Speech Outline

Everyone is well accustomed to the cliche- “a picture is worth a thousand words”. In my own opinion, certain pictures can hold more worth than just a mere thousand words. Some images have the ability to move crowds towards action, evoke key emotions, or promote a cause. Examples include “Don’t Shoot” images, starving children, and the Uncle Sam poster. This also includes the cellphone picture of the burnt body of Mohamed Bouazizi in a crowded Tunisian square. For my speech I will be discussing the background of the image (shortly) and mostly analyzing how it had an impact on civic life. Considering such an event is unfathomable to most people, I plan to open my discussion with an analogy of sorts that makes the situation relevant to other students. To understand how a peer would react I need to place this abnormal phenomena in the setting familiar to anyone. With moving Mr. Bouazizi into the crammed fields of a PennState football tailgate students can now closely grasp and comprehend the idea of such a catastrophe. From there I will discuss the history behind the picture. What led to his suicide, how the picture went viral, and the aftermath of the photo. This includes the Tunisian president resigning and fueling the Arab Spring. This information will directly correlate to how the image acted civically. A civic artifact is a man-made object that has an impact of society and causes action of some sort. Needless to say, this image has fulfilled its civic duty. The picture of Bouazizi’s scorched body invoked the deepest of emotions among the masses and moved citizens into action. It represented more than just a distressed worker, but instead, an overarching theme of an oppressive government. One that tormented its inhabitants and mocked them for minor transgressions. It continued to incite the growing Arab Spring movement as many Middle Easterners were growing tired of the suppression they faced each day. Tunisians saw the picture as a calling card and a time act. Through protests and riots the citizens were able to make differences in their own government.
The interesting part is that the picture itself has no words. It has no catchy slogan or invitation to mobilize; it is real life. The image is so moving and influential that is does not require words to make the people who see it feel the urge to act. The charred body of a local worker who could have been anyone’s brother or son soon became the image of a martyr. By showing the class the response this viral picture had, hopefully its civic impact is clear. From inciting riots, to a resigning of a President, and the growth of a national movement it is obvious that this single image is an artifact and a tool used to impact society as a whole. It goes to show that for some pictures a few thousand words can not really get the job done. There is a deeper meaning than just a man’s life gone too soon. A story of a tyrannical government and calls to action hide behind the burnt body and concerned bystanders.