Pg. 55 Creative Practice

The picture presented on this page depicts a soldier’s coffin returning home from a plane flight, and it is being draped with an American flag before it is unloaded from the plane. In this instance, it seems that the photographer, Todd Heisler, is making the argument that there is a great amount of respect associated with those who go and fight for their country, and in this instance, great respect is due to those who lose their lives while undertaking this mission. In this picture, other soldiers are carefully placing the flag over the coffin to show their respect for their fellow man, and setting an example that others should do the same, However, in the picture the coffin is resting in an airplane filled with civilians on a regular flight home. In this way the photographer is showing how intertwined these casualties have become with daily life. We as Americans know casualties are occurring among those that are fighting for our freedom and we have a duty to respect their memory and appreciate their every effort. This image is using the rhetorical appeal of ethos, in an attempt to appeal to the audience’s emotions. Other images that could be representative of this argument might be any concerning the War in Iraq or pictures of soldiers in action. These type of images would help to gain support for an argument because they have a great impact on viewers and through the appeal of kairos, represent what is going on in our country during this time.