This photo to me showed a story. There are more images of this group of children but I felt that this one had a strong message behind it. The first thing that catches my eye in the child in the middle, he seems to have a demanding quality to him even though he is looking down. The boy in the middle looks to be the oldest and to have some relationship to the younger boy that he has his arm around. The fact that the older boy has his head down as though the weight of the world has already weighed him down with responsibility and anxiety for putting food on the table or taking care of an older possibly sick family member. His serious demeanor makes him look as though his childhood has been taken away from him. Normally when you see kids in photos they strike a pose or are in the middle of a high energy game, but not here.
The younger boy looks as though he is trying to be tough or manly when a stare down look to him and his hands both placed in his pockets. His body cocked to the side add a stand off-ish feel as well, as though he doesn't trust new people. The little girl to the right standing away makes a loud statement the the negative space between her and the boys. Her hand in her mouth and a confused worried look to her also makes me think that stresses have come down on here. Maybe its the floral skirt but I see some glimmer of childhood left in her as though she could leave the photo and go play tag. Over all the image looks very serious from the bare winter trees in the back ground and the lack of community in the photo.
This photo is a perfect example of the hardships that were faced everyday by the people living in this time of extreme poverty. The children in this photo appear to be downtrodden, confused, and unhappy. Children should not typically experience these emotions at such a young age but the Depression caused them to grow up too quickly and caused them to have to experience these emotions usually reserved for adults. They had to learn first hand about the struggle to do basic things, such as find a meal or get enough clothing. For these reasons, this photograph exemplifies the raw emotions of this time as they applied to the families living in it.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your statement regarding how the older boy is taking care of the younger one. During those time I'm sure older siblings were under a lot of pressure to take the siblings and get them out of the house to relieve stress from the parents. Children during that time period had to grow up fast and delt with issues that we hopefully won't ever have to face. As a child life is suppose to be stress free and your suppose to live your innocent life freely. Many children during this time period were forced to quick school so they could do vigorous work to bring home money for the family. This picture captures the emotion and the responsibly older kids had for younger siblings .
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ReplyDeleteAndrea's attention to detail is very sharp here. Her response draws my attention to the overall feeling of discomfort in this picture. As she observes, we don't know the exact circumstance of these children, or if they might be happier than they seem here, but there is definitely a sense that all of them are anxious in one way or another---perhaps because of the hardships plaguing the country or the shear awkwardness of having a stranger take your photograph. This mood is at the core of the narrative that Andrea is constructing.
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