Visual texts allow the audience to interpret the meaning more effectively than actual text based documents. To achieve this goal, the author uses elements such as texture, color, symbols and gaze to widen the visual portrayal of the text, which creates unique arguments that differ for each viewer. This essay is showing an image from Gerrad Bohl that captivates his audience by looking at the visual aspects of the woman being portrayed. In this powerful image, we see all the struggles she has gone through during her life using symbols and how she is trapped behind a fence, unable to break through the barrier of her past demons that have haunted her to this very day; despite the battle she has fought, she cannot overcome the damage that has been done. Within this specific piece, the author uses many aspects that individually add to the argument as well as combine with another element to strengthen the overall message that is developed within the frame of “shows a damn good story.”  

A strong element, such as color, can shape the viewers focus to one area of the frame and then guide their eyes to another area and it continues to do that until you’ve seen the full image. However, color keeps leading the viewer to one particular frame or area to establish importance, which could be seen as the theme of the overall image. For example, in “shows a damn good story” the first thing color draws your attention to are the bright blueish-green eyes staring at you. The woman’s eyes are bright even though they are surrounded by darkness that continue to get darker. By following the element of color, the viewer is able to follow along the pathway of light. Every section of the frame is either a brownish dirt color or a solid black color which surrounds the eyes, allowing the attention to once again be brought back to the light shining through the darkness. Also, the blood surrounding her eyes prevent the audience from seeing her skin tone except for the hand shining bright outside of the wooden blocks. With these aspects of color added it allows the audience to see the overall message of how you are not able to move onto into the future without having your dark past hold you back and allow you to move forward towards a future you are striving for. 

Along with the element of color the use of symbolism enhances how the audience can view the overall goal the image can achieve. The main symbol that is brought to the audience's attention from the start is the wooden barrier the woman is trapped behind. The barrier acts as both an element of color and symbol, however the barrier symbolizes an outside force attempting to hold her from escaping her past. Another symbol is the rope in which she is holding onto. The rope symbolizes her support to escape her dark past, while it is the only thing that she is holding onto in the picture. While the rope is there to support her leaving her past her hand shows that it is getting increasingly harder for her to escape. This could be a symbol of her trying to let go of everything she has been through, but she cannot let go. Her hand symbolizes that even while she is holding onto her one life line it continues to get harder for her to leave the barrier she is trapped behind and her past behind. The bandage on her hand represents every situation she has ever been in, in her past, that has crippled her. This seems very ironic as she uses that hand to hold the rope, which is covered in blood and dirt. This could also symbolize her constantly attempting to move forward but her demons pulling her back down and not allowing her wounds to heal, but to keep ripping back open. By using these symbols, it allows the audience to understand the struggle this woman must go through to try to move past her dark past and into her bright future. However, she will always be reminded of the things that have happened which can be symbolized by the scratches on the arm that is free from the restraints and bandages and the cage she is forced to be held in, which does not allow her to move on but to only be dragged back down into her darkness. 

The element of texture truly brings out the small details within the frame, for example the rope, bandages and wooden gate all provide textual evidence of her situation being rough due to the nature of their fabric and what they are made from. The blood on her face seems to be dark and dried which can cause discomfort if it stays on for long periods of time. Along with the blood on her face, the clothes she is wearing seem to be dirty rags that are stained with her blood as well which can leave a person feeling uncomfortable with themselves, which can symbolize how she is uncomfortable about her dark past and the demons that define who she is. The importance of these objects having a texture that appears rough can signify her past experiences and how her steps to move forward will be rough and not something quick and something that may take a lot of time. The wood and rope seem to be in a very good condition, just like new, however the longer you have it in your possession the more it will degrade, which plays into the use of symbolism and how she ultimately keeps replacing the damaged things in her life with the things that bond her to her prison. Along with texture, the gaze ultimately portrays the young woman as someone who has been through an extraordinary amount of hardships that has forced her to mature too quickly and been pushed to the breaking point and is trying move on past her demons. You can see this by how the image instantly connects your eyes to the woman’s eyes and allows you to see into her story. These objects are used to symbolize hardship in the woman’s life but also provide a rough texture for the audience to be able to place themselves in the woman’s shoes as if their demons hold them back from living the life they have always wanted.

Overall visual texts allow the viewers to interpret their own meanings behind the image and the elements involved allow them to sway the audience one way or the other to get a general message from the visual text. However, the elements within the picture all overlap to portray the similar message of how the woman is trying to move forward with her life and ultimately leaving the most of the past she can behind, even with her demons holding her down. However, symbolism, texture, gaze and color represent all the things she carries with her along with all the things that drag her down. These elements also rely on one another to provide visual evidence of the woman’s rough past and situation she must live with throughout her entire life; the battle with her demons dragging her down while she is trying to move forward. 
