Analyzing a Visual Text 

This image was taken during the Great Depression in Los Angeles in 1936 on a farm. This picture illustrates a mother with her two children leaning on her shoulders and one on lying on her lap. This picture is a perfect representation of what was going on during that time because you can clearly see through the emotions on the image how the mother and the children are suffering. It clearly shows that the mother is trying to find other alternatives and figure a way out of this misery and help her children stay alive.

1. This picture was taken on a farm outside of Los Angeles in 1936 during the Great Depression. I believe that the audience is the people that are affected by it and the government of the United States. The people who have been affected by the Great Depression and the citizens of the United States are the audience. The speaker is the person behind the picture is who portraying a message through this image. I think is focuses and deals more on the context, the event and specifically the people suffering from it.

2. The first thing I noticed in the picture was the woman’s face expression and her posture in the image. My eye is draw to the kids leaning on her shoulders and lap, depicting the misery they are in. My overall first impression without reading the story behind the picture was that the people in the image we not happy, they look disappointed and sad.

3. This visual raises the efforts of a mother towards her children at difficult times such as the Great Depression where she lost everything. I think that the visual makes a claim about the topic because it shows how the mother is strong. The mother is still trying to find hope and a way out of this problem for her kids to keep on living their lives.

4. I believe the text tells a narrative and or a story. This picture is very powerful and can be understood in plenty of ways.  I believe the point is the mother trying to find hope out of this horrible situation. The way she put her hand on her chin explains that she is thinking and is looking for a way out of this.

5. There are several emotions evoked in this image such as strength, sorrow, sadness, and hope. They purposely took a close up of their faces and not their background in order for the audience to focus on their emotions and understand the message more thoroughly.

6. Yes the characters are realistic. I think it gives it another message, because if the characters were caricatures then the message would be different and not as emotional. The image and the message are very obvious in this image.

7. The entire photograph consists of visual allusions that evoke emotions and memories in that specific event. This image consists of emotions that are very powerful and explain the message of the image.

8. Hope and love for their family. This shows how the mother is willing to fight and find a way through this with her 3 children. This is also a representation of determination because after something like this many would prefer giving up.

9. the claim it makes is that we should appreciate and value those who care and are determined to fight for their lives and take care of their children. They look miserable in the picture but you can still see ambition in the mother’s eyes.