Summary

Ian McEwan’s article “Only Love and Then Oblivion” begins by talking about the emotions of shock and grief and the comfort of grieving together with others. He links this to the New York terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 and mentions some of the scenes that initially had the greatest impact on viewers when they were shown on the news. He says that most people’s first reaction was to talk about what they had seen.

However, later, people’s moods changed. They were talking about being depressed, and more focus was placed on the loss of human life and how it affected their loved ones. The article mentions the image of the relatives waiting outside the hospital or trying to find information about their loved ones.

McEwan also mentions the people...