

The condition of a country and its citizens during war time can be in a bad state due to the many opinions and decisions the country has to deal with.  Some people believe that war is a necessary evil.  Others believe that conflicts between countries should be dealt with in a peaceful manor only.  The photograph supports the opinion that conflicts should be handled in a peaceful way, other than war.  However, there is also another prominent theme of optimism seen in the photograph.  Through the use of setting and actions seen in the photo, the photographer captured a theme of life over war and staying optimistic even in what seems to be a very bad situation.

A main theme of the visual text is staying optimistic during a time of trouble.  At first glance of the photo you see a woman who is watering plants that are being grown in empty hand grenades.  She seems to be in a place that has limited plant growth, but where exactly she is located is unclear.  Just behind the woman is a barbed wire fence.  This fence seems to be restricting her access of what is on the other side.  All of these things combined give the viewer a feeling of oppression but also hope.  A simple detail such as fence direction could change the whole meaning of the picture.  Had the fence been the other way and appeared to be keeping others out of that area the message of this visual would be completely different.  It instead could be showing that not everyone on her side agrees with what her country is doing and she is showing a peaceful demonstration of friendship. But the fence seems to be keeping her out instead.  Another thing that the visual hints at is the condition of the place the women seen is from.  To have access to that many grenades is not the most normal of environments.  The barbed wire and grenades give you a sense of that there is an odd, potentially dangerous thing happening somewhere near the woman.  But instead of seeming depressed or worried she is staying optimistic and making a garden.  

This garden we see the woman planting is the core meaning of the image.  Grenades commonly are associated with death and war.  Whereas plants are a thing of nature and life.  Essentially, she is sending a message by planting new life into something that is known for taking lives away. This subtle irony supports the theme life over war.  Specifically this could be attacking the general premise of war and how it wastes more lives and resources than its worth in the long run.  It is also seen in the visual text a flower growing in the bottom left corner suggesting that the garden is one of flowers.  Flowers are seen as a sign of peace.  Had this been a garden that was growing tomatoes, you might have a theme that war is causing hunger because money that should be used on food, is going towards a war effort.  But flowers suggest an argument against war because there are more peaceful alternatives that can be used instead of war.  These flowers however could also have a double meaning of remembrance and remorse.  As it is common to put flowers on graves, these flowers could represent people who have died in the war effort.   Remembering those who have died and respecting their death is another detail that adds to the power of the overall message.  Reminding people of those who have died is a good way to swing their view on why they are fighting and whether it is worth it or not.  Combining all of these elements of the visual text show the overall meaning of how life is more important than war.  

The image has many intricate details in it that describes themes such as optimism and life over war.  Different elements of the image show these themes such as the plants in the hand grenades and the barbed wire fence.  The photographer wants the viewer to think about the violence and war that is happening today.  But by showing the plants being grown in them it shows that there are people who want the violence to end.  It is also identified that woman in the image is surrounded by a lot of negativity and oppressing things.  Barbed wire is used to restrict her from entering an area and she is surrounded by grenade plants that she is also using as memorials.  But she is keeping an optimistic outlook on the situation by standing for something she believes in. It is through these different points that the photographer has achieved his goal in telling us a story and a message through the use of one visual text.  
