On one level, this article deals with a disturbing but strangely fascinating conundrum: who is the “Falling Man?” But on a deeper level, it is also an exploration of the American psyche in the aftermath of 9/11. Why did the public collectively choose to banish all images of the “jumpers” including the one of the “falling man”, even as they watched the other horrific images stemming from the attacks on the towers multiple times? Why were stories and images of victims of the terrorist attacks more acceptable when they helplessly burned or suffocated or were crushed to death rather than when they chose their own method of death by jumping? Perhaps it has something to do with notion of the sin associated with suicide, something that also comes into play in the feelings of the public towards euthanasia. This article functions both as a piece of investigative writing and also as a reflective essay.
