Image Properties:
- Author- Wing Young Huie
- Date of Publication- 2012
- Place of Publication- Minneapolis, MN
What do we see from just looking at it?
At first glance, the viewer is drawn by the bright/intense red jackets of the individuals that contrasts with the lighter colors of the background. This background involves a store or supermarket, that sells both food and clothing. The next "attention grabber" in the scene would be the signs that these individuals are holding. More than likely, the viewer would be drawn to the sign on the left because the text is larger and more legible. Interestingly, as the viewer scans the sign, either during or after, they'll probably look at faces of the individuals, as well as their current location (the supermarket). At this point, the viewer then begins to conceive ideas about the message of the image. Stereotyping and victim blaming, are the explicit messages stated through the text on the signs. "People Think I'm In A Gang"- refers to a misconception or stereotype of black males. "Stay out of the wrong place" and "Be more careful" refer to the victim blaming of individuals when found in bad situations and wrongly accused.
What do we see when we look deeper?
Looking deeper, the viewer can further interpret the theme of stereotyping and how it fits into this scene.The most recognizable connection to stereotyping can be made through the red jackets worn by both individuals. Red is a color that is associated with the Bloods, which are a notorious gang in the U.S. that is composed primarily of African Americans. Making the connection between the red color and the sign that reads "People think im in a gang...", gives the viewer insight on the author's message that how people dress or look doesn't or shouldn't affect the way they are perceived by others. A deeper analysis of the image also unveils an implied message to the viewer- ignorance. Ignorance can be defined as a lack of knowledge or facts about a situation or subject. This ignorance refers to the ignorance of society, and by using the sign that says "People think im in a gang [but] im in college" the author is implicitly saying that society fails to understand the actuality of the situation of this racial group, yet they ignorantly and falsely make claims about these individuals based on the way they look.
How do Margaret Atwood and Wing Young Huie present othering?
Atwood and Huie both present othering with the use of color. In The Handmaids Tale, the social classes within the women are separated by many things, and one of these is the color of the clothes they wear. The Handmaids are forced to wear red, the Wives wear blue, and the Marthas wear brown. The use of the color red is to show the Handmaids' inferiority to the other classes, in which they are still excepted, but looked down on as separate or alien from the society. Huie presents this same idea by dressing both individuals in red.Both the young man and woman are wearing red jackets and headwear (hat and hoodie), that contrasts with the background of their location. This contrast in color along with the lack of presence of any other people, creates a visual isolation of these two individuals. Along with this, the signs indicate that these individuals are misjudged and looked down upon by others. Similar to Atwood, Huie does this to express that although they are accepted in the society, they are still somewhat excluded or segregated because that are viewed different and negatively by other groups within their society.
Your post about this picture is just freaking amazing! First of all the analysis of the photo was well detailed in mentioning the attention grabber and how the photo makes the viewer look at the faces of the two people when they read the signs they are holding, also connecting the photo to a real life concept was an excellent choice in describing it as it really forces the reader to realize how significant this piece is to the lives of those around us.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore your referring to the Bloods through the clothing of the people in the photo was surprising, I never knew of something like this before, and that definitely helped the next statement with how ignorance can cause sever misunderstanding and unfair judgement upon those in society.
Lastly your comparison with Atwood and Huie was very compelling because of their similarities. The idea of color to show inferiority and exclusion from society is something I think is easy to understand since visual aspects are what dictate most of our decisions in life, and they are what allow us to identify what we find what is most similar to us.
Abbot-
ReplyDeleteGreat first post- I second everything Alexander said above. The way you chose to organize it worked well for you and helped you avoid any assumptions. I enjoyed reading this!
What a neat parallel. Just like Atwood, Huie used red to other these individuals. Though the othering is based on racial grounds rather than gender, I find it interesting that not only does their skin color serve as a reason people "other" them, but their bright red jackets as well. You did an incredible job analyzing the picture alone as well. You noticed somethings I would not have that are incredibly compelling (their faces draw my attention at the same time as their signs do).
ReplyDeleteI like this post a lot! The structure makes it easy to understand and read, too. I agree with your explanations of the text on the signs in the image and think your visual analysis about color and composition was insightful. I especially like and agree with your connection between Atwood's and Huie's use of color to "other" certain people.
ReplyDeleteSnaps to this post. I loved how you formatted the post with the use of subtitles which alleviates any confusion or headache from the reader's perspective. I also enjoyed how you analysed the explicit messages and then delved into the deeper meanings such as the color red. Making a connection through color was really cool as well as insightful. I would have never thought that the image you selected and THT would have such a extensive connection but you definitely proved me wrong!
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you interpreted the picture. Personally, I would have never though anything significant about the color red, it was something I never would have thought of. I was really amazed at how you connected the color to gangs and the sign on the left. I think this is a great example of how the "othering" that occurs in THT has become apparent in our modern society.
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