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.  This visual text specifically takes place in a village in Palestine protesting the brutal force that protestors are being subjected to about a border dispute with Israel.  Protestors are being matched with the force of tear gas, rubber bullets, stun grenades and occasionally live rounds.  The photograph supports the opinion that conflicts should be handled in a peaceful way, other than war and violence.  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 tear gas grenades.  She is located in a Palestine village and it seems to be in a particular location that has limited plant growth.  Just behind the woman is a barbed wire fence.  This fence was put up by Israel and acts as a barrier to keep her and the people of Palestine out of Israel.  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 it was revealed that her people were keeping Israelis 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 it is known that the fence is keeping her out instead.  Another thing that the visual shows is the amount of grenades she has planted.  All of the grenades shown were picked up from retaliation from Israeli border patrol.  On the left side of the picture another grenade garden is seen and it can be assumed to be the same size.  There are also multiple gardens similar to this one. The thought that all of these were thrown into crowds of people is a morbid thought showing the brutality that protestors are facing from Israel.  All of these things combined give you the feeling of optimism.  The situation this Pakistani woman is in is obviously not the best one a person can be in.  Her people are being attacked and oppressed for standing up for something that they believe is wrong.  But instead of being depressed and feeling like a victim she is staying optimistic and standing for what she believes in.

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.  This garden could be attacking the general premise of war and how it wastes more lives and resources than its worth in the long run.  Mohamed Khatib, a village organizer says that the purpose of the garden is " ... meant to show that life can spring from death" ("West Bank Garden of Tear Gas Grenades").  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 of tomatoes, a different theme might come to mind.  One might say that the photo was saying that war is causing hunger because money that should be used on food, is going towards a war effort.  But the flowers suggest an argument against war and that more peaceful alternatives should be used instead of violence and war.  These flowers however are also used for a double meaning of not only peace but remembrance and remorse.  These flowers represent people who have died in the protest efforts for the people of Palestine.  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, especially in regards to the situation that is happening in Palestine right now.  By showing the plants being grown in the grenades it shows the people in the village are done with the resentment they are shown and that they want the violence to end.  It can also be seen that woman in the image is surrounded by a lot of negativity and oppressing things.  Barbed wire is used to restrict her from entering Israel and she is surrounded by grenade plants that she is also using as memorials for the people who have died in the protests.  But she is keeping an optimistic outlook on the situation by standing up for what 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 the visual text.    

