It is often said that a picture is worth a thousand words. In a visual text you can infer what an author is trying to say by looking at details such as color, layout, how one image is connected to the next and more. In this visual text Beautiful Tragedy, the author uses the background, different camera shots and a clear connection of images to trigger the viewer to sympathize for the young girl. This simple visual text has a clear interpretation about a young mother who has a beautiful daughter but shortly after is diagnosed with cancer. Although this tragic event occurs the daughter is still blessed with a beautiful family. The main focus of the visual essay is that sometimes difficult roads can lead to a beautiful destination.

One visual element the author uses is the background of the slides. The author uses a dark background because the color black is a mysterious color that is associated with power and the unknown. The title of the work Beautiful Tragedy already sparks curiosity in the reader and the black background continues this theme throughout the entire work. The color black is also closely connected with death. Hence wearing black to a funeral. Therefore death is foreshadowed right from the opening scene. Death is a direct tie with a readers emotion of sadness and immediately triggers the reader to care for the people in the images. The background can also be tied in with the authors theme of a “dark” road. 

Each image in the work has a unique camera shot that was chosen for a specific reason. The initial image the reader sees is a medium shot. This shot allows for the reader to see that the mother is pregnant but is close enough to show the mother’s emotion which is happiness. The next shot of the mother with  her child is a close up. This shot increases the intensity of the image. It allows for the reader to focus on the emotion of the people in the shot and focus less on what is going on in the background of the image. The reader can clearly see that the mother is holding her child in a tight embrace which signifies protection and love for the child in her arms. This shot also allows you to see a look of sadness in the women's eyes which could easily be overlooked if the image was not a close up shot. Two images later the reader is presented again with an extreme close up of the same women and child. This extreme close up allows the reader to only focus on the two people in the shot and their emotion. It is clear through the facial expression and tight grasp of both people they’re  expressing pure bliss and happiness to be with one another. The next two images are both long shots. The image of the angel in Heaven allows for the reader see the vastness of the location which is Heaven. Since it can already be inferred that a bride and groom will be joyful on their wedding day there is no need for this image to be a close up. This next image of the newly wed couple and a child simply shows the event that is taking place in its fullness. The final image of the work is a medium shot which allows for the reader to see the unity of a family. 

Each image in this work is directly linked with image that came before it and that will come after it. It shows a clear connection of events that does not ask for the reader to focus on guessing what is happening but to allow the reader to focus on their emotions and vulnerability that this work exposes. In the initial image it is clear that the women is pregnant and happy to be so. The next image is the same women with a child. It can be inferred from the previous image that the child in the image is her child. You can also see in this image that the women has a look of sadness in her eyes and from her half smile. This reason for her sadness is quickly answered in the next image with the cancer ribbon. The following image with the mother and child again shows who is being directly and indirectly effected by this disease. This image continues to show the bond of both the mother and child and the smile on the mothers face shows the strength and willingness to fight the disease. The next image is directly linked with the one before it because it shows the outcome of the mothers cancer as she gracefully moves into heaven. The clear connection of images continues as it is shown in the next image that in result of the child’s mother’s death that she is blessed with a new mother and will continue to have a family. The final image ties the sequence of images together with a beautiful ending to a tragic story. 

In the visual text Beautiful Tragedy three main visual elements the author uses are the background, camera shots and a clear connection of images to display a story but more importantly portray a life lesson. Life is constantly throwing curveballs and hurtling obstacles at people and the way a person approaches and handles these curveballs defines who they are. When life gives you tragedy it is important to find the good that could come out of it, because if not it could consume a person and living in a dark tunnel is not living. Instead of using tragedy  as a crutch use it as motivation in every day life. When doing so, people can create amazing things such as fundraisers and other amazing organizations that help raise money for other people who are suffering. If life knocks you down seven times stand up eight.
