Lynching

2006-02-21T14:28:00.000-08:00

More horrifying than the image of the lynch victim are the faces of the lynch mob. The idea that people can stand around a burnt mutilated body totally unaffected amazes me. The men pictured in Jesse Washington's lynching seem to view the situation as a matter of little consequence, they do not see past what they view as taking justice into their own hands. They are unaware of how their actions affect more than just themselves and their victims, but society as a whole. Their expressions illustrate their disregard for all of humanity and their resolution to stand by their disregard. They are resolute and unwavering; they stand below the body with stern faces that seem to say "I dare you to question." The mob allows individuals to act in ways they never would if they were acting alone. It allows for people to act out without fear of being punished or questioned. The mob allows people to act on their fears. John Allen in "Without Sanctuary" says "Fear of the other is fear of myself." I think this is a perfect description of mobs are started and how they act. For the lynchers, the majority, they are afraid to discover that they are not so powerful as they have declared themselves to be. They therefore fear that the minority, the lynched, will subvert what little power the lynchers do have.
People say that a picture says a thousand words, but with pictures like these it is hard to recognize what those words are and what they are trying to convey. There is more than one way to interpreted a photo. Authors attempt to take those photos and their thousand words and tell the storybehind them, why are the men standing below that body, why did they do it, what did the man do? Authors work to answer the questions left on the veiwers mind after seeing the photo.

English 169

2006-02-19T17:07:00.000-08:00

Test 1, 2, 3

Through the Window of My Eyes

Lynching

English 169