Major Project: Contextual Analysis
Contextual Analysis
Assignment Prompt
First Draft
The Vietnam War was a long, costly and isolating conflict. The communist government of North Vietnam was pitted against South Vietnam and the United States, and this conflict was only heightened by the disputes formulated by the Cold War. The era of the Vietnam war was a very trying time for all involved. There were many differing opinions regarding America’s involvement in the war and it was difficult for individuals to gain clear and unbiased information about current events. Life’s July 1965 issue depicting photos and articles about the Vietnam war, deliberately makes use of juxtaposition by presenting photos that show the horror of the war, next to an article that highlights our need to fight. Thus, creating confusion among readers regarding the Vietnam War and the events surrounding it. During the time of this publication, Life magazine was gaining popularity and credibility, and the organization of this publication greatly contributed to public uncertainty regarding the war. Life magazine had a very strategic way of presenting this information, and this essay will be used to analyze Life’s intentions and reasonings behind the structure as well as the message promoted by the author, editors, and publishers. I will identify President Johnson’s point of view regarding the war, the author’s relationship to President Johnson, and how that affected the formation of the article. Then, I will identify the differing ideologies of the photographer and the author, and how juxtaposition was utilized in the organization of the article. Next, I will identify how religion was used to appeal to the emotions of readers. Finally, I will analyze the immense amounts of power and influence that Life magazine held, emphasizing their need to include both perspectives regarding the Vietnam war.
Life magazine published a major issue on July 2, 1965 concerning the Vietnam War. The issue was called “New Fury in Vietnam”, and features numerous photographs taken by Horst Faas depicting real scenarios during the Vietnam War. Horst Faas was a famous German photographer who was specifically known for his photography during the Vietnam War. After Faas grew up in Germany during World War II, he got a job in 1951 at the Keystone photo agency in Munich. Faas began photographing conflicts in Algeria and central Africa. He then became chief of The A.P.’s photo operations in Saigon in 1962, and was assigned to photograph Vietnam. He established his credibility by winning four major photo awards including the first of his two Pulitzer Prizes (The Associated Press). Life magazine utilized Faas’ expertise and credibility in his craft to formulate pathos among readers. His photos featured in the article are rather grotesque and showcase the suffering and fear fabricated as a result of the war. “Mr. Faas and his editors chose the best and put together a steady flow of telling photos: South Vietnam’s soldiers fighting and its civilians struggling to survive amid the maelstrom.” (The Associated Press). Included in the publication, was Faas’ photograph entitled “A Wounded Child Hobbles Along as Exodus Begins”. The photo’s caption gives the reader insight on the context of the photograph, and highlights the current state of many individuals living in Vietnam during this time. “…a 12-year-old girl leans on a stick as she hobbles with a neighbor across a field littered with battle rubble to an evacuation helicopter. The girl’s home was destroyed and her father, sister and brother killed…” (39). The picture standing alone allows the interpretation from the viewer of what had just occurred. However, the caption gives a whole new insight and perspective on the true pain the young girl had endured, further contributing to the fabrication of pathos.
Also in July 1965, the same month that Life’s article was published, President Lyndon B. Johnson announced that he has ordered an increase in U.S. military forces in Vietnam. The military forces went from 75,000 men to 125,000. He also decided to raise the monthly draft calls in order to fulfill the need of increased military action. While Horst Faas’ career was dedicated to demonizing and disparaging the war, President Johnson took action to increase and intensify America’s involvement in Vietnam. He wanted to increase military action, ultimately leading to a faster end to the war. Following the display of Horst Faas’ war photography is an article written by Eugene V. Rostow, acting as the mouthpiece of the government. Rostow served as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs under President Lyndon B. Johnson. Therefore, we can assume he supported and agreed with President Johnson’s policies and actions. Rostow’s article emphasizes and supports the idea of America remaining involved in the Vietnam conflict. He states, “…American policy in Vietnam must nonetheless be judged from the point of view of World peace as a goal” (40B). The statement reassures readers that America’s involvement in Vietnam is taking our best interest into account. He also emphasizes that Johnson’s “controlled move in Vietnam is a major step toward world stability…” (40c). Rostow shows clear support for Johnson’s ideas, despite the existence of many opponents of America’s involvement in the Vietnam War. Greatly different ideologies are presented by Rostow and Faas in the same article, and this is a major contributor to confusion among readers. There is not a consistent message throughout the publication, so information regarding the Vietnam War is vastly unclear.
Furthermore, “A Wounded Child Hobbles Along as Exodus Begins” contains a strong sense of juxtaposition. It could have been a tool used by Life in order to enhance the anti-war narrative and continue generating sympathy for the photo’s subject as the rest of the photos have done. However, it could have also been used by Life to help support Rostow’s article and the current governmental policies. At first glance, the photo depicts the horror that the young girl had to endure as a result of the war. This further convinces readers to end there support of the war because of all the damage it has brought about. However, with further inspection of the photo, it can also be interpreted that this photo in particular went along with Johnson’s pro-war philosphoies, unlike the neighboring photos. The child is positioned on the left side of the page, seemingly walking away from the destruction of the bomb. This may represent a glimmer of hope for the young girl, as she is escaping from her tormenting situation. Life may be insinuating it is our duty to fight in order to see the wars end. Ultimately, ending the suffering of Vietnamese individuals during that time. The majority of the photographs within this article hold contrasting messages to Rostow’s piece, therefore, playing a part in the hesitation surrounding the war. However, “A Wounded Child Hobbles Along as Exodus Begins”, may hold a message much like Eugene V. Rostow’s article, unlike the majority of photos presented in the publication.
Life was a weekly general interest magazine known for the quality of its photography. It went on to win the 1967 National Magazine Award, chosen by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, just two years after the publication of the July 1965 issue. So, when the article was published, Life was continuing to gain popularity and credibility among Americans and ultimately had enormous influence over the information that was portrayed and presented to readers. Due to Life magazine’s popularity, their reporting on the Vietnam war was significant in the audience’s overall understanding of these events, and Life’s organization of this article greatly contributed to the confusion and uncertainty that existed among Americans regarding the war.
Juxtaposition not only occurred within Faas’ photo itself, but it also occurred within the organization of the article as a whole. Faas’ portrayal of the war through photographs, and his intended message greatly differentiates from Rostow’s article that supports Johnson and his desire to increase military action. The large amount of juxtaposition that was used by Life in this publication greatly contributed to the lack of certainty surrounding the Vietnam war. By presenting both perspectives regarding the war, Life could reach a larger audience. However, confusion was generated among readers and it was difficult for them to decipher fact or fallacy. “Despite the prevalence of images of anti-Vietnam War protests in the media, a Gallup Poll in the mid-1960s showed the country equally divided against and for the war.” (Infobase). Many anti-war proponents emerged during this time, and people were very skeptical about U.S involvement in Vietnam. Publications like this certainly did not help the skepticism and uncertainty. However, there were many pro-war proponents, and Life’s growing popularity pushed them to appeal to both perspectives, even if there wasn’t a clear message generated by the article.
Life also used religious symbols and context to help generate empathy and pathos among readers. Since “A Wounded Child Hobbles Along as Exodus Begins” is displayed so prominently in the publication, the cross hanging from the child’s neck becomes a huge focal point of the article. The image of the child as a whole contains and reflects a lot of biblical context. The child is also barefoot with no shirt, and using a staff to walk. The majority of Americans are of Christian faith, and Life may have taken this into account when clearly highlighting the cross and biblical connotation of the photo. The religious context was used in order to humanize the child and provide a commonality between the American and Vietnamese people. This greatly fabricates pathos among readers, convincing them to understand the damage of the war, and showcases a Christian individual escaping her current situation. This religious context creates sympathy among American individuals, ultimately contributing to the fabrication of pathos and anti-war proponents.
Horst Faas’ photo “A Wounded Child Hobbles Along as Exodus Begins” was put onto a double page spread, next to another photo depicting a man within the same scene. The two photos do seem to showcase individuals who were in the same place at the same time, but there are some inconsistencies with lighting and cropping, leading me to believe that they were not actually standing next to each other in real time. However, the fact that these photos were presented in a double page spread reveals that Life magazine felt as if these were extremely important photos to display for readers. The photos surrounding this double page spread all convey action shots, mainly of men actively fighting in the war. However, this spread provides a different strategy to pathos and gives off a very different emotion than the surrounding photographs. The neighboring shots are clearly there to depict the horror of the Vietnam war, and have a very clear message of presenting the Vietnam war in a horrible light. In contrast, “A Wounded Child Hobbles Along as Exodus Begins”, doesn’t showcase active fighting, but rather the aftermath of an extremely devastating event, and the pain that ensued as a result of the fighting, thus furthering the strong sense of juxtaposition.
“A Wounded Child Hobbles Along as Exodus Begins” played an enormous role in the bigger conversation surrounding the Vietnam war. Horst Faas dedicated his career to photographing the war and showing the destruction and fear it placed upon many individuals. He once said, “War is hell. You can’t photograph a flying bullet, but you can capture genuine fear.” However, Eugene V. Rostow, worked under president Johnson and was a proponent of his ideas and policies with regard to fighting in the war. Viewed from a twenty-first century perspective, it can be assumed that this publication is credited with perplexity surrounding the Vietnam war. Life magazine had a very strategic way of presenting information on this topic, and their strong use of juxtaposition was a major source of confusion. Bias and questionable information has constantly been presented in the media, both during the height of Life’s popularity, as well as today. There is an enormous stigma surrounding arguable information in the media, and this is clearly not a new phenomenon.
Works Cited
History.com Editors. “Vietnam War Timeline.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 13 Sept. 2017, www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/vietnam-war-timeline.
History.com Editors. “Vietnam War.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 29 Oct. 2009, www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/vietnam-war-history.
Rostow, Eugene V., and Life Magazine Editors. “New Fury in Vietnam.” Life, July 1965, pp. 31–40D.
“Take a Tour.” Log In – Films On Demand, fod.infobase.com/p_ViewVideo.aspx?xtid=38411.
The Associated Press. “Parting Glance: Horst Faas.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 10 May 2012, lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/10/a-parting-glance-horst-faas/.
Reflection
I learned a lot about the process of research after conducting a contextual analysis. I learned how to determine the credibility of a source because there is a lot of false information on the internet and you have to make sure that the information you gather is accurate and credible. I also learned that is is a very long and tedious process and through initial research you can get yourself caught up in many rabbit holes that require you to dig even deeper into your research. The contextual analysis changed the way I now see my original photo because I not only understand the meaning and composition of the photo, but I now have insight on why Life decided to include and publish this photo in their issue in the first place. They had a clear objective with the inclusion of this photo that I would not have understood without conducting the contextual analysis. I also gained knowledge of the true events that occurred in my photo. When writing my compositional analysis, the photo was without a caption. This left the interpretation of what actually happened up to the reader. However, when the photo was introduced to me in its new environment of the magazine, the photo’s caption was presented, allowing me to learn the true events surrounding the photo. The most difficult aspect of writing the contextual analysis was choosing what information was most important to discuss in my paper. When researching the context of my photo, there was a lot of information that I discovered and could have discussed in the paper. However, I needed to select the most important aspects of the photos context to talk about in my paper so that it wasn’t flooded with too many different topics, and become disorganized. Picking the most important aspects of my research really allowed me to discuss the context in depth without getting overwhelmed by the amount of information. After completing the revisions, I learned that I need to work on annotations for work cited pages. M.L.A formatting is very specific and it takes practice formatting sources in this way. After correcting my analysis, I see the mistakes I made with the works cited page and I know what to avoid next time. The aspect I enjoyed most about writing the contextual analysis was being able to provide clear context behind the photo. The research process was very long and stressful, and when I was finally able to come up with a clear, concise way of organizing my paper and explaining the context, it was extremely satisfying and rewarding. It was very encouraging when all the research paid off and I got a very clear understanding of the context of my photo and the reasonings behind the organization of the publication. I will most definitely take elements of the research process that I learned through this paper onto the next writing project. Learning how to navigate around the Sojourner Truth Library databases will help me a great deal with finding reliable sources in the future. That has always been a struggle for me in the past, and now I feel very confident that there is a solidified way of finding accurate and credible information. This phenomenon will be extremely helpful for research for future projects.
Final Draft
The Vietnam War was a long, costly and isolating conflict. The communist government of North Vietnam was pitted against South Vietnam and the United States, and this conflict was only heightened by the disputes formulated by the Cold War. The era of the Vietnam war was a very trying time for all involved. There were many differing opinions regarding America’s involvement in the war and it was difficult for individuals to gain clear and unbiased information about current events. Life’s July 1965 issue depicting a feature article titled “New Fury in Vietnam” about the Vietnam war, deliberately makes use of juxtaposition by presenting photos that show the horror of the war, next to an article that highlights our need to fight. Thus, creating confusion among readers regarding the Vietnam War and the events surrounding it. During the time of this publication, Life magazine was gaining popularity and credibility, and the organization of this publication greatly contributed to public uncertainty regarding the war. Life magazine had a very strategic way of presenting this information, and this essay will be used to analyze Life’s intentions and reasonings behind the structure as well as the message promoted by the author, editors, and publishers. In order to accomplish this I will first identify President Johnson’s point of view regarding the war, the author’s relationship to President Johnson, and how that affected the formation of the article. Then, I will identify the differing ideologies of the photographer and the author, and how juxtaposition was utilized in the organization of the article. Next, I will identify how religion was used to appeal to the emotions of readers. Finally, I will analyze the immense amounts of power and influence that Life magazine held, emphasizing their need to include both perspectives regarding the Vietnam war.
“New Fury in Vietnam”, features numerous photographs taken by Horst Faas depicting real occurrences during the Vietnam War. Horst Faas was a famous German photographer who was specifically known for his work in the Vietnam War. After Faas grew up in Germany during World War II, he got a job in 1951 at the Keystone photo agency in Munich. Faas began photographing conflicts in Algeria and central Africa. He then became chief of The A.P.’s photo operations in Saigon in 1962, and was assigned to photograph Vietnam. Faas established his credibility by winning four major photo awards including the first of his two Pulitzer Prizes (Parting Glance). Life magazine utilized Faas’ expertise and credibility in his craft to formulate pathos among readers. His photos featured in the article are rather grotesque and showcase the suffering and fear fabricated as a result of the war. It seems “Mr. Faas and his editors chose the best and put together a steady flow of telling photos: South Vietnam’s soldiers fighting and its civilians struggling to survive amid the maelstrom.” (Parting Glance). Included in the publication, was Faas’ photograph entitled “A Wounded Child Hobbles Along as Exodus Begins.” The photo’s caption gives the reader insight on the context of the photograph, and highlights the current state of many individuals living in Vietnam during this time. The caption reads “…a 12-year-old girl leans on a stick as she hobbles with a neighbor across a field littered with battle rubble to an evacuation helicopter. The girl’s home was destroyed and her father, sister and brother killed…” (39). The picture standing alone sans the caption allows the viewer to interpret and ponder what had just occurred. However, the caption gives a whole new insight and perspective on the true pain the young girl had endured, further contributing to the fabrication of pathos.
Also in July 1965, the same month that Life’s article was published, President Lyndon B. Johnson announced that he ordered an increase in U.S. military forces in Vietnam. The military forces went from 75,000 men to 125,000. He also decided to raise the monthly draft calls in order to fulfill the need of increased military action. While Horst Faas’ career was dedicated to demonizing and disparaging the war, President Johnson took action to increase and intensify America’s involvement in Vietnam. He wanted to increase military action, ultimately leading to a faster end to the war. Following the display of Horst Faas’ war photography is an article written by Eugene V. Rostow, who acts as the mouthpiece of the government. Rostow served as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs under President Lyndon B. Johnson. Therefore, we can assume he supported and agreed with President Johnson’s policies and actions. Rostow’s article emphasizes and supports the idea of America remaining involved in the Vietnam conflict; He states, “…American policy in Vietnam must nonetheless be judged from the point of view of World peace as a goal” (40B). This statement reassures readers that America’s involvement in Vietnam is taking our best interest into account. He also emphasizes that Johnson’s, “controlled move in Vietnam is a major step toward world stability…” (40c). Rostow shows clear support for Johnson’s ideas, despite the existence of many opponents of America’s involvement in the Vietnam War. Greatly different ideologies are presented by Rostow and Faas in the same article, and this is a major contributor to confusion among readers. There is not a consistent message throughout the publication, so information regarding the Vietnam War is vastly unclear.
Furthermore, “A Wounded Child Hobbles Along as Exodus Begins” contains a strong sense of ambiguity. It could have been a tool used by Life in order to enhance the anti-war narrative and continue generating sympathy for the photo’s subject as the rest of the photos have done. However, it could have also been used by Life to help support Rostow’s article and the current governmental policies. At first glance, the photo depicts the horror that the young girl had to endure as a result of the war. This further convinces readers to question their support of the war because of all the damage it has brought about. However, with further inspection of the photo, it can also be interpreted that this photo in particular went along with Johnson’s pro-war philosphoies, unlike the neighboring photos. The child is positioned on the left side of the page, seemingly walking away from the destruction of the bomb. This may represent a glimmer of hope for the young girl, as she is escaping from her tormenting situation. Life may be insinuating it is our duty to fight in order to see the wars end; ultimately, ending the suffering of Vietnamese individuals during that time. The majority of the photographs within this article hold contrasting messages to Rostow’s piece, therefore, playing a part in the hesitation surrounding the war. However, “A Wounded Child Hobbles Along as Exodus Begins,” may hold a message much like Eugene V. Rostow’s article, unlike the majority of photos presented in the publication.
Life was a weekly general interest magazine known for the quality of its photography. It went on to win the 1967 National Magazine Award, chosen by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, just two years after the publication of the July 1965 issue. So, when the article was published, Life was continuing to gain popularity and credibility among Americans and ultimately had enormous influence over the information that was portrayed and presented to readers. Due to Life magazine’s popularity, their reporting on the Vietnam war was significant in the audience’s overall understanding of these events, and Life’s organization of this article greatly contributed to the confusion and uncertainty that existed among Americans regarding the war.
Ambiguity not only occurred within Faas’ photo itself, but it also occurred within the organization of the article as a whole. Faas’ portrayal of the war through photographs, and his intended message is greatly contrasting from Rostow’s article that supports Johnson and his desire to increase military action. The large amount of ambiguity that was used by Life in this publication greatly contributed to the lack of certainty surrounding the Vietnam war. By presenting both perspectives regarding the war, Life could reach a larger audience. However, confusion was generated among readers and it was difficult for them to decipher fact from fallacy. In fact, “Despite the prevalence of images of anti-Vietnam War protests in the media, a Gallup Poll in the mid-1960s showed the country equally divided against and for the war.” (Take a Tour). Many anti-war proponents emerged during this time, and people were very skeptical about U.S involvement in Vietnam. Publications like this certainly did not help the skepticism and uncertainty. However, there were also many pro-war proponents, and Life’s growing popularity pushed them to appeal to both perspectives, even if there wasn’t a clear message generated by the article.
Life also used religious symbols and context to help generate empathy and pathos among readers. Since “A Wounded Child Hobbles Along as Exodus Begins” is displayed so prominently in the publication, the cross hanging from the child’s neck becomes a huge focal point of the article. The image of the child as a whole contains and reflects a lot of biblical context. The child is also barefoot with no shirt, and using a staff to walk. The majority of Americans are of Christian faith, and Life may have taken this into account when choosing this photo over all others and publishing it in large format that draws attention to the cross. The religious context was capitalized upon in order to humanize the child and provide a commonality between the American and Vietnamese people. This greatly fabricates pathos among readers, convincing them to understand the damage of the war, and showcases a Christian individual escaping her current situation. This religious context creates sympathy among American individuals, ultimately contributing to the fabrication of pathos and anti-war proponents.
Horst Faas’ photo “A Wounded Child Hobbles Along as Exodus Begins” was put onto a double page spread, next to another photo depicting a man within the same scene. The two photos do seem to showcase individuals who were in the same place at the same time, but there are some inconsistencies with lighting and cropping, leading the audience to believe that they were not actually standing next to each other in real time. However, the fact that these photos were presented in a double page spread reveals that Life magazine felt as if these were extremely important photos to display for readers. The photos surrounding this double page spread all convey action shots, mainly of men actively fighting in the war. However, this spread provides a different strategy to pathos and gives off a very different emotion than the surrounding photographs. The neighboring shots are clearly there to depict the horror of the Vietnam war, and have a very clear message of presenting the Vietnam war in a horrible light. In contrast, “A Wounded Child Hobbles Along as Exodus Begins”, doesn’t showcase active fighting, but rather the aftermath of an extremely devastating event, and the pain that ensued as a result of the fighting, thus furthering the strong sense of ambiguity.
“A Wounded Child Hobbles Along as Exodus Begins” played an enormous role in the bigger conversation surrounding the Vietnam war. Horst Faas dedicated his career to photographing the war and showing the destruction and fear it placed upon many individuals. He once said, “War is hell. You can’t photograph a flying bullet, but you can capture genuine fear.” However, Eugene V. Rostow, worked under president Johnson and was a proponent of his ideas and policies with regard to fighting in the war. Viewed from a twenty-first century perspective, it can be assumed that this publication is credited with perplexity surrounding the Vietnam war. Life magazine had a very strategic way of presenting information on this topic, and their strong use of ambiguity was a major source of confusion. Bias and questionable information has constantly been presented in the media, both during the height of Life’s popularity, as well as today. There is an enormous stigma surrounding arguable information in the media, and this is clearly not a new phenomenon.
Works Cited
“Parting Glance: Horst Faas.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 10 May 2012, lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/10/a-parting-glance-horst-faas/.
Rostow, Eugene V. “New Fury in Vietnam.” Life, July 1965, pp. 31–40D. https://books.google.com/books?id=T1MEAAAAMBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
“Take a Tour.” Log In – Films On Demand, fod.infobase.com/p_ViewVideo.aspx?xtid=38411.
“Vietnam War.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 29 Oct. 2009, www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/vietnam-war-history.
“Vietnam War Timeline.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 13 Sept. 2017, www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/vietnam-war-timeline.