Abdulaziz Almurad
JOUR 250
Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima: A Critical Analysis
Inventory: On Mount Suribachi, as the Americans were fighting against the Japanese during World War II, a group of American military men are raising the American flag. The Marines seem to be struggling to raise the flag as their bodies are tight, rigid, and muscular, and they look to be putting in all of their strength and energy in order to make sure that the flag is firmly entrenched in the high mound of debris – rocks, trees, and possibly destroyed weaponry – on which they are atop. The sky is dark and gloomy and appears smoky, likely a result of the incessant fighting and shooting of weapons that took place between the two sides. In addition, in the background, …show more content…
However, Rosenthal appears to have taken this photograph from a position slightly lower than that of the military men as the shot slopes upward. One explanation for this is that Rosenthal is not as high on the mound of debris as the American military men are. The peaceful emptiness around the central image – the Marines raising the flag – causes the eye to focus on the squarely on the men as they raise the flag up and provides for a nice contrast against the chaotic mound of debris as well as the fighting that must have been occurring during this time. Three of the Marines have their arms extended and their hands raising as they guide the flag while a fourth Marine is exerting his energy as he pushes against the flagpole. The final Marine is hunched nearly completely over and is grabbing the flagpole from the bottom so as to steady it while the others push it forward. Although it is impossible to tell why exactly the Marines are exerting so much energy to raise the flag – a flag, after all, is light – the exertion might be a result of the strong winds which give the flag its rippled look as well or as a way to symbolically represent the inherent struggle of …show more content…
Rosenthal, in other words, must have decided on how to capture the perfect moment, and so instructed the Marines to appear as if they are exerting themselves and positioned himself so that he was in the near distance. The cognitive choices that Rosenthal made enhance the artistry of this photograph as they allow for a photograph that tells a story of a tired but perseverant American military battling hard against the fierce Japanese who were just as determined to win the
JOUR 250
Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima: A Critical Analysis
Inventory: On Mount Suribachi, as the Americans were fighting against the Japanese during World War II, a group of American military men are raising the American flag. The Marines seem to be struggling to raise the flag as their bodies are tight, rigid, and muscular, and they look to be putting in all of their strength and energy in order to make sure that the flag is firmly entrenched in the high mound of debris – rocks, trees, and possibly destroyed weaponry – on which they are atop. The sky is dark and gloomy and appears smoky, likely a result of the incessant fighting and shooting of weapons that took place between the two sides. In addition, in the background, …show more content…
However, Rosenthal appears to have taken this photograph from a position slightly lower than that of the military men as the shot slopes upward. One explanation for this is that Rosenthal is not as high on the mound of debris as the American military men are. The peaceful emptiness around the central image – the Marines raising the flag – causes the eye to focus on the squarely on the men as they raise the flag up and provides for a nice contrast against the chaotic mound of debris as well as the fighting that must have been occurring during this time. Three of the Marines have their arms extended and their hands raising as they guide the flag while a fourth Marine is exerting his energy as he pushes against the flagpole. The final Marine is hunched nearly completely over and is grabbing the flagpole from the bottom so as to steady it while the others push it forward. Although it is impossible to tell why exactly the Marines are exerting so much energy to raise the flag – a flag, after all, is light – the exertion might be a result of the strong winds which give the flag its rippled look as well or as a way to symbolically represent the inherent struggle of …show more content…
Rosenthal, in other words, must have decided on how to capture the perfect moment, and so instructed the Marines to appear as if they are exerting themselves and positioned himself so that he was in the near distance. The cognitive choices that Rosenthal made enhance the artistry of this photograph as they allow for a photograph that tells a story of a tired but perseverant American military battling hard against the fierce Japanese who were just as determined to win the