WangN1RADraft

= 2/27/2012 THESIS = Diane Arbus uses her portraits of societal misfits in order to convince the audience to reflect upon themselves. Though there are many photographs of so-called freaks, most are paparazzi shots--done without the permission of the subject. However, Arbus' subjects are photographed with their consent. As a result, the audience is unable to pity them, and instead feels shamed about how they ostracize others based on looks.

= 2/29/2012 1 RA DRAFT =

Nicole Wang Engl 430/ Dr. Archibald Visual Rhetoric: 1 RA 29 February 2012 Diane Arbus’ Misfits

Diane Arbus is famous for photographing misfits. Her black and white images capture so-called freaks in posed positions, and have drawn criticism and praise. Using the techniques of ethos and pathos, Arbus forces her audience to face the freaks depicted in her work, and question their own sensibility for ostracizing others. The photographs analyzed in this essay are found on an Internet website called “Masters of Photography,” in which Arbus has her own section.  They were shot between 1965 and 1970. Shot during the social upheaval of the Civil Rights movement, Arbus’ images find a niche with the time’s rapidly changing social attitudes. Arbus uses her portraits of societal misfits in order to convince the audience to reflect upon themselves. Though there are many photographs of so-called freaks, most are paparazzi shots--done without the permission of the subject. However, Arbus' subjects are photographed with their consent. As a result, the audience is unable to pity them, and instead feels shamed about how they ostracize others based on looks.

 The first photograph is titled “Albino sword swallower at a carnival, Md; 1970.” In it, a young man or woman (it is difficult to tell) with extremely pale skin, has her head tilted back and the hilt of the sword protrudes from her mouth. Her arms are thrown back in a dramatic gesture, one of her hands striking the circus tent behind her. During the 1960’s and 1970’s, cultural and social changes in the United States emerged. The most prevalent was the civil right’s movement. The time period in which this image was shot was filled with changing attitudes about people, appearances, and race. Arbus’ image of an albino sword swallower brings an additional layer of uncertainty to the changing attitudes of the United States. The albinism of the sword swallower goes hand-in-hand with the issue of race by raising the issue of genetics. The sword swallower may be pale-skinned, but she still remains a “freak” in the eyes of society.

 Many people have felt like the misfit of the group, which aids in Arbus’ use of identification. Being left out of a select group or judged unfairly for physical appearance is a sad reality that most people face. However, this image of an albino sword swallower willingly posing for a photograph and showcasing her unique talent can arouse inspiration in the audience. Her confidence and triumphant posture brings forth the question, “If // she //, of all people, can be so confident, why can’t I?”

 Examination of the photograph through the three dimensions of identity reveals elements of the given, the readymade, and the constructed. An element of given includes the sword swallowers albinism. The albinism is key, because it signifies that, from birth, the sword swallower has been viewed as a social outcast. A readymade element is the occupation of the albino woman—a performer for a carnival as a sword swallower. Finally, the constructed identity is comprised of the sword swallower’s gained experiences. Since the sword swallower’s name is not revealed, nor is she a well-known celebrity, her constructed identity is a mystery to the viewer.

Metaphor is prevalent in this photograph’s sense of empowerment. The sword acts as a terministic screen, representing power and strength, but also carries negative connotations for its unfriendly purpose. The sword swallower places the sword in her body without harming herself, which is representative of self-empowerment and renders the dangerous sword harmless. The paleness of the performer is also indicative of weakness or fragility, representative of her tentative social status. The outlandish garb and circus tent match the self-explanatory title of “Albino sword swallower at a carnival.” A carnival is a place of entertainment, and often, for the human performers, exploitation for their appearances and skills.

 The issue of exploitation leads into Arbus’ use of ethos and pathos in this image. No signs of logos appear. However, use of ethos allows the audience to question the moral righteousness of using this woman’s unusual appearance and talent to make money. More importantly, it forces the audience to look to themselves for being consumers of the “roadside freak.” This leads into pathos, in which an audience feels shamed for exploiting the woman. However, this photograph was taken with the sword swallowers consent, as she is posed. In knowledge of the sword swallower’s consent, audiences again look inward and question whether it is the sword swallower or the viewer that has true confidence and comfort in their own skin.

A powerful example of confidence and comfort is Arbus’ second photograph, titled, “A young man with curlers at home on West 20th Street, N.Y.C.; 1966.” In this image, a transsexual man sits with a cigarette in hand, his fingers long and manicured, his face pock-marked, eyebrows penciled, and his hair in disarray with a few curlers visible. C  ertainly one of Arbus’ most controversial and provocative pieces, it incited strong reactions. For example, when it was displayed in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, a man was “so repulsed…he spit on it” (cite, Sundance). This photograph was shot in the middle of the 1960’s, when powerful social changes had begun. The issue of homosexuality, bisexuality, and transgender sexuality was, and is, a controversial topic. Identity is cited as a reason for the “confusion” that transgender people feel about themselves, often describing the experience as a woman trapped in a man’s body, or vice versa. The audience may feel estranged from this idea, since most people have little qualms about their assigned gender roles. However, his relaxed posture and expression, a result of being at home, allows the viewer to identify with home, because many people feel safest in the comfort of their own houses.

Again, examining the photograph through the three dimensions of identity reveals much about the subject. Firstly, the young man’s gender and race are elements of the given dimension of identity.  Nowadays, there is still controversy about whether or not human beings are born with an inherent sexuality—in this case, the young man’s transgender sexuality. Secondly, the young curlers and long fingernails fall under the category of the readymade, since they are generally recognized as aspects of female maintenance. Once again, the young man is unnamed and likely not famous, leaving his constructed identity a mystery.

However, in baffling the audience with the young man’s look of content, comfort, relaxation, and scorn, Arbus succeeds in provoking introspection in the audience. Similarly to the effect of the albino sword swallower, this photograph forces the viewer to ask, “Can I be comfortable in my skin in the same way this young man is?” Also, the young man’s comfort is a great deal associated with the fact that he is photographed in his own home. With the unfriendly attitude toward homosexuality and transgender sexuality at the tumultuous time period of the 1960’s, his expression of relaxation and comfort would likely not be shown outdoors. Again, the audience reflects inwardly, and asks themselves if it is ethical for a man to be afraid of showing his true colors in public.

Once more, Arbus uses ethos and pathos to convey her message through this medium. The aforementioned self-reflection by the audience is an example of ethos. The young man’s bored and scornful expression baffles the viewer, and also shames him for judging the young man based on his appearance. Again, the photograph is taken with the young man’s consent, indicative of Arbus’ intention of an honest portrayal, as opposed to common exploitation. As a result, the viewer does not view the young man as a roadside freak, but as a portrait of a part of humanity.

Several metaphors are present in this photograph. Most noticeable is the young man’s cigarette.  The cigarette has long been recognized as a method of sex appeal in American culture. As such, the cigarette is another example of a terministic screen. However, like the sword, it also has negative connotations. It represents unhealthiness, pollution, and poison. By smoking the cigarette, the young man associates himself with the element of sex appeal and confidence. At the same time, he absorbs the negative aspects, to unknown results. The long fingernails and penciled eyebrows are recognized in most cultures as feminine in nature. The curlers are also recognized as objects only women use, but are also representative of comfort. Curlers are traditionally not worn outdoors, only in the privacy of the home.

Arbus’ photograph titled “A family one evening in a nudist camp, PA; 1965” showcases a mother, a father, and a  pre-teen aged son. They are lying down in a field in a rural location, and the rear end of a car is visible on the right. All three are posed so that no genitalia are visible, though the young boy is wearing shorts or a towel to conceal his privates. The image is not meant to be pornographic in nature. The family seems at great ease with each other, even though they are not smiling. The youngest subject—the son—is covered to protect his integrity. Since many people consider nudists to be amoral, the covering is surprising. All members of the family are overweight. They do not have the bodies of supermodels posed in provocative positions on the grass because Arbus did not intend to shoot a sexualized photograph. Instead, this image exudes naturalness, calm, quiet, and isolation. It sharply contrasts with the social turmoil of the Civil Rights movement of the time.

Once more, the three dimensions of identity are applied. Elements of the given include the family’s race and their body shape. Without the concealing use of clothing, the given identity is readily apparent. The only element of a readymade is the small portion of a car visible in the far right of the image. The car is used for long-distance travel and is one of the few aspects of unnaturalness in the photograph, with the woman’s sunglasses and the boy’s pants being the other two. Once again, not enough information is provided about the nameless family to identify a dimension of constructed identity.

The viewer can identify with the subjects in the photograph simply for the fact that they are imperfect. Hollywood has long used unrealistically beautiful models with perfect bodies for nude or almost nude photographs, usually for purposes of sexual overtones. However, Arbus’ portrayal of the nudists is meant to convey an all-natural and peaceful lifestyle, not sex.

Nudity itself is a metaphor. Clothing represents financial and physical constraints. Also, since clothes do not occur naturally, they are by definition, unnatural. The nudists live without clothing, and so they live naturally, shed physical encumbrances, and financial strain. The car in the photograph could belong to Arbus or her subjects, but it signifies that a distance off the beaten path was traveled to get to this location. Adding to the feeling of isolation is the lack of buildings and people in the background of the photograph. The remoteness of the surroundings can attribute to the viewer feeling like a visitor.

 Once more, Arbus uses ethos and pathos to communicate to her audience. There is no sign of logos in this photograph. The child in the photograph can cause the audience to question whether or not it is ethical or moral to expose a young boy to the world of nudists. At the same time, Arbus’ portrayal of the nudist family at complete ease and peace also causes the viewer to reflect upon himself for questioning the lives of others. An example of pathos is evoked when viewers feel a kinship with the subjects of the photograph, despite the obvious differences in lifestyle. Common ground is shared with the nudists because they are ordinary folk, at ease with themselves, the lifestyle that have chose, and the surroundings they choose to place themselves in. They are not smiling in the picture to put on a show because the image—and the lifestyle of nudists—is about naturalness.

In conclusion, Diane Arbus photographed freaks. However, she did not photograph freaks with the shameless paparazzi mentality that many people do. Her approach depicted the freaks as humans, unable to be objectified or pitied. The audience, who, all too often, views societal outcasts as little more than roadside attractions, sees a human element involved. The faceless sword swallower, the young man with curlers and a lit cigarette, and the mother, father, and son of the nudist family all become a little more than roadside attractions to be gawked at. It is their consent to being captured and viewed, despite the risk of being mocked, patronized, or sensationalized, that makes the difference. As a result, the audience redirects their criticism inwards, effectively shaming themselves, putting the subjects of Arbus’ photographs beyond reproach. 

Deanna Brown 1RA Evaluation for Nicole Wang

-I believe that the author has a clear understanding of rhetorical analysis and demonstrated it effectively. She uses many rhetorical tools, such as the the three dimensions of identity, logos and pathos, and a great explanation of metaphor with her selected photos.
 * Does the writer understand the concept of a rhetorical analysis and does the paper demonstrate its application? Why or why not. Give suggestions. **

-The argument is that the photographer used portraits of societal misfits, taken with their consent, in order to convince the audience to reflect upon themselves and how they ostracize others based on looks. I believe that this argument was very effectively presented.
 * What argument / communicative purpose does the paper describe for the photographs it uses. Is it appropriate? Effectively presented? Why or why not. Give suggestions. **

- All of the photographs depict so-called freaks, however they are not shy. They are all very confident. The author states that the "images find a niche with the time’s rapidly changing social attitudes. Arbus uses her portraits of societal misfits in order to convince the audience to reflect upon themselves ." I believe that the trend between the photographs is clear and effectively presented.
 * What is the argument claim put forward for the photograph(s) under analysis in the paper? Is it appropriate? Effectively presented? Why or why not. Give suggestions. **

-The rhetorical theories that were used to analyze the photographs were used very appropriately and with great effect. I believe that the three dimensions of identity were a good choice for this paper.
 * What did you like about how the various visual/rhetorical theorists (Berger/Faigley/Ramage/Blakesly&Brooke/Barthes) were used in the paper? What could be improved about how the paper uses these theorists? What suggestions do you have for the writer? Be as specific as possible by discussing each theorist one at a time and how the paper uses them. Also, give suggestions of theorists that the writer does not use but might be useful in his/her rhetorical analysis. **

**Does the writer understand the concept of a rhetorical analysis and does the paper demonstrate its application? Why or why not. Give suggestions.**

I believe that Nicole does understand the concept of rhetorical analysis and she shows that knowledge in the paper that she has presented. I would suggest that while Nicole does use terms and applications that we learned she should add who created or defined the terms so that she can show a better understanding of rhetorical analysis.

**What argument / communicative purpose does the paper describe for the photographs it uses. Is it appropriate? Effectively presented? Why or why not. Give suggestions.** **The** argument that she uses is very effectively presented. She presents the staged photographs of what were and basically still are considered social misfits and she makes the audience think of the various ways in which they have been made to think of themselves in the same context of the so-deemed "misfits".

**What is the argument claim put forward for the photograph(s) under analysis in the paper? Is it appropriate? Effectively presented? Why or why not. Give suggestions.** The argument that that is put forward is that while the photographs represent the apparent freaks of a sideshow who are typically paparazzi photo-bombed, these "freaks" chose to pose for Arbus and represented themselves as strong individuals who make the reader of the paper think about society, and themselves more carefully. I believe that this was very effectively presented.

**What did you like about how the various visual/rhetorical theorists (Berger/Faigley/Ramage/Blakesly&Brooke/Barthes) were used in the paper? What could be improved about how the paper uses these theorists? What suggestions do you have for the writer? Be as specific as possible by discussing each theorist one at a time and how the paper uses them. Also, give suggestions of theorists that the writer does not use but might be useful in his/her rhetorical analysis.**

I love that she used a multitude of different terms from the different theorists that we have discussed. I think that the only thing she needs to improve in this section would be to define all of the terms more solidly and give credit to the theorists who used or created them. But I think that she did a fantastic job applying the terms that she chose to use.