WP1: Statement of Purpose

World War II was a hectic time not only in this country, but around the world. People received information through propaganda and newspapers, which often had some bias to help persuade citizens toward a certain viewpoint. Photography was also present during this war, a trait viewed as unbiased and truthful. However, considering coloration, vectors of attention, audience, and context it is clear that photographs relay some form of argument.

My purpose for this writing assignment is to identify the prominent argument in Santa Fe R.R. freight train about to leave for the West Coast from Corwith yard, Chicago, Ill. Secondary arguments, primary and secondary audiences, and overall context will factor into my rhetorical analysis of this photograph. This is a worthy purpose because it will help reveal the photographer’s real reason for taking this photograph and altering in the way that he did. This is a worthy goal in the eyes of many audience members.

For any form of media (especially something that is online) there will be multiple audiences from a variety of backgrounds. My primary audience will be my teacher and my classmates since they will have easy access to my blog post and know that it’s there. There is no doubt that my teacher will read it and there is a high probability that at least one of my peers will stumble on my post out of curiosity. Secondary audiences include anyone who has access to the internet and happens to find my post, history buffs that are looking for information on the United States during World War II, and railroad enthusiasts such as former workers who want to acquire a photograph of a prominent locomotive during the early 1940s. When writing my rhetorical analysis I need to make sure that my writing appeals to both audiences and can be understood clearly and concisely.

With multiple audiences, I need to write in a straitlaced manner and have evidence to back up any major claims. Increasing the amount of viable primary sources I have will in turn increase the validity of my argument. I know full well that my argument will not be considered the “correct” argument by every member of my audience. My aim is only to submit a possible argument backed up with enough evidence to convince the audience that this could be an alternative argument made by the author.

Context plays a great role in the way information is presented and received. Since my blog post will be on the internet and visible by anyone in a country with internet access, I need to limit any false stereotypes or generalizations. Broadening my scope will be essential to this writing project due to the fact that it will be posted on a global scale and therefore needs to reflect that same scale. I can also look at context through a temporal lens and compare how the argument has changed over time. Is the argument specific to that time period or does it still resonate today? It’s possible that the argument only applies to wars and therefore could be used with the Iraq war.

Taking all these measures into account I feel the purpose of my photograph is to present the contrasting emotions of the citizens of the United States during World War II. The two contrasting elements are the somber attitude caused by war and the joyfulness of more job availability and a massive increase in business. The black locomotive in the center of the frame represents the tragedy of war and how it is the main idea on people’s minds. The light blue sky and the bright snow represent the uplifted spirits surrounding workers who have noticed an increase in productivity. This photo shows that these two concepts are polar opposites but are present in the same physical and temporal context.

Pre-Writing Assignment 3

World War II was a tough time for this country. Even though the war began in 1939 with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the United States did not get involved until the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. This war would test the nation’s economy, resilience, and strength. Many sacrifices had to be made by citizens of the United States. For example, during 1943 the government issued shoe rationing (three pairs of leather shoes per year), meat rationing (28oz per week), and standstill wages and prices to streamline the economy (A WW2 Timeline). All these sacrifices compounded with the impeding war put a damper on many Americans; however there was one aspect of their lives that was thriving.

Job availability increased dramatically with the start of the war. With all the soldiers fighting overseas, new workers were needed to replace them. Also, new jobs were created such as weapon manufacturing, making cloths for soldiers, and transporting goods for the war. One of the businesses that profited greatly from World War II was the railroads. One such station, Ogden Union Station, played a major role in transporting military goods along with the usual passengers and cargo. Special “troop trains” would ferry around the soldiers from town to town. One interesting insight that an observer at this sight had was that the soldiers didn’t care where they were or where they were going. They were just happy to be traveling around the country. At one point during the war, a train rolled through the station every five minutes (How Trains Helped Win a War).

Armed with this newfound knowledge I have some new insight into the photo I picked to analyze. Perhaps this train contains soldiers, making it a “troop train”. Perhaps the men I previously thought to be workers are actually soldiers that have just been dropped off and are eager to explore the city. Also, I wonder if within five minutes another locomotive will pull into the station to unload precious cargo such as gasoline or a car full of passengers.

A conflicting feeling between the governments rationed goods and the flourishing railroad business could arise in these men. On one hand each man is forced to consume a rationed amount of food, while on the other they are having the most successful years in their railroad careers. It is a perplexing situation that I’m sure is a topic in the discussion between the man and the conductor. With trains coming in and out at a high rate many repairs would have to be made. Another possibility is that these men helped to repair this train and get it ready for its journey. In this case, the two conversing men could be discussing the repairs made and any precautions necessary for a smooth ride. One concept that I know is present in this picture after gaining background information is that these men know their job is vital to the success of the United States in World War II. With this knowledge they can complete their job with a sense of pride and accomplishment.

Works Cited

"A WW2 Timeline." World War 2 Timelines 1939-1945. 2006. www.worldwar-2.net, Web. 17 Feb 2010.

"How Trains Helped Win a War." Utah History to Go. 2010. utah.gov, Web. 18 Feb 2010.

Pre-Writing Assignment 2

The arrangement of objects in a photo portrays a certain perception of the scene that the photographer wants the viewer to experience. This arrangement is no coincidence; the photographer either waited until the opportune moment to snap the shot or edited the photo to his liking. My selected photograph contains seven men, but they are not side by side. The varied positions of these men create depth and a more compelling argument. From the title we know that this train is about to the leave the station. Logically, we believe these men were loading the train and preparing it for departure. Three of these men’s vectors of attention are directed toward the right bottom corner of the photo (the tracks leading to the next destination). This presents an ethos of expectation or accomplishment since they have finished their job. The man furthest from the camera has a vector of attention aimed at the group of men gathered around the locomotive, especially the man on the far left. Concerning ethos, he seems distant and lagging creating pathos of loneliness and isolation. The man on the far left is staring at the locomotive with his whole body pointed toward it. It seems he has a connection with the locomotive, evoking feelings of losing a beloved friend.

Finally, the last and most intriguing man is addressing his attention to the window of the locomotive where the conductor’s torso is visible! I failed to notice the conductor until I accessed all the other men’s vectors of attention. From this observation we can infer that these two men have a deeper connection than the others do. The worker may be wishing the conductor a safe journey, requesting that he delivers a package to a relative, or warning the conductor about a possible malfunction or aversive weather.

Altering an image is essential to portraying the photographer’s rhetorical argument. One strategy I noticed right off the bat was that the black locomotive was in the center of the frame, it is also large in comparison to the men. The photographer helped to accent this fact by increasing the saturation of the locomotive and decreasing it on the men. Another example of saturation and brightness is the snow laden foreground and its contrast to the train cars and the men. I’m sure the photographer increased the brightness and saturation of the snow, steam, and sky not only to make the train the centerpiece, but to make the whole photo eye-catching. Also, it’s no coincidence that the frame is black with a thin white line in the middle. This complements the overall contrast present in the photo.

One of the quantifying elements of this photo is the lighting which illuminates areas of the photo that would normally seem obscure. The time of day plays a major role in the rhetorical argument it is trying to present. Imagine if the setting was during dusk; most objects would be barely visible and the train would not be the center of attention anymore.