During the summer of 1989, more than 100,000 protesters gathered at Tiananmen Square calling for economic and democratic reform. On June 4th, the People's Liberation Army responded to the protests with a full out military engagement. Though the figure for how many deaths remains a mystery, it is estimated to be in the thousands.
In the midst of the mayhem, Jeff Widener of the Associated Press was able to capture this moment: a man standing in front of four tanks in defiance. The photo went international overnight and the man was considered a hero. We don't know who this unknown rebel was, but all admire his courage; those tanks could have easily crushed him. The driver just drove around the man.
This picture is also significant because my father was in Tiananmen Square that day. For reals.
Personally, I've always felt worry and sadness whenever I've seen this picture, despite its prominence as a inspirational image. It's too bad no one knows what happened to this man, whether he died that day or not. I read that the tanks couldn't even drive around him - he kept moving to the side to get in their way up until he was taken away by more officials. What a brave guy!
ReplyDeleteForgive me for asking but, where is the analysis?
ReplyDeleteHeide: I heard the same thing.
ReplyDeleteOur assignment:
ReplyDelete"After embedding the image, write a one to two paragraph analysis of the image. You may want to analyze why it is powerful, funny, or persuasive, who the intended audience is, and what tools the image uses to achieve its purposes."
An analysis is the explanation of a complex or otherwise misunderstood subject. Analyzing the image itself in this case is pointless. The image itself is not significant, but the moment it captured is. My analysis covers the history behind the picture and brings meaning to it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Treachery_of_Images
that wikipedia link is an excellent example of what you are trying to say!
ReplyDeleteWhat was your dad doing in Tiananmen Square?
ReplyDelete