The Syrian conflict has been an ongoing civil war between the Assad regime, rebel fighters, Kurdish fighters, and ISIS, that has been raging since early 2011.  The fighting started because of tensions caused by the Arab spring, and the conflicts that followed only escalated the situation into an all-out civil war.  The dictatorial regime headed by Assad is doing everything it can to stay in power, even if that means killing its own citizens.  The violence that the fighting has caused has not gotten any better, and that even leads to children such as Omran Daqneesh being injured.  The photograph shows Omran Daqneesh in the back of an ambulance, barefoot, and covered in dust and blood. (Rslan)  He was pulled from a damaged building and placed in the ambulance to be taken away and cared for. Pictures that become viral due to subtle symbolism, color, and view, like the one of Omran are vital to exposing the atrocities that are happening in Syria and generating recognition of the issue on an international level, so that genuine change can be made.  

The first thing that a viewer would notice about the picture of the boy in the ambulance is his age.  Outside the ambulance are multiple cameramen and photographers documenting what is happening, most of whom realize the importance of a little boy being injured by the violence caused by the civil war.  Even though other people were pulled out of the building, the photographer chose this boy as the most important subject to shoot, since the reaction that seeing his situation would be a mixture of sadness and anger.  The article that the picture is included in is even titled, “This is Aleppo in Five Devastating Photos.”  Three of the photos in the article include a child due to the emotional reaction that readers are anticipated to have.  The image of Omran has gone viral on twitter and has been compared to the photo of the young Syrian boy who was found washed up dead on the beach of Turkey.  The reaction in the media to the story about the drowned Syrian boy caused a spotlight to be cast on the issue of Syrian migrants and the dangers they face when leaving the country through the Mediterranean Sea.  The picture of Omran Daqneesh shows the dangers of staying.  The amount of press surrounding this image lets people understand the danger that Syrian citizens face whether leaving the country and migrating to Europe or staying put.

The colors in the picture amplify the many meanings behind the picture.  The contrast between the colors that make up the boy and the ambulance allow two harsh meanings to conflict with each other.  There is the bright orange seat and boxes that make up the color of the ambulance and the mixed array of colors that make up the boy.  His disheveled brown hair matches his dirty t-shirt and shorts, while the dark red blood on his face matches his many bruises and marks on his arms and legs.  The orange of the ambulance symbolizes the danger that the Syrian people face in this conflict, while also momentary safety since he will be taken to a hospital.  The orange also marks the danger that he is still in because of the fact that he’s still in a war torn country.  The light brown colors of dirt and dust that cover Omran show the turmoil that he and the Syrian people are facing.  The blood that runs down the side of his face shows the pain that the war causes for the Syrian people, almost as if the country itself is bleeding.  In the news video that showed Omran in the ambulance, he feels his face with his hand, looks at his bloody hand, and then proceeds to wipe it on the seat of the ambulance.  This action can be interpreted as the desire for the Syrian people to rid themselves of the bloodshed and the pain that the civil war is causing them.  The symbolism of the colors in the photo speak about the war in their own manner, and allow a single picture of a young boy to tell much better story.

The view that this picture uses allows for yet more emotion to be caused for the viewer.  Not only is the picture of a little boy being hurt by the war, but it is a picture that uses the medium shot to show the viewer the gruesome details of the injuries that the boy has sustained.  The boy is shown in full length, and is the only subject of the picture, allowing for a very intimate feel.  The one side of the boy’s face, including the blood and the injury to his eye can easily be seen.  Since the subject is so young and small, the shot could also be seen as a close up.   The use of a medium to close shot of a young boy after he has been the victim of such trauma is entirely purposeful.  You can see that Omran is in shock, not crying and looking around aimlessly.  He is not aware of the people outside the ambulance recording and taking pictures of him.  The gravity of the situation probably has not hit him, so he doesn’t know how to even react.  The response that the photographer hopes to elicit from the reader is of disbelief and horror that something so horrible could happen to an innocent child.

The use of a little boy being harmed by a civil war helps to show the full effects of the conflict, but also is a strategic move.  By doing this, the photographer has allowed for more international coverage once again on this ongoing struggle that the Syrian people face, and so many people forget is still happening.  The symbolism that the picture displays and its use of view and color allow for a picture to go viral.  The fact that the subject is a child only helps to contribute to its influence as a viral story.  People who view the picture of Omran Daqneesh will have the emotional response that the author wants them to have and they will channel that response through social media hoping for a solution to this conflict. 
