Taylor Faust

Professor Smith

English 101 – 029

12 October 2016

                           

Essay 2

The strength of people in any community is not defined by how they act in times of good fortune but by how they respond when disaster strikes and the only thing they have left to lean on is each other. Disasters such as 9/11 shine a spotlight on this inner strength that is necessary to make it through such a trying time. Richard Drew, the photographer of the text, captures the steadfast faith of Americans in his work. Drew uses varying light, significant angles, and distinct symbols of American resolve in order to capture the simple but strong resilience in America at this time in history.

A major point that Drew is attempting to make through this text is that America was strong from within. The people held it together when it could have easily fallen apart. He expresses this through multiple methods in his work; however, one of the most significant was the angle in which he chose to take the shot. It is apparent that the photographer must have been hiding quietly behind the wreckage when he captured the beautiful moment. Drew uses this unique view to show that the people in the frame were not doing this act of loyalty for the publicity but to show that, though the part of the city may have been knocked down to shambles, the American spirit remained as strong as ever after such a great tragedy. 

One of the symbols that Drew uses in the text to represent the steadfast nature of the country at that time is the American flag. The flag itself stands out significantly because of the contrast between the bright red, white, and blue colors of the flag with the neutral tans of the buildings all around it. Drew uses this to show that the strength of America as a nation will shine through and stand tall amongst all of the gloom around them. The flag not only draws the viewer’s eye because of the color but also because it is in the center of the frame and appears bigger than the other flags. The men carrying the flag appear to be marching in a line, which suggests that Drew wanted to show that the resolve of America was continuing to push onward. He wanted to capture the fact that America would not crumble under one disaster.

Richard Drew also made the interesting decision of showcasing construction workers in particular in the text. Those are the type of people that will rebuild America. Yes, the government is necessary; however, the people that best represent America’s strength are those menial workers who work day after day to make the community better in whatever little way possible and who are crucial to rebuilding the broken society. By highlighting people performing some of the most common jobs in society, Drew is pointing out that it is all of the American people that will help to rebuild their damaged and distraught community. Those that live simple or common lives are the ones that encapsulate what America is and what it aims to support.

Drew’s work has several different layers to it. It lends itself to basic viewing or deep analysis. It appears that Drew designed it that way in order to allow those who wished to just see something basic could do so or others who wanted to deeply analyze the text would have a deeper meaning to find. One of these interesting symbols that Drew uses to allow a more in depth analysis is the crane. The rubble all over the ground and city is obviously related the toppled nation, and there are many pictures similar to this from 9/11; however, the cranes provide a contradictory element to the debris. They signify rebuilding and fixing what has been broken by terrorism and hatred. Drew means to show that, though there is destruction everywhere, the American community will come back and build itself up again, but this time even stronger. The city will mend what has been broken and refuse to succumb to the grief of the event. The community has to learn from the experience, and life must go on.

Another unique but extremely significant aspect that Drew utilizes in his work is the lighting in different parts of the text. The majority of the sky is covered with dark clouds to represent the smoke from the collision and the darkness of terrorism in the world at this moment in time. Although the stormy backdrop seems to dominate the page, there is a break in the clouds that appears to represent that the American people will get past this darkness and find light to hold onto again. The sunlight is beginning to shine on some of the buildings again and will soon cast its warmth and light on the men carrying the flag and therefore America. Along with this hopeful beacon in the sky comes more darkness looming behind it. This transition back to a more somber message is meant to show that despair, such as terrorism, is always present; however, as more light follows behind that, Drew depicts how the people will continue to move on as a community and find light and strength after every tragedy.

Tragedy strikes every community at one time or another, and the automatic response to it is what determines how well and fast the group will recover. 9/11 was not only a tragedy for the families of lost loved ones and the city of New York but for all of America. It was a reminder that deep hatred and terrorism are a sad reality of the world and can occur to anyone at anytime. Through his text, Richard Drew is attempting to take this dark view on the world and shine a small bit of hope on the American people and their strength. His work utilizes everyday people and their own strengths that contribute to the overall resolve of America as a nation. His artistic touches only help to showcase what is already there.

My Source

http://www.faithfullymagazine.com/falling-man-in-iconic-911-photo-may-have-been-son-of-preacher-who-prayed-for-3-hours-for-god-to-reveal-his-body/