Synthesis Essay

Leasing 325 stores , the Mall of America is said to be the biggest in the country , with a construction and finishing touches (Guterson 451 . Giving 10 ,000 permanent jobs to the Americans , it has been a haven for rest and relaxation , not only for the citizens of this country but for tourists as well (Guterson 450 . Indeed , having a mall this big does not only provide jobs and attract tourists , which are both for the amelioration of the economy , but they serve other purposes as well

The mall , as defined on the Merriam-Webster

online dictionary , is an urban shopping area featuring a variety of shops surrounding a usually open-air concourse reserved for pedestrian traffic . Many activities can be done inside the mall . Among the most popular are purchasing objects eating , watching movies , playing the arcade , and getting your picture taken . These activities can take place any time from mall opening to mall closing which is usually from 10 in the morning to around 9 in the evening

Long before these man-made marvels were erected , people hundreds or even thousands of years ago have already been engaged in such market activities . As mentioned in Guterson 's essay , The Mall as Prison Persian bazaars and ancient Greek agoras were places where people came there to trade , barter , and buy objects , food , spices , or anything that their hearts desired . It was not just simply purchasing and pure business it was a place of merriment and socialization . And I strongly believe that it has not changed at all today . The mall is a place where friends and families get together and socialize while doing something relaxing and fun , it is just like any other building that offers goods for a price . There is nothing concealed in it , no hidden agenda , no gimmicks , just a multi-million business

Therefore , I definitely disagree and I cannot see the logic why some , like Jon Pahl and David Guterson , compare the mall to a sacred place like the church or to a prison

In Jon Pahl 's essay entitled The Mall as Sacred Space , he stated that the mall can be compared to a sacred space like the church because it is where all people come together , rich and poor , old and young , black and white it is the democratic , unifying , universal place which gives spirit and personality to the city . He also mentioned certain elements found in the church or cathedral that can be found in a mall . For example , Pahl asserts that the clergy men are the business people , the shopping mall is the cathedral , the pilgrims are the shoppers , the fountains and waterfalls inside the mall represents water , which is purification in religious symbolism , light , in the form of a skylight or the colorful light banners , represents a primary experience of energy in religion , and trees and vegetation , which signify growing things and is sacred to religion are among the comparisons . Also , he suggests that the form of advertising in malls is very similar to...