AOW #25: Visual

Summary: This picture shows women's rights activist Emmeline Pankhurst, who lived from 1858 to 1928.  She is well known for influencing the women's suffrage during her lifetime.  She was repeatedly put in jail for speaking out about political reform, but was the reason for the Representation of the People Act in 1918 which allowed women over the age of 30 to vote in England.  Her slogan, "deeds, not words" defined her life.  

Context:  This picture was taken from Time magazine's 100 Most Important People of the 20th Century.  Today many agree that Panhurst was an important influence for women's rights worldwide by making her presence known by everyone around her.  Although we do not know the exact time when this picture was taken or the reason for it, you can tell the Pankhurst (center) was a woman who demanded the attention of the crowd. In this photograph she is the center point in a large mass of people, and looks as though she is sending an important, emotion message.

Source: This picture is from Time magazine.  The article does not include the photographer, location, or date, which makes it less reliable.  However Time magazine is a globally published and popular magazine.  Because it has so many readers and sources to find information, it would be unlikely that this photograph is not Pankhurst.  

Purpose: The purpose of the photograph is to show the power of Pankhurst and draw attention to her commanding personality, which is depicted in this picture, where she stands out in a large crowd.  Because the article was to show influential people, this picture sends a powerful message to a reader of how much of a leader she was.  The photographer accomplished this.

Rhetorical Devices:  The photographer draws the attention to Pankhurst by making her the very center of this photo.  She is also above most other people, which also makes her stand out and seem as though she is unique and more powerful than the other people in the picture.  There is also obvious contrast in this photo, as the rest of the people in the photo seem to blend together with similar shades of black and white and little expression on their faces.  Pankhurst is a dark, large figure, with facial expression that looks as if she is yelling and pointing at something important.  It goes along with her slogan, that "deeds, not words" are more powerful.  People in the crowd could be talking words, while Pankhurst is standing and acting, and has a more obvious presence in the picture.