Photos

Tara Finn

Hara

30 October 2007

Zelizer RR

This article was about the power that images have over a situation because of the visual proof of emotions. Seeing something happen or that is happening makes it impossible to deny because there is no way to take away the atrocities. Memories of the horror are recorded through a lens that preserves history. Because of the photos taken by people during the Holocaust, those were not there are able to see how horrific it really was. The barbaric acts were shown across the world and allowed people to feel what actually happened. The suffering that was endured was horrendous to the extent of barbarianism. Photos gave a real insight to the atrocities that people, humans, had to endure. Even after people had suffered in death, pictures were taken. I think this was partly in memory of what had happened. Though it is extremely upsetting and disturbing to see dead people, who are pale and emaciated, not from death, but from living like they had to, it forces people to picture themselves in the same situation. Whether it is an individual or a community suffering, the pain is translated. Different languages may not be understood by everyone, but graphic pictures are because it is a universal language. The facelessness of the community shows the lack of the individual’s importance in the eyes of the Nazis. They even went as far as to give them numbers instead of names. To me, it does not matter which gaze or focus is used, the images that were captured were of a cruel and malignant time in history. The amount of brutality is inexcusable because it made humans look like animals, not worthy of dignity. While the Germans were depicted as evil, because of what was happening, it is not only the Germans that were doing all the horrible things.