
An image can carry a lot of information about an event or time period. In the image of a migrant mother with her children, there is an obvious struggle being weathered. The people in the image seem to be dirty and skinny, the kids are hiding behind the mother in search of protection, and the mother is gazing off into the distance in search of some sort of intervention or sign of hope. All of these elements prove that the family is struggling to get by in a new country. The body language of the subjects in the picture along with their physical state display that they are struggling and uncomfortable in their new situation; this apparent discomfort shows the poor state of the country in that time period, and how difficult life was for immigrant young and old to make a living in the struggling country.

In the image there are four family members who are obviously undergoing a struggle to survive in a new country. All of the subjects in the image are dirty and malnourished. The mother and children have streaks of dirt or dust across their skin. The dirt and dust conveys that the family has worked hard, yet still have not achieved any success in a foreign country. In addition to the dirt across their faces and skin you can see a stick in the foreground that is holding up the family’s temporary shelter. This stick represents the integrity of the family’s way of life in the new environment, and how it could snap at any second. The combination of dirt and lack of solid shelter show how despite their struggles support one another, the family still struggles to meet basic requirements necessary to survive. The fact that the kids are included in the frame shows that everyone, no matter how innocent, was having a hard time making a life in a new country.  

The young children in the image are found clinging to their mother and burying their faces in her shoulders to try to escape the struggle that is their life. The two boys  cover their faces with their arms. This body language shows that the kids are in desperate search of protection from their situation. The children look for protection in their mother’s shoulders just like any child would. A mother’s shoulders are a symbol of protection and safety. The children are also curled up into a ball. People curl up into a ball when they feel vulnerable or when there is danger. The fact that the children are balling up shows how the children feel vulnerable in their situation, despite being in a symbolically safe position. Although the children are innocent and new to life, they are confronted with difficult situations. The children look toward their mother for protection from the harsh conditions that the immigrants were forced to cope with. However, the children’s mother is also searching for protection of some sort. She is looking outward to search for the help her family desperately needs. The body language of the children shows that the effects of a broken county showed now mercy to young children within its borders. 

The expression of concern on the mother’s face shows her uncertainty toward the family’s situation. Her gaze is focused on something in the distance, she is not focused on her children or the baby she is cradling in her arms which is filthy and hidden. Her gaze shows how she is looking for help outside of herself. She has tried everything in her power to provide for her children and has still come up short. Although her children are relying on her for survival and protection, she does not know what is to come in the near future. With no father in the image, the mother is the family’s leadership. When a mother, has a look of distraught on her face in front of her children, the situation must be taking its toll on the family. The stress the mother has experienced is apparent in the premature aging on her face. There are defined wrinkles on her face as she stares into the distance. The wrinkles can be assumed to be premature because of the young age of her children. The fact that she appears to be gazing up toward the sky shows that there is nobody around her that could help with her family’s situation. If there were, she would be looking eye level at people nearby. This shows that anyone in the vicinity was also affected by the state of the country. The physical appearance of the mother in addition to her outward gaze show how difficult it was for immigrants to make a life in the tattered state of the country, and how the struggle the mother experienced diverted her attention away from her young children, and to the family’s survival. It takes a great deal of hardship to take a mother’s attention away from her infant child, and if the country was in a good condition, she would be able to focus on her children like a mother should. 

The simple color scheme of the image effects the tone of the piece by creating a somber atmosphere for the family. The black and white color scheme shows how monotonous and dull the life of the immigrant family was. The family lives in a constant struggle to make ends meet and does not have time to enjoy life. The color scheme shows how the family lives simply with only two colors in the image (black and white) as opposed to a color image which would have thousands. The color scheme also reflects the state of mind of the subjects in the image. The dull grey colors show how the subjects are scared and uncertain about their lives in the United States.

In the image of the immigrant mother, there are a number of elements that show how difficult life was for immigrants to the United States. The physical condition of the family along with the scrawny stick that is supporting their shelter show how desperate the family is. The family has found themselves in the stomach of a beast that is a broken economy. The elements of the reflect the situation that the family is enduring and shows how bad of a state the country was actually in. The horrible state of the country directly influenced the lives of the immigrants who moved to the united states. The subject’s discomfort displayed in the image shows just how poor the state of the country was in the time period and how difficult it was for immigrants young and old to make a living in the failing country. 
