In the past year, China has financially plummeted into a historical debt.  Some experts say that China’s economy is possibly as bad as the United States’ economy was during the financial crisis that devastated the country in 2008.  Statistically speaking, based on the status of their debt, China is bound to experience an economic crisis; it is just a matter of when and how bad.  The image above portrays a businessman staring at big buildings in the distance through a hole in a wall of a bridge on a somber day.  By analyzing conventions, texture, and color we see the effects of China’s economic downfall on individuals and other countries, which tells us that China’s economic status is a basis for individual and worldwide stability.

Conventionally speaking, this image portrays an old, wise businessman with ample amount of experience.  He represents a figure of leadership that people look up to and turn to for help and advice.  The wall embodies the Chinese economy, stable, yet symbolically powerful.  However, now the wall is broken and weak, symbolizing the fall of the economy.  The man represents all people and their decision to make.  I believe that the man is contemplating jumping off the bridge through the hole and committing suicide because of the poor economy.  If the economy wasn’t bad, there wouldn’t be a hole in the wall, which wouldn’t provide the option for the man to jump.  People shouldn’t give up just because times are rough.  It will take time and effort, but the wall can be rebuilt.  This goes for the economy as well.  It will take time and effort, but eventually, China’s economy can be repaired back to its normal state.  

I think that the buildings in the background represent all the different countries who are affected by China’s economic failure.  They are all watching the businessman, waiting for his decision to either jump or repair the wall.  If he jumps the economy continues to plummet.  If he doesn’t and tries to repair the wall, the economy will be saved.  He won’t be able to repair the wall alone, just like the Chinese won’t be able to repair the economy on their own.  It will take many countries to help repair the economy, rather than just sitting around doing nothing and watching China’s economy crumble.

The crumbled wall is built out of concrete.  The concrete represents the texture of the image.  Concrete is tough and durable just like China’s economy was before its major debt problem.  However, even the strongest things can still be damaged and broken.  China’s economy was the second strongest economy in the world behind the United States, but just like the wall, it crashed and fell apart.  The bricks on the ground represent the remains of the successful economy that used to be.  The pieces are still there, they just need to be sorted out, organized, and put back in their respective places.  The smooth luxurious texture of the businessman’s suit also represents what China’s economy used to be.  It used to be organized, confident, and well established.  However, the wall crumbled, symbolizing the nosedive of China’s economy. 

The random black numbers and letters spray-painted onto the concrete wall illustrate the confusion and the disarray that the weakened economy has caused the Chinese nation and the world.  The numbers and letters seem to have no meaning and no particular importance.  However, they are still on the wall.  The fact that they are there even though they are misconstrued and have no meaning at the moment, this shows that there is still power in the economy; it just needs to be tapped into and organized in such a way to revive the country and the world.  The United States relies heavily on imports from China.  So if the Chinese economy is suffering, the United States’ economy will suffer because so much of what we consume is from China.  If their economy is down, they can’t produce efficiently enough to support other countries’ demands.

The gloomy color used in this photograph depicts the hopelessness of the man on the bridge, and the depressive state of China due to its debt.  The grey, black, and blue hues all represent the struggle the Chinese face because of their lack of money.  The grey wall symbolizes sadness and confusion, however, the old man’s grey suit proves his wisdom and maturity.  The black in the buildings represents the mourning of the people, the fear of what’s to come that is unknown, the power the state of the economy has over our lives, and anger towards the failure of the system.  The hint of blue in the sky promotes the sadness of the people caused by the economy.  The fact that the blue color is just peeking through he white clouds means possible economic stability in the future.  The white clouds overlooking everything else in the photograph means that eventually the debt will be overcome and a strong economy will be resurrected.

By looking at conventions, texture, and color we are able to see just how powerful China’s economy really is on individuals and other countries.  Conventions tell us what we already know just based on the image.  The wall and the man both represent the economy, while the buildings int he background represent other countries.  By analyzing the texture in the photograph, it is easy to see that China’s economy was once strong, but has recently been damaged and weakened.  By inspecting the colors in the image, we are able to decipher the effects of the economic plunge on the Chinese and other countries.  Through close analysis of different elements of the photograph, we can observe that China’s economy is in fact damaged right now, however, it can be repaired in the future with time and effort.
