Pre-Writing Assignment 2

In order to fully appreciate the photograph we also need to analyze it's subject matter in its physical place and location in the world and all of the contexts and appeals that these traits carry along. An interesting concept about this photo in comparison to most of the others in this collection by the Farm Security Administration is that this photo is a monument that still stands today whereas many of these other photos cannot be recreated or revisited. This presents another dimension to the subject of the photo, the tomb rather than the people, because we as an audience could physically visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The photo was taken in 1919 in Washington D.C. at a time in the world when all countries and allegiances were at arms with each other with the transition from WWI into WWII, all of which we have surely learned about in the history books and can try and imagine happening in our lives today but the fact that the monument still stands offers another perspective.

The monument still carries in our present time a sense of patriotism and pride and resonates as a symbol for any family member, fiance, or friend that may have died fighting for our country. All of these reasons are surely what Congress sought to create when they agreed to have the tomb constructed but after events in recent years (i.e. September 11 or Iraq) the monument may represent things Congress could never have foreseen. Under another lens, the monument could appear as a beacon for the senseless violence war creates in scenarios like in the Middle East. In another light, it might represent all the dedication and sacrifice that young men have already given for the betterment of our freedoms and the beliefs we founded and live under in the United States and be a perfect example for why we need to continue pushing forward. People that visit the monument today may go in order to reflect on these themes in society today, or more likely than not, they may be a group of tourists that chose our nation's capital for the sheer historical value.

Architecturally, the monument was built out of a beautifully simple white marble and placed halfway down a staircase to a grassy knoll. The simple white marble is probably not as simple as it appears, it is a symbol of purity and respect. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is meant to be respected by all people and the simplicity of the white makes it possible for people to solely focus on what the tomb stands for. Although the architecture is not complex, it leads ways to a complex idea: an idea that represents all American soldiers known or unknown and the respect that the world has for them.

A memorial such as this one is one of many that represents a powerful moment in American history and could easily get lost among all of the others in Washington D.C. Yet, this photograph captures a particular moment in time which allows us to reflect on all the powerful topics that we may not get from just seeing the tomb itself.