Brief Assignment 2: Multimodal Analysis
Image Detective: Multimodal Analysis
Assignment Prompt
170 Multimodal Analysis
First Draft
Aryssa Hernandez
Professor Wilson Clasby
ENG 170 Section 11 Fall 19
25 September 2019
The Underlying Dark Truth Japanese Relocation
The attack on Pearl Harbor catapulted the United States into a war they avoided for years. The attack sent shockwaves throughout the nation provoking anxiety. However, during such a crucial time where unity is essential in the United States, why were Japanese Americans being relocated? U.S. citizens demanded answers and the government intended to answer those questions and ease any tensions citizens may be feeling. Nevertheless, the U.S government released an informative film to ease Americans and to send a message to the countries involved in the war. The filmmakers strived to inform everyone on the situation in a curated manner, while simultaneously trying to persuade people that the relocation was the solution to everything. Throughout the beginning of the documentary, the U.S. government attempts to alleviate the fears and concerns of American viewers by providing biased footage that hides the harsh realities for Japanese Americans during a discriminatory time period.
Through the use of informative tone, from time slot 2:00 – 4:40, Martin S. Eisenhower depicts the fears nearly all Americans immediately had after Pearl Harbor and their solution, which demonstrates the U.S government’s intentions to put Americans at ease. Eisenhower speaks to Americans using the common man rhetoric to display his ordinance, which establishes trust, a crucial component in using the vulnerability Americans felt since they worried about another Japanese attack. He speaks of American naval air bases, shipyards, and oil wells, which serves as a vital reminder to citizens that Japanese Americans have numerous opportunities to treacherously give information back to the enemy. This reminder is a way of justifying the claim the narrator makes, “[a]s a first step, all Japanese were required to move from critical areas such as these” (2:19-2:24). The narrator’s use of language with words such as “required” indicates that the evacuation of those with Japanese descent is a primary solution to maintaining safety and order in America. The impact of using such diction is that Americans are no longer confused, but reassured and provided the confirmation as to why their Japanese American neighbors are forced to flee. Eisenhower proceeds to utilize diction that connotes a sense of jubilance when depicting the Japanese Americans as “cheerfully handl[ing] the enormous paperwork involved in the migration” (3:17-3:23). The lack of cheer and excitement in the Japanese Americans juxtaposes the terminology used by Eisenhower. However, because trust has been established, his words quickly override what is presented due to suspension of disbelief.
In contrast to the level of trust Eisenhower has asserted, “[b]y the end of 1942… more than 110,000 Japanese Americans had been forcibly placed into internment camps away from the West Coast” (Plouffe 965). Through the use of words such as “forcibly” and “internment camps”, Plouffe exposes Eisenhower’s manipulation of Americans underscoring Eisenhower’s intentions in the propaganda film. Thus, Americans are swayed into believing the U.S government is justifiably relocating Japanese Americans when in reality, discrimination has become the norm for their neighbors.
The U.S government is able to manipulate Americans through the use of upbeat music that connotes a sense of enthusiasm and spirit. The tone of the clips of the Japanese Americans while loading on the bus mocks the tone of a brochure-like goodbye, as if they are being sent off to a vacation. The subtle triumphant music prevents Americans from feeling sympathy towards the civilians leaving their homes behind [4:01-4:20]. The significance of the music also sends a message to other countries that with this new strategy for the war effort, the United States is bound to be victorious. Ultimately, not only does the music garner warmth and sincerity for the Japanese Americans, but the music also indicates the pride and nationalism for American militarism. The impact this has on Americans is that they will lack sympathy yet increase their receptivity and excitement as the Japanese Americans are now coerced into a new environment. Additionally, the tone of the music becomes quieter when images of abandoned businesses are displayed in the video[4:30-4:40]. In contrast to the prideful and enthusiastic music that is played at the beginning of the said clip, the somber music that is played at the end is an attempt to relay the message that the U.S government still feel sorry for the Japanese, as any other human would. The government chooses to alternate between upbeat and somber melodies to highlight the sacrifices that the Japanese Americans must make for the war effort. Thus, although Americans originally perceived the relocation of the Japanese Americans as confusing, it is the change in tone of music that enforces the idea that the Japanese Americans are celebratory in their efforts to preserve American pride and strength.
At first glance, the film is viewed as a documentary about the war efforts regarding the lifestyle of Japanese Americans. Despite the film containing real footage, the film also omits the veracious reality of the discriminatory treatment Japanese immigrants faced. In opposition to the careful acts of treatment that are displayed in the video, such as the local physician examining children and officials helping homeowners keep their property, there were also hidden realities of intolerance- small Japanese businesses had been covered in graffiti as a sign of disrespect and bigotry. The graffiti read “closed for good” and “Federal Government Property,” [4:39] which again corroborates that the government is deliberately omitting the truth for the audience. These hidden realities were one of the few details that the editors forgot as they formulated the heavily edited film. More importantly, all the images that are seen are from one point-of-view; an American perspective. The perspective or thoughts of the Japanese are never acknowledged which establishes a bias in tone towards the treatment of the Japanese Americans. Due to bias in perspective, it is no surprise that Americans see no wrong in the relocation of Japanese Americans; they view relocation as a necessity for safety during the war.
The efforts of the U.S government to manipulate the American viewers into believing the relocation of the Japanese is a solution are conveyed through the small section of the film right after the prologue. The narrator’s tone is neither brutal nor jaunty which allows the narrator to increase his credibility as a common American. Considering the desperation of the American citizens during the war, it is difficult for U.S nationals to observe and analyze past the tawdry music and strategically chosen film clips.
Reflection
The process of constructing arguments is all about using the evidence you are given. Without thoroughly watching the video several times, with and without audio, it is nearly impossible to decipher an argument because this video was curated to appeal to Americans. The multimodal analysis changed the way I watched the film clip I analyzed because it was no longer the same once it was picked apart by frames and music. Before watching the film clip multiple times with and without sound, it felt like I was watching an informative documentary filled with facts and authentic images of the Japanese Americans. After analyzing it while knowing what propaganda strategies to look for, I became a critic and could pick out each strategy one at a time. The most difficult aspect of writing a multimodal analysis was maintaining organization when there are so many strategies used and so many instances for use for evidence. It was more difficult to string all the pieces of evidence together and organize into an essay thus explaining why we only analyzed a small clip. While my clip was not small per se, it was essential to keep the entire time I had chosen because overall, the clip came together from 2:00 – 4:40. As I was writing the multimodal analysis, I realized that in an analysis this heavy, all the ideas should be connecting to each other and should flow like word glue. I would analyze a piece of evidence, speak about its significance and then relate it to the actual history while simultaneously making sure that my statements made sense together and went back to my thesis as well. Because I had worked so hard on the aspect of making it all flow together and assuring myself that the essay stayed organized, I am most confident about my organization and I will transfer this skill to future writing projects.
Comments
Hernandez_Multimodal Analysis (1)
Final Draft
Aryssa Hernandez
Professor Wilson Clasby
ENG 170 Section 11 Fall 19
25 September 2019
The Underlying Dark Truth Japanese Relocation
The attack on Pearl Harbor catapulted the United States into a war they had avoided for years. The attack sent shockwaves throughout the nation provoking anxiety. However, during such a crucial time where unity is essential in the United States, why were Japanese Americans relocated? U.S. citizens demanded answers and the government intended to answer those questions and ease any tensions citizens may be feeling. The U.S government released an informative film to put Americans at ease and to send a message to the countries involved in the war. The filmmakers strived to inform everyone on the situation in a curated manner, while simultaneously trying to persuade people that the relocation was the solution to everything. Throughout the beginning of the documentary, from time slot 2:00 – 4:40, the U.S. government attempts to alleviate the fears and concerns of American viewers by providing biased footage that hides the harsh realities for Japanese Americans during a discriminatory time period.
Through the use of informative tone, Eisenhower depicts the fears nearly all Americans immediately had after Pearl Harbor and proposes a solution the U.S government had put in place demonstrating the U.S government’s intentions to put Americans at ease. Eisenhower speaks to Americans using the common man rhetoric to display his ordinance, which establishes trust, a crucial component taking advantage of vulnerable Americans who remained about another Japanese attack. He speaks of American naval air bases, shipyards, and oil wells, which serves as a vital reminder to citizens that Japanese Americans have numerous opportunities to treacherously give information back to the enemy. The narrator reminds the audience of the nation’s prized possession and further justifies the relocation by stating, “[a]s a first step, all Japanese were required to move from critical areas such as these” (2:19-2:24). The narrator’s use of language with words such as “required” indicates that the evacuation of those with Japanese descent is a primary solution to maintaining safety and order in America. The impact of using such diction is that Americans are no longer confused, but reassured and provided the confirmation as to why their Japanese American neighbors are forced to flee. Eisenhower proceeds to utilize diction that connotes a sense of jubilance when depicting the Japanese Americans as “cheerfully handl[ing] the enormous paperwork involved in the migration” (3:17-3:23). The lack of cheer and excitement in the Japanese Americans juxtaposes the terminology used by Eisenhower as the frame demonstrates a long line of miserable Japanese Americans. However, because trust has been established, his words quickly override what is presented in the film due to the suspension of disbelief.
In contrast to the level of trust Eisenhower has asserted, “[b]y the end of 1942… more than 110,000 Japanese Americans had been forcibly placed into internment camps away from the West Coast” (Plouffe 965). Through the use of words such as “forcibly” and “internment camps,” Plouffe exposes Eisenhower’s manipulation of Americans underscoring Eisenhower’s intentions in the propaganda film. Thus, Americans are swayed into believing the U.S government is justifiably relocating Japanese Americans when in reality, discrimination has become the norm for their neighbors.
The U.S government is able to manipulate Americans through the use of upbeat music that connotes a sense of enthusiasm and spirit. The tone of the clips of the Japanese Americans while loading on the bus mocks the tone of a brochure-like goodbye, as if they are being sent off on a vacation. The subtle triumphant music prevents Americans from feeling sympathy towards the civilians leaving their homes behind [4:01-4:20]. The significance of the music also sends a message to other countries that with this new strategy for the war effort, the United States is bound to be victorious. Ultimately, not only does the music garner warmth and sincerity for the Japanese Americans, but the music also indicates the pride and nationalism for American militarism. The impact this has on Americans is that they will lack sympathy yet increase their receptivity and excitement as the Japanese Americans are now coerced into a new environment. Additionally, the tone of the music becomes quieter when images of abandoned businesses are displayed in the film[4:30-4:40]. In contrast to the prideful and enthusiastic music that is played at the beginning of the said clip, the somber music that is played at the end is an attempt to relay the message that the U.S government still feels sorry for the Japanese, as any other human would. The government chooses to alternate between upbeat and somber melodies to highlight the sacrifices that the Japanese Americans must make for the war effort. Thus, although Americans originally perceived the relocation of the Japanese Americans as confusing, it is the change in tone of music that enforces the idea that the Japanese Americans are celebratory in their efforts to preserve American pride and strength.
At first glance, the film is viewed as a documentary about the war efforts regarding the lifestyle of Japanese Americans. Despite the film containing real footage, the film also omits the veracious reality of the discriminatory treatment Japanese immigrants faced. In opposition to the careful acts of treatment that are displayed in the film, such as the local physician examining children and officials helping homeowners keep their property, there were also hidden realities of intolerance- small Japanese businesses had been covered in graffiti as a sign of disrespect and bigotry. The graffiti read “closed for good” and “Federal Government Property,” [4:39] which again corroborates that the government is deliberately omitting the truth for the audience. These hidden realities were one of the few details that the editors forgot as they formulated the heavily edited film. More importantly, all the images that are seen are from one point-of-view; an American perspective. The perspective or thoughts of the Japanese are never acknowledged which establishes a bias in tone towards the treatment of the Japanese Americans. Due to bias in perspective, it is no surprise that Americans see no wrong in the relocation of Japanese Americans; they view relocation as a necessity for safety during the war.
The efforts of the U.S government to manipulate the American viewers into believing the relocation of the Japanese is a solution are conveyed through the small section of the film right after the prologue. The narrator’s tone is neither brutal nor jaunty which allows the narrator to increase his credibility as a common American. Considering the desperation of the American citizens during the war, it is difficult for U.S nationals to observe and analyze past the tawdry music and strategically chosen film clips.