In Bruce Davidsons’ “boy in the schoolhouse” the photograph of the young African American boy writing on the chalkboard, he calls attention to two opposing viewpoints on life as an African American during the mid-1900’s: 1.) viewing the boy as normal, being in class expected hours, and treated equally or 2.) viewing the boy differently, spending extra time after class, and treated unequally. The young boy is portrayed standing with good posture fixated on the chalkboard in the dark, unlit schoolhouse. Although at first impression, the photograph shows a young boy simply spending extra hours trying to progress and better himself, it provides tension between the pattern of obscurity and individuality, and it reveals the more
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The boy appears to be healthy and well rested standing tall and proud while writing on the chalkboard. The classroom is portrayed with a clean wooden floor and neatly organized with the alphabet running across the top of the walls, and gives the photo a sense of easy days spent as a kid in school. The room has a clearly empty bulletin and a recently cleaned chalkboard to signify that the school day is over. The room isn’t very well lighted with the only source of light coming through a window from the back of the classroom, shining over the back of the young boy giving a shadow on the chalkboard. Although it is dark, it is enough light to capture and understand the negative times with yet such a positive attitude.
The lonesome boy in the photograph best captures the tension between individuality and group identity. The boy is shown standing in the spacious schoolhouse all by himself in between his desk and the chalkboard. The chalkboard clear of writing and only containing the few things he has written down. The classroom floor is shown empty with nothing but him, his desk, and his chair standing on it. The photograph is taken from the side and emphasizes that there isn’t anyone else in the classroom or more profoundly not anywhere near the boy or helping him with his after school
The boy appears to be healthy and well rested standing tall and proud while writing on the chalkboard. The classroom is portrayed with a clean wooden floor and neatly organized with the alphabet running across the top of the walls, and gives the photo a sense of easy days spent as a kid in school. The room has a clearly empty bulletin and a recently cleaned chalkboard to signify that the school day is over. The room isn’t very well lighted with the only source of light coming through a window from the back of the classroom, shining over the back of the young boy giving a shadow on the chalkboard. Although it is dark, it is enough light to capture and understand the negative times with yet such a positive attitude.
The lonesome boy in the photograph best captures the tension between individuality and group identity. The boy is shown standing in the spacious schoolhouse all by himself in between his desk and the chalkboard. The chalkboard clear of writing and only containing the few things he has written down. The classroom floor is shown empty with nothing but him, his desk, and his chair standing on it. The photograph is taken from the side and emphasizes that there isn’t anyone else in the classroom or more profoundly not anywhere near the boy or helping him with his after school