“Beautifully written and vividly illustrated with her images…” –The Boston Globe
In Addario’s book, one image which stood out to me is the 14th page after page 82. This photograph displays two children in tattered clothes one with a dirty puppy and the other with a car part which he is carrying. The setting is in a desert with a deteriorating wall, which another child is standing on top of. This photo also includes a disintegrating car behind the kids. I found this picture significant because it accurately depicts the way of life in Afghanistan while it was under Taliban rule. The area is a wasteland and poverty plagued the people as demonstrated by the condition of the children’s clothes. The fact that one of the kids has taken a piece from the broken car, shows that his financial situation causes him to look to other way to get things. The collapsed wall portrays the economic state of the country during that time. The wall looks as if it was a barrier securing boundaries for the town or possible the country. However, since its ruptured and there is no sign of attempting to rebuild this important aspect, it can be inferred that money is the restricting factor. This photo is a good indication of how the Taliban treated their people.
Another one of Addario’s photographs which caught my eye is in between pages 146 and 147; the top photo on the last page. This photo captures Afghanistan women cover their face from green smoke. These women are standing next to troops who are prepared for war, with helmets and artillery. This image gives people a true sense of how war affected the citizens. War and death was literally in people’s backyards. These women are not dressed like they are prepared to fight; they are in their traditional clothing. These innocent bystanders are forced to have to live worrying about if they’ll be killed just by walking to get groceries. The scene pulls at your emotions, making you feel sympathetic to think that this is someone’s life everyday. Addario’s personalized work serves as a visual aid for what this community has goes through.
I can utilize Addario’s technique of adding visuals in my blog to further display my concept and to give the audience more substance to relate to. These photographs projects certain emotions and ideologies onto readers, since words does not have the same influence. I can elaborate on what I am speaking of in my writings, with the use of pictures. Additionally, this method will give a small sense of an interactive learning experience, since it will contain evidence more tangible than just words. By using photos in my blog, I can provide a detailed representation of what my topic is.