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Sarthak Patel

Mr Morgan

English W131

11th of November, 2014

Dead Space

In the Pulitzer Award winning photograph, the Vulture by Kevin Carter an infant child

can be seen collapsing on the ground as if dying with a vulture landing in the back ground. In the

background of the picture barren farmland can be seen due to the Sudanese famine in 1993.

Whereas in the focus of the picture are two main objects, a malnutritioned collapsing infant and a

vulture that seems to be trying to scavenge on the child's corpse (Carter). The usage of focus by

Carter allows him to direct the viewers attention on the child while at the same time using the

almost negative harbingers of death connotation associated with vultures to show how the

conditions in Sudan are degrading and inhumane. Carters usage of focus shows the vulture eyes

as black dots and therefore as being free from any form of character and telling the viewer about

the cold blooded nature of the vulture (Carter). Additionally Carter shows the frame like there is

almost an invisible circle between the vulture and the infant representing the cycle of nature

telling the viewer no matter how powerful the human thinks he is he always has to bow in front

of nature, as seen in picture by the child representing humanity and the vulture representing the

wrath of nature. Another important thing Carter does while using focus is that he keeps a pile of

faeces between the infant and the vulture in frame this helps him amplify his message about the

depressing conditions in Sudan and leaves a longer impact on the viewer by making the photo

substantially unsettling (Carter). Furthermore Carter usage of light helps give the picture a

contrasting touch, the presence of bright light in the picture dulls the haystacks in the background

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and shows the viewer a glimpse of normal life in that location before the drought. This is

contrasted by the infants suffering in the photograph showing the viewer the unpredictable nature

of destruction and death. Another interesting way the light behaves in is that it gives the vulture a

black color which gives it a more evil character this is further amplified by the fact that vultures

are naturally brown in color. The usage of lighting also helps the viewer in showing the viewer

the basic conditions the infant is surrounded in by making the hay glow and thereby direct the

viewers attention to the dirt that the infant is surrounded by.

Even more the ideas and patterns that are seen in the pictures are in many ways relate to

the what Barrie Greenbie says in his essay, Home Spaces: Fences and Neighbours. Greenbie

talks about owners of a house feel being like kings in their castles in the photograph too the

vulture can be seen as in the forest (i.e. its house) and how because of the virtue of it being there

it can do whatever it wants which in this case is preying on the infant (Greenbie). There is no

suffering on the vultures side because it is just doing what it does by nature. This connects with

ideas of boundaries by Greenbie by showing how the infant does not have any control of its

surroundings as it is not present in boundaries (i.e.its house) (Greenbie).. Another important way

the photo connects with Greenbie can be seen by the usage of levels of privacy the collapsing

infant in the picture can be seen in a way getting into the vultures levels of privacy which may

have lead to the vulture getting the chance to scavenge it (Greenbie).. This brings us to the main

question: How are human emotions, feelings and thoughts affected socially by presence in a

particular space and what do these effects tell about the subject in a situation in a social and

cultural context.

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Work Cited:

Carter, Kevin. "Famine In Sudan." - 0000295711-001. Corbis Images, 1 Mar. 1993. Web. 17

Nov. 2014.

Farris, Christine, Barrie B. Greenbie, and David Berreby. Readings for Analytical Writing. Third

ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008. Print.