September 11, 2001 is a day that needs no introduction, it is a time no American will ever forget. It’s one of those instances when anyone who was alive at the time can tell where they were and what they were doing when they received the news of what had happened. On that day, the unthinkable transpired, two airplanes were intentionally crashed into the world trade buildings resulting with the lose of more than 2,000 innocent lives and over 6,000 injuries in that one dreadful day. I believe the main purpose of this image is to document the tragic episode of that day. This image of the Twin Towers in the midst of attack is a powerful image that utilizes the design to tell a story and deliver a string of emotions. It makes the reader feel desolate, outraged and patriotic. The contrast between the light and darkness is a great aspect of the photograph that portrays to the reader that even in the darkest times, good could come of it. It reminds us of a time when our country was hurt but we came together as a nation and in a sense it made us stronger.

This image tells the story, through the use of design, of that day, when hundreds of people went into work on a normal day and the unimaginable happened. The image shows the twin towers in the midst of a terrorist attack that killed hundreds of Americans. The design of this photograph is a contrast between the dark and the light. The sky is a light blue and it appears to be a nice day but then you see the dark smoke coming from the building and it reminds us of the tragedy of the event. The contrast reminds us that although it was a dark time, light could come out of it. Although the event was dark, one respectable thing came out of it, our country came together to help one another. This is a great visual representation that shows us that What doesn’t kill us only makes us stronger.

The image definitely appeals to the viewer’s emotions. It gives us an overwhelming feeling of sadness and anger. We feel sad because it was a tragic event that affected so many families and individuals. Its hard to think about all the children that had to grow up without a parent, all the parents that lost their child, and the wives and husbands that had to go on without their spouse. It is wretched to think about these people who went into work that morning just like any other day not realizing what was about to happen and then suddenly, and all at once everything changed. 

Along with the overpowering feeling of sadness, we feel furious when we see this image because it reminds us of the evil in the world around us. We don’t like to believe someone could be so malicious to purposely crash a plane into a building occupied by so many innocent people but regrettably there are people out there that are capable of doing something like this. We are filled with anger and resentment towards the individuals who did this. The terrorists that are responsible carefully and wisely coordinated the attack to ensure the most pain was felt. The hostility and hatred they had towards our country and our beliefs was limitless. This heartbreaking day shook our lives and as a nation we were knocked down. We are often times reminded of that day and the pain and anger we felt as a result. 

 September eleventh was traumatic, and downright awful but it gave us a sense of patriotism. The desolate view the image shows, reminds us all of the love we felt for our country and the individuals in it. It reminds us of a time when our country came together in love to help one another and to help our country. This patriotism we once all felt, is something we seem to have lost lately. Recently there as been a great deal of hate and anger towards each other throughout our country this image reminds us of what is truly important. America’s response to the attack is perfectly summarized by a quote from Mayor Rudy Giuliani that states, “The attacks of September 11th were intended to break our spirit. Instead we have emerged stronger and more unified” (Giuliani.) This quote can be connected to the clear, blue sky in the image. The beautiful day reminds us that something good can always be found. That miserable September day is not something we ever want to go through again but this image of the towers is a painful reminder of that horrific day that in a sense, made our nation stronger.  

September 11, 2001 is a day that will never be forgotten.  On that day, we lost thousands of friends and family. Sandy Dahl, the wife to flight 93 pilot Jason Dahl stated, “If we learn nothing else from this tragedy, we learn life is short and there is no time for hate” (Dahl.)  This quote reminds us of the patriotism we once felt and maybe bring us back to that. I believe this day taught our country a lot about what it means to love each other and to come together in a time of crisis. This image of the Twin Towers tells a story full of emotions that remind us of a time when our country was hurt but we came together as a nation and in a sense it made us stronger.
