“A picture is worth a thousand words” is an English idiom that has existed for centuries. Dorothea Lange, an American documentary photographer and photojournalist, really proved this idea in her Depression-era work for the Farm Security Administration. She captured her most famous photograph in 1936 that has been referred to as the Migrant Mother. Migrant Mother became known as the face of the Great Depression. This photograph struck emotions from Americans all over the nation. Dorothea Lange took such a powerful photograph that it brought awareness of what was happening in some parts of the country to other parts that were not happening in. It showed Americans the truth of what was going on, instead of having to rely on what news reports were telling them. Migrant Mother’s strength pulled on many hearts of the American’s and gave them a sense of what the Great Depression was actually like. 

Migrant Mother is a photograph that consists of a thirty-two year women and her two children. The picture is in black and white, which helps bring all the attention to the subject of the photo, instead of getting distracted by colors. One cannot see the children’s faces; they are being held by their mother and facing the opposite direction. The whole family looks worn out; there is dirt on their faces and hands. Their clothes have rips and tares in them showing they could be overworked. The most noticeable thing in this photograph is the woman’s hand pressed against her chin. This usually signals someone is exhausted or thinking hard. It makes one ponder about her thoughts. Thinking hard can usually trigger someone to think there is a problem. Examining closer, one can see they are under some kind of tent. This makes the viewer believe they have nowhere to stay. Some details that catch one’s eye are the fact the children’s faces are covered. It makes people wonder what they are doing. The unknown keeps people contemplating the photograph even after they stop looking at it. As one looks closer into a photograph, details that were not apparent before show new clues that hint to what could be happening in the picture. 

Migrant Mother is a symmetrical piece; the women sits in the center and the two children are on either side of her. The symmetrical design of the photo displays discipline, order, and poise. The peace in the women’s eyes depicts the discipline of the photograph. She looks calm, but concerned. It could be interpreted that she is trying to stay relaxed so her children do not get upset that something might be wrong. The discipline also ties into the poise of the picture. Her slight uncertainty, yet being able to hold her composure shows she handles herself with grace. The woman restraining herself also leads the viewer to believe she cares a lot about her children. Furthermore, order is illustrated by there is no movement in the picture. They look like the could be on a break from work and also shows how exhausted they are. These characteristics of symmetrical design help display a lot about the general message of the Migrant Mother. 

Another approach to finding out the meaning behind the picture is looking for the pathos within it. Pathos is an element that provokes sadness or pity in a person. Migrant Mother does this tactic in many ways. Firstly, the woman’s facial expression is not happy. She looks worried, concerned, and unsure of something. This feeling naturally makes the viewer want to help. Seeing an image that looks tragic, makes a person want to know what is going on. Leading one to research more about the picture and try to aid in the situation. Children are always a delicate subject to most viewers; seeing a child sad, dirty, and tired can make many people upset. This photo is truly a tear jerker of American culture that makes others want to help. The pathos of this picture leads to the message behind it. The message is this family needs help; a woman is worried about what might happen and the sake of her children. It mimics the Great Depression. Without having the background knowledge of the historical significance behind the photograph, one would not know it was that specific event, but they would be able to tell a tragic situation was going on. From the pathos of the picture, it is easy to comprehend something unpleasant is happening. The message of Migrant Mother also leads to why this photograph was taken. This photo was captured to document an episode; Dorothea Lange wanted to show Americans what was happening in their country. This picture shows the brutal reality many Americans faced during this time period of poverty and lost hope. Dorothea Lange also hoped that this photo would persuade Americans to try to put this horrific event to an end. She believed people should see the truth of what was happening and not just read about it, but actually see photographs because they provide a reliable source of information. The pathos and main purpose of Migrant Mother help the viewer understand what the message behind the photograph is. 

Migrant Mother taken by Dorothea Lange is an excellent photograph with many elements of emotion in it. The photograph united many Americans together under a common problem within their nation. The picture’s subject, details, symmetrical design, pathos, and purpose all make it easy for the viewers to understand the message. In conclusion, all these characteristics are necessary to interpret a photograph. 
