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Berne begins the piece through the repeated use of the word "nothing" to describe her initial thoughts of Ground Zero. However, she quickly develops this idea into that of "absence" - the idea that something is indeed missing that once was there. She then speaks to the incredible, unexpected brightness of the scene which initially shocked her. Eventually, she describes the scene through words such as "disaster", highlighting the slow evolution of her perception of the location. She highlights this perception in order to entice the reader to do much of the same, to reconsider how they view the scene, but also in order to show the reader that seeing the scene in-person was very important to her changing her perception as well.

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Berne uses both metaphor and simile to describe the scene at Ground Zero, in order to convey details which otherwise might have been lost or downplayed through conventional wording. She describes Ground Zero as "a great bowl of light, an emptiness that seems weirdly spacious and grand," using metaphor in order to convey the indistinct nature of the location at first glance. She also uses simile in order to demonstrate this point, writing that "gradually your eyes do adjust, exactly as if you have stepped from a dark theater into a bright afternoon." She uses this not only to highlight the initial shock of taking in the sight as a whole, but also to exemplify its shockingly bustling and bright nature.

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Berne chooses to use details which highlight the industrious, empty nature of the scene, rather than attempting to lean in to the shock one might expect at the sight. She uses rather mundane descriptors, remarking even that "ground zero looks at first simply like a construction site." She does this in order to set the reader's expectations low, so that the eventual emotional impact of her full view of the scene is all the more impactful.

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Berne describes the scene of Ground Zero with vivid, raw imagery. She is especially vivid when she recounts the scene of the cemetery next to St Paul's Chapel, about which she writes that "tulips [came] up, the chapel and grounds miraculously undamaged except for a few plastic-sheathed gravestones. The iron fence [was] almost invisible beneath a welter of dried pine wreaths, banners, ribbons, laminated poems and prayers and photographs, swags of paper cranes, withered flowers, baseball hats, rosary beads, teddy bears." In using such descriptive imagery, Berne is able to instill a sense of reverence and mournfulness in the reader, which contributes to the overall tone of the piece.

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Berne primarily uses anaphora, which can be highlighted in multiple examples. For example, she repeats the phrase "ticket to the disaster" in order to highlight the scale of the site and to help encapsulate the mood of those in attendance. She also highlights the patriotism and bond of everyone in attendance, as she speaks about the "flags, flags everywhere, little American flags fluttering in the breeze, flags on posters drawn by Brownie troops, flags on T-shirts, flags on hats, flags streaming by, tied to the handles of baby strollers."

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Berne establishes a tone of solemnity, however there are hints of hopefulness scattered throughout. Throughout the story, it seems almost as though Berne and the other visitors to Ground Zero are in shock - the air is quiet and people's voices are hushed as they stare in awe and fear at the sight in front of them. However, there are also some moments of reprieve, moments where Berne feels some warmth through that cold atmosphere. Berne states that, in her opinion, there was a sort of "re-population" taking effect, and that that space would one day "fill up again".

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Berne establishes her credibility as a speaker through her recounting of the story through personal experience. Because we, the audience, know that Berne has been to this location before, we know that we can trust her. Additionally, Berne repeatedly establishes emotional appeals throughout her reflection, by using emotionally charged language and vivid imagery. She has the reader step back for a moment, and imagine the "firefighters, the waiting ambulance on the other side of the pit, the police on every corner." In doing so, she provokes some of the emotion which she herself felt in visiting the monument.

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This reflection was written in the wake of the September 11 attacks in 2001. The piece was written as a response to the author's trip to Ground Zero, as she wanted to recount the experience she had there. She describes the scene there as being crowded, with people from all walks of life; "Germans, Italians, Japanese. An elegant-looking Norwegian family in matching shearling coats. People from Ohio and California and Maine." This helps her to display to her audience that all sorts of people are able and willing to experience the monument.

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Berne's exigence, or her main reason for producing this work, is that she believes that it is important for the audience to know that the experience of visiting Ground Zero is unimaginable and impossible to recreate without visiting the location oneself. She describes one experience she had where she sat eating in a restaurant, where she could see into the pit that lie there. To the store, it was visible that someone's remains were being transported away; she writes that "For a moment, everything paused." By using such graphic imagery, Berne is able to instill in the audience a sense of respect, empathy, and emptiness.

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Suzanne Berne is an author who is recalling her visit to 'Ground Zero', around 6 months after the attacks on the twin towers. She describes this as being "a place [she]'d never been," which allows the audience to connect with her emotions even if they had never been to the location personally.

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Berne's purpose in providing this perspective is to explain to those who have never experienced Ground Zero that it will have a moving effect on them. Through using phrases like "my ticket to the disaster," Berne is able to convey feelings of emptiness, but also serenity to the reader. This imbues in the reader the desire to someday also be able to experience the emotions felt at Ground Zero.

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Berne's primary audience to which she appeals is those who have never visited the monument before. However, she also has a secondary audience in those who have visited the monument, and instead desire a new perspective or insight on the empty space which now resides there. She tells her readers that through their visitation of Ground Zero, "that space fills up again," providing a perspective that I believe is lost on many who visit the location.