Civilian War

This post was done as a group effort by Jenny and I. we picked two photographs that showed the effects of war on people other than soldiers and each analyzed one. I really enjoyed doing this analysis because the photographs that we picked were striking and full of emotion.



[Top]Croatian boy at his father's funeral and the [Bottom] second of Bosnian prisoners. These are two examples of what happens to civililians who are not directly involved with the war. We often see photos of exhausted soldiers and destroyed buildings, yet these are the effects on bystanders

The most obvious thing in the first photograph is undoubtedly the boy crying. Not only is his face contorted in anguish by the idea of his father being gone, but he is wearing a white shirt that starkly contrasts the black all the adults are wearing. White is often associated with purity or peace, and for the young boy to be wearing this color represents his innocence. Also, the elderly woman has a white handkerchief in her hands that she is crying into. This small square of fabric is offering some peace to her pain in this moment. The building behind these people once lent perfect lines and shapes to any background, but is now crumbling on this sad day.

Sometimes we forget that the repercussions of war are widespread and far-reaching. Beyond the soldiers that fight the war, and the leadership that instigates war, there are those that had no choice in the war - the mothers, the sisters, the husbands, the wives, the children, the citizens of a country at war who have no choice but to live the life of a country at war. The Bosnian prisoners shown in the second picture may or may not have had a choice to participate in the war; the caption is unclear. However, the effects of war on these prisoners is undoubtedly clear. Eyes are first drawn to the ribs of the man at the center of the photograph; you can count every single rib easily. The visibility of the bones adds a chaotic structure to photograph. It accentuates the panic and fear of the prisoners, disconcerting the viewer. The sharpness and rigidity contrasts greatly with the peace of the sky in the background. The man's hip bones jut out in a manner that girls at the gym would be envious of, but I doubt that was the look he was going for. For him, it is a look of circumstance. A look that speaks of days without food and proper nourishment, days of craving home cooked meals and comfortable conditions, days of illness and insanity. The angles of the bodies in this picture contrast with the smooth blue sky in the background, leaving the focus solely on the bones. The bones of skeletons still alive.