When analyzing a piece of literature, many critics rave about an author’s implementation of stellar imagery.  The use of strong verbs, vivid adjectives, and rich descriptions paints a picture in a reader’s mind.  While imagery assists readers with the visualization of text, nothing does the job quite like an image itself.  In her book It’s What I Do, Lynsey Addario craftily integrates her photographs into the novel itself, helping readers see the horrors of the Middle East which words sometimes cannot do justice to.  

The first image I found intriguing appears on pages 4-5 of the photo inserts between pages 210 and 211.  Here, a member of the U.S Air Force looks off into the distance with a look of devastation.  Behind him lies a man hooked up to myriad wires and machines.  Is the injured individual a friend of the photograph’s subject?  Is the grieving man a trauma surgeon who just lost another patient?  There is simplytoo much we do not know about the setting.  However, seeing a visual of it displays the pain and suffering associated with loss; a feeling which one simply cannot put into words.

My second image of interest appears on page 8 of the photo inserts between pages 210 and 211.  I absolutely loved the angle from which this photo was taken.  The camera is on ground level, facing a skeleton on the barren tundra.  However, everyone around the dead man continues on fighting as if he isn’t there.  It is almost as if the dead man wants to send a message to those still living, but simply cannot, so the photo must be taken from an angle which showcases him.  His message is up for interpretation.  Does he want to tell his fellow soldiers the best plan of attack?  Is he begging them to fight in his honor?  Or is he  telling them that maybe it’s better off being dead than fighting a war which dooms most all to the fate of death.  

While my blog is of a much more lighthearted nature, I strive to incorporate photographs as well.  I can use myriad descriptors when discussing my lunch or coffee, but a visual of the food greatly assists readers to evision my meals.  In addition, pictures showcase the atmosphere of the cafes I visit, which is, for many, a large part of the experience in these types of places.  However, I have never considered including a video in my blog.  Since I do not need to include tutorials, aural imagery, or explanations, I do not see where videos would help me.  If you feel differently though, please let me know!