Examining Joel Rosenthal's Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima
-
Upload
michael-banerjee -
Category
Documents
-
view
33 -
download
0
description
Transcript of Examining Joel Rosenthal's Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima
Banerjee 1
Michael Banerjee
Dr. Haspel
English 137 H
10/1/12
Unit 2 Rhetorical Analysis Essay
The photograph depicting four American soldiers striving to raise a large
American flag atop Mount Suribachi during the intense World War 2 battle that took
place on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima has become quite a popular image and has been
featured on everything from posters to stamps. Associated Press photographer Joel
Rosenthal took the photograph, which is appropriately titled Raising the Flag on Iwo
Jima, on February 23, 1945 (“Battle for Iwo Jima”). The photograph, which can be
found in the appendix, came to prominence and eventually became synonymous with the
American values of unity, pride, and bravery. Rosenthal won various awards for what
was to become one of the most iconic images in modern times, including the 1945
Pulitzer Prize for photography (“Battle for Iwo Jima”). Unbeknownst to many,
Rosenthal’s renowned photograph was actually the second flag-raising picture taken on
Iwo Jima on that February day in 1945. The first flag-raising picture (which can also be
found in the appendix) was a much less appealing image because the flag in the picture is
relatively small flag, the flag had already been erected, and the picture features more
armed soldiers than does the second image. This photographic piece of propaganda is
highly effective (and more effective than the first flag-raising picture) because it
Banerjee 2 promotes the American ideals of unity, pride, and bravery, by appealing to its audience
via the rhetorical proof of pathos.
To be able to fully appreciate the impact this photograph had on the people of the
world in 1945 (and beyond), one must first come to appreciate the tumultuous climate
from which it came about. The Second World War was fought largely in Europe, Eastern
Asia, and the Pacific Ocean, but the devastating war reached even Northern Africa
(Hickman). In February of 1945, what would become by far history’s deadliest
conventional war had been raging for nearly six years when the Allied forces composed
of the United States, Soviet Union, Great Britain, and China prepared to close in on the
Axis forces composed of Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and Imperial Japan (Hickman).
The United States had labeled the Japanese island of Iwo Jima, which translates literally
to “sulfur island,” as a critical target for capture (“Battle for Iwo Jima”). If the island
were captured, it would be a tactically imperative location for United States forces,
serving as an Air Force base that would be supporting bombers departing for and
returning from strikes on the Japanese mainland (“Battle for Iwo Jima”). Iwo Jima was
also tactically important because it would facilitate air and sea blockades that would
further weaken the Japanese war effort (“Battle for Iwo Jima”). Japanese leadership
realized that American capture of Iwo Jima would be detrimental to their war campaign
and so were prepared to do everything in their power to defend the island. The Battle of
Iwo Jima lasted for 36 hard-fought days, from February 19, 1945 until March 26, 1945
(“Battle for Iwo Jima”). As a result of the 36-day attack on Iwo Jima, over 26,000
Americans suffered casualties, which includes the 6,800 that lost their lives. 18,917
Banerjee 3
Japanese soldiers lost their lives as a result of the Iwo Jima campaign, leaving only 1,083
of the 20,000 Japanese defenders alive (“Battle for Iwo Jima”).
In the mist of this violent battle, on the morning of February 23, 1945, forty men
followed Lieutenant Harold G. Schrier from the bottom of Mount Suribachi, the island’s
most prominent feature, to the crest of the mountain with an objective of capturing the
crater that doubled as the mountain’s peak and hoisting an American Flag that would
undoubtedly be visible for miles (“Raising the Flag Over Iwo Jima”). About two hours
after the men began scaling the mountain, the flag was hoisted and the mission was
complete (“Raising the Flag Over Iwo Jima”). Marine Corps photographer Sergeant Lou
Lowery recorded this first flag raising just as an enemy grenade entered the proximity of
the band of soldiers positioned on the mountain’s crater, which he responded to by
flinging himself over the crater’s edge, tumbling 50 feet; he and his film came out largely
unscathed (“Battle for Iwo Jima”). The first flag was deemed to be too small so
approximately three hours later, another battalion was sent to the crest of the mountain
(“Battle for Iwo Jima”). This second battalion raised a significantly larger flag atop Mt.
Suribachi while Associate Press photographer Joel Rosenthal captured the historic
moment in what has become arguably the most recognizable image of modern times
(“Battle for Iwo Jima”).
To be clear, Sergeant Lowery’s picture was in no way a poor piece of
photography, but it did not possess the same plethora of rhetorical potential as
Rosenthal’s picture did. The roots of the second picture’s rhetorical superiority can be
traced to the circumstantial differences that become limpid when the two images are
compared. The first picture showed the American flag already erect rather than depicting
Banerjee 4 the soldiers working in unison to raise it, as was the case in the second picture. The first
picture also displays two soldiers that are clearly armed, with the foremost of the two
brandishing a large rifle as he looks on, while the second picture shows only that one of
the soldiers depicted is armed but in a much more discrete manner. Since the picture
taken by Joel Rosenthal features fewer guns than the picture taken by Sergeant Lowery
does, Rosenthal’s picture may better implicitly state that while the United States (strictly
within the confines of the Battle of Iwo Jima) were the aggressors, they were not
necessarily warmongering or eagerly belligerent—which is how most governments
would prefer their armies to be portrayed. Finally, unlike in the first picture, all soldiers
in the second picture were focused on raising the flag while soldiers in the first picture
were looking on in different directions and not working towards one common goal.
The second image utilizes the rhetorical proof of pathos to associate the image
with the American values of unity, pride, and bravery and to arouse these feelings within
all that view the image. The picture promotes the notion of unity by showing the soldiers
working in conjunction to raise their beloved American flag. All of the soldiers in the
second picture working towards a common goal promotes unity more so than do the
soldiers looking on in different directions in the first picture because they are not working
toward a common goal. The picture also promotes the notion of pride because the
soldiers are raising an American flag—the flag of the great nation they are fighting for
and the red strips of which may come to represent their own spilt blood at any time,
which offers a lead way into the notion of bravery. The picture promotes bravery
because even in the midst of intense battle, these valiant soldiers are defending and
promoting their country and the interests thereof. Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, one of the
Banerjee 5
many leaders of the United States’ war efforts on the Pacific front, attested to the bravery
of soldiers like the ones featured in Rosenthal’s image by stating that “among the
Americans who served on Iwo Island, uncommon valor was a common virtue” (“Battle
for Iwo Jima”).
In conclusion, Rosenthal’s image uses pathos extremely effectively to evoke the
American values of unity, pride, and bravery in people that view his famous photograph.
The soldiers depicted in the second flag-raising picture help to promote these values by
collectively working to raise the American flag during a heated battle—a battle in which
they could have easily lost their lives. When Rosenthal’s image is paired with the fact
that no less than 6,800 Americans lost their lives during the Battle of Iwo Jima, the values
mentioned hitherto become even more pellucid (“Battle for Iwo Jima”). The photograph
taken by Marine Corps photographer, Sergeant Lowery, offers a foil that helps to
highlight the superior rhetoric that can be found in Rosenthal’s image. For those who
view Rosenthal’s Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima, the image serves as an effective medium
for arousing the feelings of unity, pride, and bravery.
Banerjee 6
Appendix
Joel Rosenthal’s Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima
(Rosenthal)
Lou Lowery’s photograph of the first flag-raising on Iwo Jima
(Lowery)
Banerjee 7
Works Cited
"Battle for Iwo Jima, 1945." Battle for Iwo Jima, 1945. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Sept.
2012.
Hickman, Kennedy. "World War II 101: An Overview." About.com Guide. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2012.
Lowery, Lou. 1945. Photograph. The Picture – Iwo Jima Photos. Web. 28 Sept.
2012.
"Raising the Flag Over Iwo Jima, 1945." Raising the Flag Over Iwo Jima, 1945.
N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2012.
Rosenthal, Joel. Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima. 1945. Photograph. The Picture –
Iwo Jima Photos. Web. 28 Sept. 2012.