Essay 3 - Images of War / Rwanda and Testimony / Memories of
Transitioning
Course : ELL2001S
Topic: Images of war
Essay question:
Write a close critical analysis of any war photograph you can find. Include the photograph with your
essay and comment in detail on the composition and consequent effect of the image.
Feedback:
This is an interesting essay. You pointed out a number of fascinating elements on your chosen image. I
also enjoyed your contextualisation of the image before. It really added some clear weight to the
situation behind the image. That being said, I think that a tighter thesis statement might have improved
the overall readability of your piece. I am not sure what you wanted your reader to gain from reading
your essay and from viewing this particular image. Perhaps you could have drawn your conclusions
towards the use of children (childhoods) in war photography? Your conclusions were more drawn
towards the how this image does not wholly represent the war in Gaza. This might have been
something to play with more, these beyond the frame ideas.
Otherwise, this is a good essay. Well done.
Mark – 68%
, Essay 3: option 1 – “Write a close critical analysis of any war photograph you can find.
Include the photograph with your essay and comment in detail on the composition and
consequent effect of the image.
War photography: what does it embody?
“From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, this is the slogan religiously chanted by
thousands of Palestinians and people around the world, pleading for the Gaza conflict to come
to an end. A conflict that resulted in countless innocent lives being lost, at what cost? This
essay will critically analyze a photograph captured during the Gaza conflict focusing on how
this image portrays the dehumanizing effects the Gaza war had on the innocent children living
peacefully, focusing on the truth beyond the innocent smiles we see. Diving into how the
composition of the image points to the consequent effects of being heartbreaking and alarming
and acts as a plea for the dire help and assistance the Palestinians need.
The war between Israel and Palestine, known as the Gaza- conflict began in 1948, after world
war II, when Jewish people declared that Gaza belonged to Egypt and therefore wanted control
over Gaza (Denver Journal, “Critical Analysis: Gaza Conflict, Palestine, and the ICC”). In
1967 a six-day war erupted in which Israel captured Gaza and placed it under military
administration and started developing settlements there. The emergence of Hamas, a militant
Islamic group arose during the period 1987 to 1993, when the Palestinian uprising against the
Israeli occupation took place. With Gaza now in the hands of Hamas, Israel infiltrated by
placing Gaza under a blockade, controlling Gaza’s coastline and the Gaza-Israeli border. This
blockade has resulted in millions of Palestinians suffering from unemployment, hunger, and
poverty (Denver Journal, “Critical Analysis: Gaza Conflict, Palestine, and the ICC”). Over the
duration of the Gaza conflict, numerous strikes were exchanged between Gaza and Israel,
resulting in 5600 Palestinians succumbing to death and 115 000 being injured, up to 2020
(McCarthy, “Global economy”). During the same period, 250 Israelis died, while 2500 were
injured. We thus use this history to grapple with the complexities behind the image (McCarthy,
“Global economy”).
Transitioning
Course : ELL2001S
Topic: Images of war
Essay question:
Write a close critical analysis of any war photograph you can find. Include the photograph with your
essay and comment in detail on the composition and consequent effect of the image.
Feedback:
This is an interesting essay. You pointed out a number of fascinating elements on your chosen image. I
also enjoyed your contextualisation of the image before. It really added some clear weight to the
situation behind the image. That being said, I think that a tighter thesis statement might have improved
the overall readability of your piece. I am not sure what you wanted your reader to gain from reading
your essay and from viewing this particular image. Perhaps you could have drawn your conclusions
towards the use of children (childhoods) in war photography? Your conclusions were more drawn
towards the how this image does not wholly represent the war in Gaza. This might have been
something to play with more, these beyond the frame ideas.
Otherwise, this is a good essay. Well done.
Mark – 68%
, Essay 3: option 1 – “Write a close critical analysis of any war photograph you can find.
Include the photograph with your essay and comment in detail on the composition and
consequent effect of the image.
War photography: what does it embody?
“From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, this is the slogan religiously chanted by
thousands of Palestinians and people around the world, pleading for the Gaza conflict to come
to an end. A conflict that resulted in countless innocent lives being lost, at what cost? This
essay will critically analyze a photograph captured during the Gaza conflict focusing on how
this image portrays the dehumanizing effects the Gaza war had on the innocent children living
peacefully, focusing on the truth beyond the innocent smiles we see. Diving into how the
composition of the image points to the consequent effects of being heartbreaking and alarming
and acts as a plea for the dire help and assistance the Palestinians need.
The war between Israel and Palestine, known as the Gaza- conflict began in 1948, after world
war II, when Jewish people declared that Gaza belonged to Egypt and therefore wanted control
over Gaza (Denver Journal, “Critical Analysis: Gaza Conflict, Palestine, and the ICC”). In
1967 a six-day war erupted in which Israel captured Gaza and placed it under military
administration and started developing settlements there. The emergence of Hamas, a militant
Islamic group arose during the period 1987 to 1993, when the Palestinian uprising against the
Israeli occupation took place. With Gaza now in the hands of Hamas, Israel infiltrated by
placing Gaza under a blockade, controlling Gaza’s coastline and the Gaza-Israeli border. This
blockade has resulted in millions of Palestinians suffering from unemployment, hunger, and
poverty (Denver Journal, “Critical Analysis: Gaza Conflict, Palestine, and the ICC”). Over the
duration of the Gaza conflict, numerous strikes were exchanged between Gaza and Israel,
resulting in 5600 Palestinians succumbing to death and 115 000 being injured, up to 2020
(McCarthy, “Global economy”). During the same period, 250 Israelis died, while 2500 were
injured. We thus use this history to grapple with the complexities behind the image (McCarthy,
“Global economy”).
