http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/629/629/7301682.stm
In a slideshow and narration, a Canadian photojournalist details her findings in multiple trips to Iraq. By following soldiers, she experienced house raids and interrogations of Iraqis. Her intense pictures and stories detail her experiences not only with the soldiers but of staying in an Iraqi psychiatric hospital as well.
By appealing to the audience’s emotional sympathies, the author utilizes a form of pathos to build her credibility. The pictures themselves generate their own form of persuasion in that they portray powerful images that identify with a different world. The picture that especially brings about the most rhetorical sway is the one of the old Iraqi man hand-cuffed against the wall with the bag over his head. The contrast of this picture to every-day American life differs so greatly that even a hint of shock is generated. The symmetry of this picture is also contradictory in that it’s such a simple, plain picture for such a frenzied and chaotic time period. Leistner captures a contrast of a simple photo symbolizing an intricate topic. Her speech and stories generate her own credibility as not only an author and photographer but also as an equal observer of war.
3 comments:
Wow I want to look at this article when I get the time. Your summary and description make it seem intriguing. I think it's interesting how you chose the work of a photojournalist instead of the traditional written article and I especially like your commentary on the contrast between American life and the Iraqi picture. It seems strange to me that so much is going on in the same world that we live in, yet so markedly different from anything that you or I have ever experienced.
Your summary is succinct and to the point, which I really admire and seem to be completely unable to do in my own writing. I think the rhetorical analysis is where your best writing comes out -- I especially like the diction and voice that comes through.
I love the work of photojournalists and I really do believe a picture is worth a thousand words so great find on this article. I like that you commented on how shocking these images are to Americans because our lives aren't nearly as chaotic or dangerous as it is in Iraq. The pictures you commented on really demonstrate the kind of life people live over there.
Your summary is very short and to the point, which I like because you give just the facts and none of the fluff. Your analysis is very well written and truly brings out what these pictures mean and why they are so emotional to the audience. My only suggestion is that you don't actually use the words "logos, pathos, ethos."
I love that you chose a different format than the usual newspaper article. The shock value of photography and the pathos of and audio appeal are becoming more and more used in mainstream media.
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