The 1936 Olympics, held in Berlin Germany were planned to be Hitler's parade for Aryan superiority, and German greatness. The games were very strategically handled on the German side to have participants who were of no other class but white and German, excluded from the team. This was eventually realized by other countries and a boycotting of the Games was proposed. Although many people thought it was what needed to be done, the Games steamed on and were still held. Jesse Owens was an African-American track runner from Ohio, and was the United States' chosen competitor for the sprint races. Owens, winning four gold medals that year, and breaking numerous world records swept the Olympics and gave Hitler's propaganda agenda and his Aryan supermen a slap to the face. The picture of Owens on the podium holding a salute above the German participant is particularly moving and uses placement, contrast, and purpose, to further outline the 1936 Game's themes of racism, and good versus evil. 

The picture of Owens on the podium is an internationally recognized photo and rightfully so, because of the powerful message that can be found in it. The placement of Jesse Owens and the second place German runner provides the photo with it's overall importance and theme. The games, supposed to be Hitler's showcasing of Aryan superiority, proved nothing but that the Aryan race is not superior. This can bring about themes.  With the Game's also having an intense racial atmosphere about them, the image of a black man and Aryan man sharing the stage was certainly not what Hitler had intended. The second place positioning of the Nazi salute next to the first place American is almost foreshadowing the impending collapse of this third Reich. It also helps portray the theme of good versus evil and the impending triumph of The allied forces over the Nazi regime.

The contrast between the colors on the stage portray an interesting scene. Both lower placing members are adorned in all white while Owens is in all black. This creates an interesting scene of irony, in that the winner of the supposed "Nazi Olympics" was the exact opposite of the superhuman Hitler was trying to depict. This series of Olympic Games had massive racial overtones to it. Hitler cutting Jews and other groups of "outsiders" from the German team, or him leaving the stadium as soon as the broad jump had finished due to the color of the competitors, unveiled the true intention of the Nazi Olympics.

The overall purpose of this image is to illustrate the triumph of good over evil. Taking Hitler's Olympics and destroying his attempt at showing the world he, and his Nazi party, were supreme. All competitors who participated played a bigger role than just besting another man. The competitors, especially those of color were able to beat a man's vision for a "superior race". This played a huge role overall and helped to make Hitler's vision and message essentially void. Not only did it highlight a murderous madman's attitudes, but it also shed some light on America's racial issue. Although Owens was the hero of the '36 ollympics, upon return he was still swept in with all other blacks and had to adhere to the separate but equal standard. This is also a great example of irony, again, found in the image. It is almost hypocritical of the country to glorify a man when he goes and nullifies the message of Hitler, and then when in the US treat him as the subhuman Hitler made him out to be , *might be a bit too rad*

The 1936 Olympics was a major part in history as it was majorly, the calm before the storm. It was the last competition between the nations of the world in which intentions were peaceful. The Games also had moments of defiance, the way Jesse Owens and many others stood up against Hitler and beat him in his own games. It was the precursor to a huge turning point in the history of the world. *do better

