This is the first photograph Parks ever took of Watson. Parks dramatically posed her in front of a large American flag and used elaborate lighting and flashes to create layers of shadow over her face. Watson is staring straight into the camera and holds a broom in her right hand and her mop in the background. Watsons pose and expression aren’t aggressive but they aren’t weak either. Despite her hardship she is still standing and working, not passionately or excitement but she is still standing.
I think the way Watson is posed in
front of the American flag is very interesting and I found it to be very
thought provoking. The flag should be a symbol of hope and the promise of the
American dream. The work of generations that came before us, the work that built
this country, should inspire and motivate workers, but Watson’s face is dull
and lifeless. She is uninspired but she has no choice but to get up every
morning and continue her work because as bad as her low paying job cleaning
offices may have been, the alternative of no work would have provided a far
worse outcome for herself and her two grandchildren. Perhaps Parks was even
trying to say that as compared to others who could not find any work at all,
Watson was living the American dream.
Something that was mentioned in the
photographic essay that I had never really considered before was the role of
racism and bigotry in the Great Depression. When I think of the Great
Depression images of inner city whites in huge northern cities like New York
and Chicago flood my mind. But as I read
the essay I learned that as hard as it was for a white person to find work it
was even harder for a person of color to find work. -Emma Casey
You caught my attention by calling this the "New American Dream". I believe that during this time, the American dream was altered to lower standards than usual and having any kind of income was a blessing. In my opinion, this photograph aimed to show the audience how bad times really were during the Great Depression. Watson, to some people, may be considered “living the dream”, when really she is only a charwoman. I like how you pointed out the blank facial expression on Watson’s face and how unhappy she is. Even though Watson is unhappy cleaning for the government, the image shows that she is still standing tall, as you said, to provide for her family.
ReplyDeleteEmma, I like how you draw our attention to just how posed this picture is. Many photographers at this time professed a preference for candid and realistic images, but Parks clearly was not afraid to use a lot of production when taking pictures in order to communicate the intended message. Your final thoughts are important for us to remember because, during the Depression and its aftermath, people of color and certain immigrant groups were even more disadvantaged than anglo-Americans. I think you nailed her expression---one of strength, though not necessarily pride.
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