TOW #10: Visual - "The Most Important Thing: Syrian Refugees" taken by UNHCR/B.Sokol

http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home

On the website of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), there is an album labeled "The Most Important Thing: Syrian Refugees." A 24 year old Syrian refugee, Alia has her photo taken while sitting in a wheel chair. With chaos wrecking havoc in Syria, Alia represents one of thousands of people who have been affected. In the photo, the use of black and white and arrangement creates pathos and illuminates the hysteria in Syria while attempting to raise awareness of the issue. 

Alia is seen with an emotionless expression with bricks and rubble surrounding her. Because the photo is black and white, this creates a sense of gloominess and depression. The gloomy mood reflects the essence of Syria. A time of chaos and violent rebellions, the lack of color shows viewers the dark nature of violence. Too much color can cause a photograph to be viewed as too busy and too vibrant. Yet, the black and white filter strips away color to create a photograph in which the rebellion and Alia are the central figures.

Another rhetorical strategy used by the photographer is arrangement. Right in the middle of the photograph is Alia. As she is the main subject of the picture, she is meant to represent one of many refugees who have been greatly affected by the war between rebels and the Syrian army. The background of the photograph also ties with the arrangement of it. With a black fabric covering much of the backdrop behind Alia, this also pinpoints Alia as the central figure of the photo. In addition, the arrangement of where the photo was taken is crucial. The rubble and broken bricks on the ground symbolize a small fraction of how the violence has wrecked a town and led many to become homeless. 

The photograph, taken by Sokol, attempts to show a small fraction of the effects of war in Syria. With Alia, who is in a wheelchair and blind, the photographer is able to display a sense of weakness and almost hopelessness. Using black and white and arrangement, UNHCR successfully raises awareness of the violence in Syria while also asking for action by using pathos.