          The words “poverty” and “hunger” both have negative connotations associated with them, and often times make the reader picture a gruesome scene of someone struggling to make ends meet with no where to live. It is not often where these two words can accurately be showcased in a single photograph. Kevin Carter focused to capture this moment of a Sudanese girl struggling to find food to accurately show the impact that hunger, starvation, and poverty have on the life of children in Sudan. The photograph captured by Kevin Carter was taken to show the living conditions of Sudan that was characterized by poverty and hunger in 1993. The photograph wad published in the New York Times to show this gruesome side of living that many Americans were unaware of. The purpose of this photograph was to show the general public how poverty and hunger were large problems that existed in Sudan at this time. Within the photo itself, there are many elements that help contribute to the overall meaning of the photo. These elements work together to convey the gruel message behind the photo. The photograph evokes some negative and somber feelings due to the seriousness of the photo itself, and its mature content. The impact of the location of the girl in the photo, the importance of the vulture, the girl’s body positioning, and the small necklace around her neck all help to contribute some sort of meaning to the photo. Although each of these elements only contribute partially to the depth and meaning of the photo itself, when put together they help to form an interpretation for the photograph.

          The place in which the girl is found has a large impact on the overall meaning of the photograph. The girl is collapsed in what appears to be a lifeless, desolate land similar to a desert. She has collapsed in a land that is dry with little to no green plant life in sight. This element is important to the underlying message in photograph because it contributes to the theme of hunger presented in the photo. The lack of color in the background shows the incapability of life sustaining there. An interesting idea comes into play when focusing on the idea that life is almost unsustainable in this desolate desert. If not even plant life can sustain here, how must a human life be able to manage here. The answer is that this child can simply not survive here. This dry land is even better indication that there is no water or food in sight. The land has not felt rain in some time, and this child will not feel the savor of water hitting her lips. The starvation of Sudan can be seen just in the terrain in which they live. There is a lack of rain; therefore there is a lack of hydration throughout its people. The colorless background emphasizes a colorless girl who is living in starvation with no vibrancy in her diet. When focusing on this element of location, color can be tied in to help show the impact of the background of the photo. The contrast between the darkness of the girl’s skin and the neutral blandness of the background help to emphasize the severity of the photo. With the help of color, the importance of the background is more easily understood. The picture puts emphasis on the girl crouched over in the middle of the desolate desert. Overall, the setting of the photo helps to convey the idea of starvation associated with the photograph.

         The vulture in the photograph is watching the collapsed girl with keen eyes not missing a single movement she makes. Vultures symbolize death, or the foreshadowing of an end. The vulture in the photograph symbolizes the foreshadowing of the girl’s death. Death is knocking at the door, as the vulture waits for the girl expecting for her to die. The vulture adds detail to the photo because it put emphasizes the seriousness of the photo by presenting the possibility of death approaching The girl is not simply hungry; she is starving. This helps put the photo into perspective, setting a serious overall mood for the photo. There is almost a line between the living and the dead. The girl who is on death’s bed is faced with death itself in the form of the vulture. This thin line between these two extremes can be seen through simple space between them in the desert. Without the vulture in the photo, the element of death would be harder to pinpoint. Any onlooker of this photo is almost forced to face the fact that this girl is so close to death that a vulture could sense it. Another important aspect to take away from the photograph is the fact that the only form of life in the photo besides the starving girl is the vulture. In part, this shows the independence that the children of Sudan are forced to gain.  Everyone must fight for themselves, even if food may be scarce. The vulture featured in the background of this photograph proves to be one of the most vital features that contribute to the theme of the photograph.

          The way in which the girl’s body is positioned in the photo shows somewhat of her desperation. Her head is faced down toward the ground, and her body is in a collapsed position. Her arms are extended outward almost seeming like she is begging for mercy, for one more chance to live. This body positioning is so important because this is not what you would traditionally expect a young child of her age to look like. It contradicts the idea of a young child playing outside with a smile on their face. This child is in almost a morbid position; she looks as though she is preparing for death. She is facing in such a direction that it can be assumed that she was in search for something, and was embarking on some sort of a journey to find it. She was trying to find food, but could not manage to continue on. Her body position is important to the picture because it shows the little girl’s sense of disparity. She cannot continue on any more and simply collapses. In more of a figurative sense, she is almost hiding from death itself. With her head down in the dirt, she is hiding her face from the vulture, who represents death approaching. She is not willing to give up, but she simply cannot continue on. She seems almost helpless, which makes anyone who views this photograph feel sympathy for the girl. The reader is saddened by the scene that s presented in the photo because it is not something they are used to seeing. Although this photograph depicts such a powerful and gruesome image, Carter wanted to truly capture the severity of what was going on in Sudan during this time. Before this picture was released, there was not much awareness around the poverty and starvation in Sudan. The rawness of this photograph made the American people realize that something needed to be done about the issue at hand.

          The necklace around the young girls neck has a grave deal of importance all on its own. The girl is completely naked wearing merely this white beaded necklace. This shows in a sense, the great deal of poverty in Sudan, because their people cannot afford clothing. Although this girl has no clothing on, she seems to retain just one item, a necklace. The necklace may symbolize not only culture, but what the Sudanese people may value the most, heritage. The necklace appears to be some sort of traditional necklace that has a connection with her culture. They may not have money to afford thing that many people in the United States take for granted like clothing, but the hold on to the one thing that money cannot buy. They hold on to their culture, and years of heritage. What they lack in physical items, they make up for in tradition. This in a sense, helps filter out the important things in life to the Sudanese people. It is not about what you have, but rather, who you are. 

          With each of these four aspects working together, this photograph serves as a world-changing icon for the poverty and hunger in Sudan during this time. Without these elements working together, the overall meaning of the photo would be lost and the seriousness of the matter might have been overlooked. Although this photograph is hard to look at due to its gruesome nature, it is the fact that it is so hard to look at that it has changed the world. Before this photo was taken, the issues in Sudan were put on the back burner and often overlooked by the rest of the world. Seeing such a young child decrepit and starving, it made people start to pay attention. By nature, humans are more likely to feel sympathy for children, so this photograph hit home for many onlookers. The vulture in the background accompanied by the dry land around the girl helps to show that death is approaching this young girl, as she remains collapsed and starving. There is no food or water in sight, emphasizing the draught that Sudan was experiencing. She is wearing nothing but a simple white necklace, which showcases poverty in Sudan. Lastly, her collapsed bodily position helps show her disparity and helplessness 

  