All great photographs, paintings, and illustrations carry a deeper and more significant meaning than displayed at first sight.  Using personal interpretation, and the analysis of other factors, such as photographer’s intent, an image’s true meaning can be captured. In September 2001, the United States of America was attacked by a group of terrorists named Al Qaeda. The twin towers of New York City were hit by two different airplanes. At first, the terrorist attack shocked the country and left American citizens wondering how and why such a heinous act could happen in one of America’s most iconic cities. However, as the heroes began to rise up and help with the rescue effort in New York and Washington D.C., the nation seemed to come together. The attack appeared to stand for much more than what was initially perceived. One of the most iconic photographs taken during the rescue efforts was by Thomas E. Franklin. Franklin’s photo depicts three firefighters raising the American flag on top of the rubble from the two world trade centers. The powerful photo was displayed on the front page of numerous newspapers just days after the attack. It was compared to the image of the soldiers raising of the flag on Iwo Jima during World War II. Foster captures the historic resiliency and hope in the American people in a desperate time with the use of the symbolism of the flag and the patriotic acts of the people in the photo. 

Franklin’s photograph contains numerous powerful symbols. The most famous in the photo is the American flag.  The American flag is arguably the most iconic symbol of the United States. It stands for freedom, glory, nationalism, and hope for a better tomorrow. Typically, the flag is displayed in the most historic events all the way down to a small sporting event. From the moon landing to major war victories, the flag has stood tall and proud while representing America and our core values. It is constantly being fought for and displayed throughout the country. When the flag was erected on that spot after the attacks, it stood for much more than just a representation of our nation. To the citizens of our country, it reestablished hope, assurance, and unity. The image of the flag standing tall on the rubble helped the nation begin to accept and move past the horrendous attacks. It gave the country something to hold on to and believe in. The positioning of the flag is also important in the photo. The flag stands in front of the rubble and is mounted on a pole from the remains of the buildings. This is significant because it shows that America will not shy away from a challenge nor be intimidated. The men in the photograph are physically putting the flag down into the rubble and symbolically saying that America will not be brought down.  Also, the flag is the only bright and colorful object portrayed in the image. This is because Foster wanted the flag to stand out among all of the other objects in the photograph. He wants people to see the flag being raised because the flag assures Americans that the country will continue to stand and remain united despite the imposed terror. Foster uses the flag to show that America will come back from this awful event and there is a reason to be hopeful. Also, the debris of the aftermath is another important element of the photo. In the picture, the remains of the twin towers are high and wide. This picture gave Americans a glimpse of what people such as the three firefighters in the photo were dealing with every day. This made many Americans feel a great amount of sympathy for these workers. These men and women were working around the clock to find innocent Americans and to clear the rubble. The horror of the attack was vividly shown in the image across the nation and it put the situation into perspective for all. The American flag is a symbol for so much more than just a country and the firefighters raising the flag help get across Foster’s intent of the photograph. 

The firefighters in Foster’s photograph are just a few of the true heroes of 9/11. Firefighters, police, and other local officials in New York City cleaned up the rubble from the twin towers and went on an endless manhunt for many days after the tragic event. The three men in the picture seem to have the same effect on the photo’s audience as the rubble. They are covered in dirt and appear to be admiring the flag. To the average viewer at home, this creates a feeling of respect and sympathy. The respect comes from the fact that these men and women were cleaning up the gigantic mess of the rubble. This job was clearly extremely tough and it took a great amount of courage to be willing to risk their lives and put the country’s needs before them. A common feeling evoked by the photograph is sympathy due to the rough condition the firefighters are in. They look exhausted and their equipment is covered with dust. Cleaning up the complete destruction of the twin towers was an extremely dirty and dangerous. Men and women just like the three firefighters in the picture put their lives on the line every day to try to save innocent people and get the country back on its feet. Every single man and woman who helped with the post-9/11 efforts are patriots and put their country before themselves. Specifically, the three firefighters raising the flag in Foster’s photograph provided the nation with hope and resiliency. The photograph showed that America was already in the process of healing just days after the attack. Since Foster captured actual people in his photograph opposed to just the flag, it allowed people to believe that there were patriots out there showing the country and the world that America will not back down from a tough challenge. Foster’s photograph exposes the horror of the attack, while also maintaining the overall theme of hope and patriotism. The way the flag is positioned and the fact that he was able to capture the firefighters hoisting the flag, displayed a great sense of patriotism.  

Lastly, the historical background of the photograph is another important part of its larger meaning. This photograph was compared to the historic photo taken at Iwo Jima. The picture on Iwo Jima captured American soldiers raising the flag on top of a hill signaling that America had won the battle there. The firefighters were captured the exact same way and both pictures have similar meanings. America’s soldiers were heroes on Iwo Jima, raising the flag when the nation needed hope and assurance during one of the bloodiest battles of WWII. America took heavy losses at the battle of Iwo Jima but came out on top. Similar to this, Foster’s picture has the same components with the firefighters being the heroes and raising the flag to restore hope in the American people. The events on September 11 scarred Americans but the country came back and fought against the people who inflicted the damage. The nation refused to give up in a rough time and that showed that America was resilient and hope had not been lost. 

Comfort during a desperate time is mandatory for the progression of the wellbeing of a person, institute, or country. Foster’s photograph shows important American characteristics such as resiliency and hope in a desperate time with symbols such as the flag and a few patriots. The flag stood tall among the rubble and showed Americans that the nation was as strong as ever and still united. The firefighters in the photograph showed Americans that heroes were out there making a difference and it was time to look to the future. Lastly, this picture’s historical context linked to the picture on Iwo Jima reminded Americans that the nation had been in tough times like 9/11 before and people had every reason to remain hopeful. All Americans needed during this dark moment in history was a little hope. This photograph represents a terrible tragedy with a tremendous loss of life but also stands as a representation of America’s strength and resilience.  