Interpratation of a photograph
The black and white photograph's lack of color provides a sense of connection to a time long since past. It tells a tale of times best forgotten. Three dead bodies lie cold on the beach and a lone American solider covered with mud, stands with his back to the camera with a gun in hand, possibly contemplating his irreversible deed. The bodies lie cold and motionless in the rising tide, slowly being covered by the vast ocean. Images of death can bring forth feelings from deep within, feelings that take hold of the heart and soul, refusing to let go. They burn themselves into the mind, never to be forgotten. This photograph was taken during World War II and was one of the first U.S. war photos of the dead to be cleared by censors. The photographer is not known. It was taken during the January 1943 amphibious landing on the island of New Guinea. At first glance this photo appears like any other wartime photo. Photos that have bombarded you in textbooks and television. Countless movies have been made depicting the same images. But there is something different about this photo. It almost brings you into that terrible moment in history. It captures the mood of what the war was unlike the images that we grow
This photo, aside from all the hundreds of photos in the book, was the only one that reached off the paper and grabbed hold of me. Death has a way of affecting all who see it. Unlike anything else in this world, death is able to make people stop and think. Perhaps fear is what gives it power, fear of dieing. Knowing that death will one day take hold and never let go. The fears that the people in the picture could just have as easily been you. The only living person in the photograph is a young American GI whose back is to the camera. No expression can be seen on his face. He seems to be looking down, perhaps feeling remorse for what he may have done, undoubtedly grasped by the image of death. Viewing the photo, it is unclear what is going on in his head; we are just left to wonder. And that's what makes the photograph so intense. It provides to ultimate of two extremes, life and death. The can be only have one. I think that the solider realizes that the corpses on the beach could just have easily been him. Maybe he finds security in the fact that if he did not kill, the roles would have been reversed. It gives you an idea of what it must feel like to take another mans life, the most sacred thing someone has. To in a sense, play God. Deep inside you know that the dead bodies lying cold, once were alive. They all had parents and were somebody's children. Maybe they had wives, some pets, or even children of their own. People who will never see them again. That idea is something that can't be ignored. By looking deeply into the photograph, the mind is set free. It is allowed to wander.
Some common words found in the essay are:
God Deep, War II, , American GI, left wonder, deep inside, bodies lie cold, bodies lie, feeling remorse, dead bodies, lie cold, day day,
Approximate Word count = 1092
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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