
Imagine being stranded alone on a tiny island, miles from any substantial landmass. All around a terrible storm is howling. Waves the size of small buildings crash all around, and the wind is terrifyingly strong. This is exactly the situation the lighthouse keeper in Jean Guichard’s La Jument found himself in. He was trapped in a lighthouse during a powerful storm. He was helpless and alone, and he could do nothing but hope he would survive the wrath of Mother Nature. Jean Guichard uses his photograph La Jument to successfully illustrate how vulnerable humans are to the forces of nature. He appeals to emotions such as loneliness and fear, focuses on the difference of scale between the man and the wave, and uses the image’s unique combination of chaos and symmetry to make his point.

In La Jument, Guichard successfully appeals to viewers feelings of loneliness and fear. Human beings are innately social creatures that prefer to be surrounded by others. Not only do people feel more comfortable around others, but they also feel safer in groups. In this photograph, however, Jean Guichard strips viewers of these comforts. The lighthouse keeper in the center of the picture is surrounded by a choppy ocean. Aside from the small base of the lighthouse in which he resides, there is no sign of land. He is alone in the middle of a horrific storm with no company or security. When viewing this picture, it is hard not sympathize with this man. He must feel incredibly isolated and scared. No person would want to be in the position he is stuck in because no one wants to face their fears alone. In this case, the man undoubtedly fears the storm whirling around him and the massive wave that is striking the lighthouse. Mother Nature has the power to not only strike fear into his soul, but the ferocity of the storm also undoubtedly cut him off from the rest of civilization. It is highly unlikely anyone could brave the elements in a rescue attempt. The fear and loneliness that is felt not only by the lighthouse keeper, but also the viewer, reinforces the fact that humans are incredibly vulnerable and powerless against the forces of nature.

Guichard also demonstrates mankind’s vulnerability to nature by focusing on the difference of scale between the lighthouse keeper and the wave. The difference in size is immense. On one hand, the keeper is small and insignificant. Some viewers may even have to look twice before noticing him. If he were not in the center of the photograph, he would be nearly invisible. On the other hand, the wave completely dominates the image. It completely engulfs the lighthouse, a relatively large manmade structure that totally dwarfs the lighthouse keeper. The man would never be able to put up a fight against the wave, and if he were struck by it, there is no doubt he would be swept away. This enormous size difference represents nature’s power over man. Nature’s scale is so much larger than man’s scale. While humankind prides itself on structures that are 1500 feet tall, Mother Nature boasts thousands of peaks ten times that size. No matter how advanced humans become, even their most massive structures will be dwarfed by nature’s smallest mountains. This picture is a microcosm of the size differential between man and the forces of nature. The lighthouse itself, let alone the lighthouse keeper, stands no chance against the huge wave.

This photograph features a unique image that is simultaneously chaotic and symmetrical, and Guichard uses this odd phenomenon to help develop his idea that humans stand no chance against the elements. In this picture, the water surrounding the lighthouse is very choppy. White capped waves crash in all directions, giving the image the chaos that comes with large storms. The largest wave in the picture, however, lends the image a sense of symmetry. When it strikes the lighthouse, it splits around the structure almost perfectly. This juxtaposition brings the cliché “there is a method to the madness” to mind. Even in this chaotic image, symmetry and perfection can be found. While the forces of nature may seem chaotic and random, there is always a well-orchestrated system behind the chaos. The right weather patterns must form over the correct topography at just the right time for a disaster to strike. When disaster does strike, it is a result of a so-called perfect storm of conditions. When everything aligns, there is no stopping the destruction of Mother Nature. Humans have developed many systems to help warn others when disaster is about to strike so that they can prepare or flee the area. This is necessary because there is no way to stop natural disasters and the destruction they bring. The symmetry the large wave forms in La Jument represents the perfect conditions that form and drive the unstoppable chaos of natural disasters. 

The forces of nature are immensely powerful and cannot to be controlled by mankind. Humans are incredibly vulnerable and powerless against Mother Nature, and Jean Guichard successfully makes this point with La Jument. He appeals to the feelings of fear and loneliness, focuses on the difference of scale between the wave and the lighthouse keeper, and showcases the odd coupling of chaos and symmetry featured in the picture to reinforce his point. The immense wave striking the lighthouse represents the powerful forces of nature, while the keeper represents the helplessness of mankind. Guichard makes it clear that humans are entirely at the mercy of the elements.
