of the burning towers. This image captures an American flag flying in the wind being drowned in the smoke while stripping away the symbols of American hope. The flag is essential in the sense that it is still standing tall and unharmed despite the havoc going on all around it. The bright oranges and yellows distract from the calmness that the clear blue skies yield. The juxtaposition of the flag and the burning building highlights the devastation these terrorist attacks had on the American pride. 

The long shot of all the destruction and rubble (slide three) helps one to visualize just how serious this attack was. It focuses on the backbone of the rescue effort and the support the firefighters gave into searching through rubble for surviviors. Firefighters and emergency workers poured into the city to help the relief effort knowing that their lives were being risked and their saftey was compromised. The use of neon colors helps the viewer to be able to point out just how many first responders poured into the city to help. The use of the long shot helps put everything into perspective. This picture captures the American ideal that in times of need and crisis, neighbors come out to help one another out. This expands on the idea of the American unity that was obtained prior to the terroist attacks. Of the 2,977 victims killed in the September 11 attacks, 411 were emergency workers in New York City who responded to the World Trade Center. Without the support of the emergency workers thousands of lives would not have been saved. Finally, the dark smog that consumes the city distorts the image by making everything above eye level difficult to view. 

In the aerial shot (slide four), the utter desolation is shown and the “Big Apple” becomes unrecognizable under a cloud of smoke. Many watched hopelessly as the buildings went up in flames and crashed down on everything around them. This image uses a grey and dark color scheme which gives off the mood that many New Yorkers were feeling as their city burned around them. Helplessness and fear infected the city around them. By looking down on the city, it gives viewers an alternative look at the city and the scene. From down below the giant skyscrapers make the average person feel small and vulnerable. From above, the skyscrapers begin to apper smaller and the smoke begins to appear larger and more aggressive.  

The image of the taxi cabs and M&M’s contrasts the previous photos of destruction and death in this essay. This image captures the hustle and bustle attitude that is normally associated with New York City and Times Sqaure. The previous images show the horror that took place on September 11th and are displayed in a dark manner that contrasts with the bright and upbeat vibes associated with the city. Bright vibrant colors bring life to the city and adds a sense of joy or happiness rather. New York city prides itself on the common idea that “the city never sleeps” with its high energy and quick pace. Suddenly, following the attacks, millions of people had to stop and adjust to cope with the fear they now felt in their home. The “city that never sleeps” suddenly had to hit the pause button. This cutting edge, boisterous city now faced the challenge of restoring itself back to the glorious and prestigious city it once was.

This photo essay utilizes images that portrayed the damaging effects these terrorist attacks had on New York City and America as a whole. The country as a whole has had to move past this threat on our national security. This act of terrorism has shaped many negative views relating to foreign relations and immigration. Despite the odds, the city was restored. Today the city is booming once again. The image the photographer took of the Statue of Liberty shows the American perspective of New York City and the American pride that this statue represents. The constitution along with many other typical American morals and values will always rise above terror. No one is above the Constitution and the angle of this picture is highly representative of that. Post 9/11 the morale of many Americans was deflated and fear was rampant. We cannot allow terrorism to dictate and influence our everyday lives. New York was rebuilt stronger than ever. Americans proved they can not be defeated with their resilience.
