History Strategy

Spatial Rhetoric The complex ideas of space and time are more philosophical than anything, but are no doubt necessary when discussing the unique aspects of historical review. Azarhayu & Foote (2008) addressed this issue in their research as they offered models of how to interpret historical sites using the concepts of space and time. This essay will review this article and highlight the important aspects regarding spatial rhetoric and how certain spatial strategies can be applied to modify a historical narrative for academic purposes.

Spatial Rhetoric The research article was premised on the idea that actual space may dictate the historical interpretation of any single historic event. The authors wrote "historical sites provide a tangible link to the past that they evoke. In this sense, the presentation of history on-site only makes explicit that which is implicit in the local landscape." This concretization of history has certain advantages and disadvantages, however this research is dedicated to revealing how spatial rhetoric may be incorporated to help guide, create and dictate the ideas of history.

History itself is imaginary and not real. The numerable amount of variables and circumstances that contribute to any one event are infinite in number, and deducing original causes becomes difficult if not impossible. Remembering that history is an art, not a science also makes this reading more applicable in real world usages. Since the recreation of events through history will always fall short of the real thing, certain points-of-view or strategies are recommended to help guide the historian in using spatial rhetoric to his or her best advantage.

Single Point Narrative The authors introduced the single point narrative to discuss spatial rhetoric from the most simplistic point-of-view. They wrote " declamatory strategies positioned at a single point can be effective when events extend across areas too large to be viewed at once or are inaccessible. " The single point is simple because it places one person at the center of the event and invites all others to view this historic event from that viewpoint.

This strategy is beneficial because of its simplicity and the maneuverability of the historian to interject personal ideas into that single point. The single point strategy is weak because it ignores many other important factors and contributions into the historic storyline. While the bias inherent within this single point may be exploited to make stronger points, this approach is useful when tackling large events that need to have some kind of control grasped over them.

Linear or Sequential Approach The linear approach to historical spatial rhetoric serves as an intermediate step in the tasks of summarizing historic events. This strategy, according to the authors should be employed when there is an appearance of many different approaches or routes to a historical conclusion.

The authors used the historical example of Jesus and the many avenues or paths that he took to discuss the historic site at Jerusalem This example provided a useful means to explain how a linear path may be used to explain a complex and sophisticated historical event. Complex Events Over Large Areas or Time Periods The final strategy discussed by the authors in addressing the issues of spatial rhetoric deal with an approach that summarizes complex.