During the age of modern warfare the battlefield has evolved into a stage of mass destruction, gruesome torture, and soldiers brought back in body bags that are often unrecognizable. Our countries and leaders now live under constant fear of possible nuclear holocaust and yet America's military recruitment numbers have peaked just in the last two years due to what analysts believe is the economic downturn and the struggles in of Wall Street. The economy of the Great Depression have often times been compared to our modern crisis and surely anyone can see the correlations between the state of panic those of the times felt as we are experiencing similar emotions today.
"Sailor and the Girl at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier" was taken by John Collier in order to remind us, as patriotic Americans, that the freedoms and rights that we have comes at a cost, and that these consequences should be considered and deliberated over. As we live in our democracy, our voices have the undeniable right to be heard and topics such as war are sometimes debated over by senators but everyday young men and women risk their lives on the front lines. Herbert Hoover once stated, "Older men declare war. But it's the youth that must fight and die!"
Collier was ever aware of his audience when he took the photo displayed below. He was hired by the government in order to document the culture and the times during the Great Depression and including the onset of World War II. In terms of his immediate audience, Collier had to be conscience of the down trot Americans that had very little to hold on to and the concept of country was rarely spoken towards. In this sense, Collier sought to invoke a sense of patriotism in Americans, old and young, and to remind people that whether or not they agreed with the war or the methods of the government, everyone could rally behind the soldiers risking their lives. In addition to the audience the photographer had to be aware of in his present time, the opinions of generations to come had to also be considered when the picture was taken. The government hired this select group of photographers in order to document everything for reflection later and as such, the pictures were taken as a landmark to be looked over by people that will know how all of the turmoil will work out.
The historical context of this photo, as has already been stated, includes the culture of the Great Depression and the mindset of the American public at the beginning of World War II. This encompasses the debate as to whether or not the U.S. wanted to get involved in the war across the pond and whether or not it was their fight to enter. Another aspect of the photo that proves crucial to the message is the idea of the families that are affected by, and often times torn apart, by war. The couple pictured at the base of the tomb is clearly under strain as was common for military families. Based on the soldier's body positioning, he seems upset and emotional upon seeing the monument in honor of a fallen soldier whose family will never know it's his body commemorated in the Tomb.
"Sailor and the Girl at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier" was taken in order to invoke a sense of patriotism in Americans that were lost and looking for answers after the uncertainty brought on by the Great Depression. In addition, the photograph causes all of us, as a country, to reflect on the costs of war and whether it's worth it or not.
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