Analysis essay - Grade: B+ PDF

Preview

Summary

analysis of the photograph “Breadline” by Margaret Bourke-White ...

Description

Briana Cassano Prof. Z Lloyd Comp 1010

“Breadline” by Margaret Bourke-White

The image I have chosen is called Breadline . It was taken by an American photographer named Margaret Bourke-White in the 1930’s. It was first published in Life Magazine, in February of 1937. White captured this photograph in Louisville after the Ohio River Flood. The Ohio River Flood took place in January of 1937. Its damaged reached from Pittsburgh to Illinois. One million people were left homeless, 385 dead, and over $500 million in damages. The image shows a line of people, commonly thought to be on an unemployment line. The kind of reality this image projects is the harsh reality of poverty and unemployment. Today, thousands of people, including myself struggle with

money or are often homeless. This image encapsulates the feelings and struggles of poverty, both in history and modern day. It gives a much deeper and larger impact than simply telling the story of the event. The photo also has a sense of irony, by having a billboard of a family living the lavish American way, or “World’s Highest Standard of Living: There’s no way like the American way”, standing behind a group of disaster-stricken people. Photography has a major effect on society. For historical photographs like this one, photography helps to paint a picture and understand what happened in history and create an emotional connection to the scenario. Walter Benjamin provides an explanation of the concept of aura with an example, “If, while resting on a summer afternoon, you follow with your eyes a mountain range on the horizon or a branch which casts its shadow over you, you experience the aura of those mountains, of that branch. This image makes it easy to comprehend the social bases of the contemporary decay of the aura.” (Benjamin, 1936). The aura that this photo provides is dark and gloomy. It shows you some of the one million individuals who had their homes destroyed, who were left to struggle and live on the street. It exposes the faces of the lives affected and destroyed by the Ohio River Flood. The image Breadline b y Margaret Bourke-White was taken after the Ohio River Flood of 1937. The image shows a group of people on an unemployment line after ending up homeless or in debt due to the flood. By capturing this image, White expresses and

exposes the harsh reality of unemployment and poverty. The aura that this photo provides is gloomy and dark, due to the sad nature of the scenario in the photo and the contrasting ironic billboard in the background....