The Mall As Sacred Space

676 Words3 Pages
Shopping malls in today's society are generally sought after for that last minute birthday gift, a trendy outfit to wear out next weekend, or simply just a hang out for teens and young adults. In Jon Pahl's essay, entitled The Mall as Sacred Space, he conveys a bold opinion about the malls in our country being cathedrals for the new, universal religion of modern America. Although his essay is not entirely exaggerated, several of Pahl's assumptions are distorted. Not only does Pahl make a direct comparison between a religious environment and a shopping mall, but he also suggests a mall can be seen as a facility for religious appeasement and societal disorientation. Pahl's ideas reflect those of Western Maryland College professor, Ira G. Zepp, and mall architect, James Rouse. They suggest that although a mall is a place for socializing and shopping, it is also a place of worship and a symbol of what the modern world has brought to religion. Every aspect of the mall, from lighting to fountains to music and food, represents a different approach to the disorientation and reorientation process (Pahl 464). This process is a way to entrance shoppers and convince them they are exactly where they should be. The author discusses the commonalities between characteristics of a religious cathedral and a local shopping mall. To say his accusations are exaggerated is an understatement. The way malls were designed by Rouse reflects symbols from his Protestant faith. He also claims “businesspeople were the clergy of a new religion that transcended the parochial boundaries of creed and cult” (Pahl 463). His examples of similarities between a church and mall are undeniably overemphasized and seemingly inaccurate. Pahl also displays a symbolic meaning behind the fountains, waterfalls, and reflecting pools in the malls. He suggests these things are intentionally placed in malls for
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