Final Analysis

Name: Vietnam War Protesters.

Genre: Photograph

Outline: #1.

            This photograph is of Vietnam War Protestors.  It is in black and white and in the center of the image is a sign with the words: “END THE WAR IN INOCHINA VIETNAM NOW” painted on it.  A young man, probably in his early twenties, is holding up the sign.  Linking arms with him are two men of around the same age.  All three men’s mouths are open, possibly in the midst of shouting.  In the foreground of the image are more protestors, but only their heads are showing.  In the corner, barely visible, is an American flag. 

Purpose:  The main purpose of this photograph is to show protestors of the Vietnam War.  Based on the photo itself, the photographer seems unbiased and was simply capturing a moment.  It also shows how angry and loud these people were.  The linked arm’s represents the unity between them.

Audience:  The audience was and is all American’s.  An anti-war American would appreciate this photo more than someone who felt differently, but it is intended for both sides to see.

Stance:  As mentioned above the photographer appears to be unbiased on the subject of the Vietnam War and of the protestors.  The people in the photo themselves, however, are not so unbiased.  They are obviously anti-war, and are quite loud and bold about this stance. 

Media: The media of this is version of the photograph is digital, but at one time I am sure it was in print, perhaps in a magazine or newspaper.

Ethos: I do not know who the original publisher or who the original photographer were.  Therefore I am unsure of the credibility of this photo.  I am going to assume it is from a credible source.

Logos: The photo features three men in the foreground of the picture, they all appear to be shouting and their arms are linked together.  In the background are what appears to be hundreds of more people who also appear to be shouting.  This depicts the protestors as a unified group of people.  The sign in the middle of them that states, “END THE WAR IN INDOCHINA VIETNMAN NOW” shows exactly what is unifying them.  This photograph is simply telling the truth of the matter.  This is what the protestors were against, and this how they showed it.

Pathos: The description of the photograph under logos is what makes this piece so strong.  The determination of the protestors is spilling from this photo.  Their heads are held high, they appear to be yelling, their arms are linked, etc.  They are a determined and angry group of people and that is clearly shown in the photo.

Thesis:

            This photograph is of Vietnam War Protestors.  It is in black and white and in the center of the image is a sign with the words: “END THE WAR IN INOCHINA VIETNAM NOW” painted on it.  A young man, probably in his early twenties, is holding up the sign.  Linking arms with him are two men of around the same age.  All three men’s mouths are open, possibly in the midst of shouting.  In the foreground of the image are more protestors, but only their heads are showing.  In the corner, barely visible, is an American flag.  The photographer of this photo did a very good job of showing the unity, and the power behind the Vietnam War protestors. Perhaps also the photographer supported these protestors, in which case he does a very good job of that too. 

Evidence:

      i.         The unity of these protestors is shown in their linked arms.  The linked arms continue out of the edges of the photograph, giving it the feeling that they continue on. 

     ii.         Power is clearly shown in this photograph.  The photographer captured the protestors with their heads held high, in the midst of their chant.  The three men take up most of the photo, making them appear larger than those behind them.  This also makes it seem as though the crowd continues on for miles.  The numbers in themselves represent power.

   iii.         The fact that the sign, with the words, “End the war in Indochina Vietnam now” is center of the photo, shows that the photographer was trying to capture what was motivating these protestors.  By capturing this he was in a way supporting their cause. 

Conclusion:

It is the linked arms, the faces in the midst of chanting, the vast amount of people, the placement of these people in the photograph, and the sign in the center of it all. The photographer made sure to capture these specific elements in order to creature a clear purpose. That purpose is to show the power and the unity behind the Vietnam War protestors. It is also to support the protestors themselves.