Remembering and forgetting the “Final Solution”: a rhetorical pilgrimage through the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum

This essay explores some of the rhetorical dimensions of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, arguing that the curators, planners, and fund raisers used this architectural structure as a vehicle for Americanizing the Holocaust. The essay further argues that those critics or visitors who take a rhetorical pilgrimage of the facility will find that the museum's dominant narrative advances at least five key arguments: a) the Allied liberation of some of the camps made this an American affair; b) overwhelming photographic and documentary proof shows the ontological existence of the Holocaust; c) there were millions of Jews and others who lost their lives during the “Final Solution”; d) western immigration restrictions contributed to this tragedy; and e) a tour of the museum can help reduce the likelihood of future genocide.