Close Reading: Dark Years of Connecticut's 'Holy Land' Theme Park

       Last month, Atlas Obscura covered the dawn and death of John Baptist Greco's theme park, Holy Land U.S.A. The biblical-inspired theme park was in it's prime during the 60's, but in 1984 the site was lacking it's original luster and shut-down. When I first skimmed the article, I was stuck on the campy idea of a theme park devoted to God with  a "miniature Bethlehem" and a "56-foot steel cross that could be seen for miles, especially when lit up at night." However, reading through it again, I understood the tragedy (and perhaps eerie message) of such a place falling to ruin. This I believe is the intention of the article.  The title , A Theme Park Gone Dark: Connecticut's Abandoned Holy Land, makes the reader aware of the contradiction of a intended harmonious place being shrouded in darkness. Through diction and imagery, the author gives a dismal tone and highlights the paradox of the abandoned 'Holy' theme park.

       The author uses words with negative meanings such as; dark, abandoned, and destroyed to set the tone of the article. They do not want the reader to miss the gloom of this particular rundown park. There is a scarcity positive words used in this article; except for perhaps the town joke that Jesus was electrocuted on the massive park's cross. Even then, something sinister still lingers. Diction is also used to emphasize the park's failed intentions. The writer explains how "Greco had hopes of expanding the site to attract more visitors..." but had died before any progress was made. In the next paragraph, the writer describes the helpless efforts of nuns to revive the "Holy Land" but, the park only "attracted vandals". The writer's decision to use the word "attract" in both cases is a method of distinguishing the difference between the early years of 'Holy Land" and the present.

       The "Abandoned Holy Land" is painted clearly for the reader through the physical description and adjectives. To give an idea of the property's current state, although owned by nuns, the writer states "local teenagers and foragers who have made their mark". My favorite description of the park were the "beheaded" statues, "destroyed" dioramas  and "blocked" tunnels. It sounded as though the "Holy Land" had been pillaged by a band of thieves from a rivaling town. An example of an adjective used that candidly described the park, was "seedy". This word allowed me to grasp the sagging and worn appearance of the abandoned lot.

  

        The article's melancholy tone is made though diction and imagery, while accentuating the contradiction of a spiritual place being a symbol of demise. Just the idea of a man named John Baptist creating a biblical theme park, is fascinating alone. However, the glorious past of 'Holy Land' is only a memory. This article focuses on how this intended heaven-on-earth is now notorious  for vandalism, danger, and even murder. The author's diction emphasized this by using words that evoked darkness, and connecting them with words like "nun" or "haven". The imagery provided in this article makes the point that  'Holy Land U.S.A" has lost it's intended meaning since the founder's death. This makes the reader not only sympathize with Greco but, realize the disturbing message this site projects- that a place like the "Holy Land" can't exist in our society.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/atlas_obscura/2013/08/22/once_popular_with_pilgrims_the_holy_land_usa_religious_theme_park_is_now.html?wpisrc=obnetwork