In the days following September 11, 2001, the small Midwestern city of Bloomington, Illinois witnessed an unprecedented outpouring of patriotic expression. Novelist David Foster Wallace observed that flags of all sizes suddenly appeared throughout the community—from modest hand-held versions to enormous banners hanging from residential facades. The transformation occurred almost overnight, with residents unable to recall actually seeing anyone install these symbols, yet waking to find them ubiquitous across lawns, mailboxes, car antennas, and storefronts.
Wallace noted the striking departure from typical Midwest reserve, where residents normally avoided unnecessary conversation with strangers. The attacks had created a shared experience that transcended this cultural reticence, giving people something substantial to discuss. Conversations overheard in local convenience stores revealed how residents, particularly parents, were processing the shocking events unfolding on television screens across the nation.
The display of flags carried particular significance in this context. Wallace interviewed his neighbor, a retired accountant and veteran, who explained that the proliferation of flags represented American unity and empathy during a national crisis. Yet Wallace observed something more complex: as flags multiplied throughout the community, their individual statements seemed to blend into a collective expression whose exact meaning became increasingly difficult to articulate, even as their presence grew more powerful and undeniable.
Originally reported by Rollingstone →
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