History and Western Civilization Interpreting Images, Essay Example

The fascist spectacle of mass participation in the textbook represents the people’s desire for unity and belonging.  Acceptance into society seems important.  The pictures of the youth camp represent the way the party was able to rally participation from people of all ages, including children.  The large gathering of the crowd represents the furor that the people had, and the way that they caused many people to participate.  These images represent the people in their example of how important it is for those who are trying to take control to create the sense that they have the support of the people.

They were able to create standard uniforms in order to give people a sense of belonging.  The images of the youth and the rally members on (Western Civilization 308)and the women’s uniforms (Western Civilization 309) are examples of how uniforms were used to inspire participation by the people.The leaders of the parties had an understanding of how important it was for the people in the lower orders to relate to those in charge.  In this way, the uniforms gave the people the sense that they could relate to their superiors.  They also gave them a sense of belonging to something.

The realities and complexities that were not apparent were as follows.  These images create a sense of solidarity, although it is now known that at the time there was a great deal of complexity in the social structure of the time.  Many people simply conformed because they were afraid of the consequences.  These images fail to show those who disagreed and were exiled or worse because of their positions.They show the society that the party hoped for, one that they wished to fulfill, not necessarily one that they achieved.

The film “The Battle of Algiers” by Gillo Pontecorvo represents the people for various reasons.  The Battle of Algiers is about a war that began with a struggle between two opposing groups in Algeria.  Due to the atrocities presented by these groups, the French government intervenes in order to alleviate the crisis.  The way this affects the people throughout the war is given light within the context of the film.

The film documents how while they are said to be there to help, the French Government’s intervention seems to only ignite more conflict.It directly documented the struggles of the people in a stark example of how modern warfare had evolved.  The newer types of battles made it increasingly difficult for normal people to escape the danger that the war represented.It questions whether the victory of the French or the so called revolution for the people really helped the people at all.

The realities and complexities that were not apparent were as follows.  One of the two opposing sides of the civil war in Algiers, the National Liberation Front, or FLN, used various types of coercion in order to further their cause.  With the increasing role of the French in the conflict, they relied more heavily on tactics such as terrorism and executions.  In this way, the film fails to depict the expressive violence that was carried out by this group and the atrocities they committed during the war.

The film expresses the idea that it is difficult to say who had the moral high ground in war.  As the film was banned in many places, it is evident that it is difficult to understand who the winners of the war were and who it was essentially fought for.  While the film was an attempt to be neutral, it seems to paint all the combatants in a negative light, and gives rise to questions regarding the legitimacy of both state and militant led revolutions and whether anybody gains from them.

At the fall of the Berlin wall, the people of Eastern Europe celebrated their freedom from the oppressive governments that they had been under. (Western Civilization 910)  Within the photos, it is evident that they took to the streets in order to demonstrate their joy at having been given this opportunity.  People from East Berlin lined up to shop in West Berlin, taking full advantage of their newfound freedom to shop and go where they pleased.

They held up signs representing their unity from the rest of the world.(Western Civilization 911)  The mass celebration of the people after the fall of the wall expresses a deep resolve within people to hope for more opportunity than what they have.  They wish to be free to make their own decisions and to make their own way in life. Most of all, they are probably celebrating the fact that they are no longer closed off from their neighbors. The people’s desire for openness and choice becomes evident when looking at the photos.  The images in the collection representing the people in Eastern Europe, 1989 represents the people for this reason.

The realities and complexities that were not apparent were as follows.  The photos show not only the struggles that people went through, but also the celebration they held and the happiness they felt afterwards.  It is hard to imagine living under an oppressive regime.  The photos don’t show those who struggled during the hardships, instead they show the people’s joyous celebration of the outcome.  There were probably many who didn’t agree with the decision to open up East Berlin and tear down the wall dividing the two parts of the city.

However, it is equally hard to imagine the people in the cities who were cut off from one another for all those years.  The most important image is of the people holding up the sign expressing their understanding that they are all one people.  This underlies the complex view of the world that had changed dramatically since the wall was put up after WW II.  People saw how deeply fascist and communist ideas could divide the world, and so the attitudes of the people began to make them yearn to be a part of the western world’s progressive way of life.

Works Cited

Coffin, Judith, Stacey, Robert, Cole, Joshua, Symes, Carol. Western Civilization. 17th ed. Vol. C. 2011. April 2014.

The Battle of Algiers. Dir. Gillo Pontecorvo. Perf. SaadiYacef, Jean Martin, Brahim Haggiag, SamiaKerbash. Rizzoli, Rialto Pictures, 1967. Film.