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Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Saving the Imagination

Following is an essay I wrote for one of my English assignments at the University of Arizona. Each student was to select an advertisement from a collection provided and write a visual analysis. I hope you enjoy it!
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Saving the Imagination

Myriad details contribute to the scene’s authenticity as well as to its mystery, and work to lure viewers into solving the contradictions. We note the specificity of WWII uniforms and the armed soldier’s helmet displaying a white poker spade, which is the insignia of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment. This insignia was prominent in the popular WWII video game “Call of Duty.” Someone who plays these types of games is instantly attracted to the familiarity. The uniform of the young man, however, is distinctly dissimilar from that of the soldiers. With its broad lapels and cuffs trimmed in gold piping, along with its formal cumberbund, the ensemble lends a dashing ambience to the otherwise dreary scene, and points to how the boy has been dropped into this time and place from somewhere else. Thus, a gamer’s initial familiarity is skewed and intrigue is added to the mix. We are also intrigued by the disparity between WWII soldiers with guns and a youth whose golden rapier has fallen from his open hand. The juxtapositions of attire and weapons illustrate that the distinctive young man doesn’t belong in the soldiers’ regiment. The advertisement is holding our attention.
Our curiosity is further incited by how the lighting ebbs and flows through the image; the diffuse background, the out-of-focus foreground of the window frames, and the shadowy browns and grays all contribute to a spotlight effect that illuminates the youth’s curly hair with golden highlights. His cream shirt, light tan pants, and leathery lapels all reflect light — his body almost seems to glow, though his face remains in shadow. The artistic projection of the young man is toward innocence, gallantry, or the numinous, none of which fit the grimness of war.
The preceding visual cues keep directing our attention to the mystery of the young man in the WWII combat scene. The image is enticing us into its story through contrast, detail, and lighting, taking every opportunity to communicate by piquing our curiosity. We can’t help but try to imagine what the story might be.
Beyond pure entertainment, though, is the realm of the inner world as well as its creator, and their combined benefits to our society. Within the text on the dog tag, we find the identity of the author, Antoine de Saint-Exupery. This is another connective layer that lies within the mystery of this advertisement because the author was a reconnaissance pilot during WWII. In fact, not long after writing the book about the young man in this scene—The Little Prince— Saint-Exupery disappeared; he was rumored to have been shot down during what was to have been one of his last missions (Antoine, Wikipedia). If people stop reading his books, then Saint-Exupery will also be “finish[ed] off” (Nudd). Writers create stories to share what is important to them, to provide a bit of insight into their own personality and a perspective of the world in which we live. We miss out on getting to know human nature, and the treasure of individual experiences and views, when we spend all of our time immersed in action games. For instance, Saint-Exupery was seventeen when he sat beside the bed of his dying brother. Further, in 1935, the author crashed his plane in the Sahara desert and nearly died of dehydration before being rescued (Antoine, Wikipedia). There is little doubt that these experiences informed his creation of the character and story of The Little Prince. Every time we read a book, we “save” the author by honoring not only what they’ve written but also their personal life. A book provides many gifts to us and one of those is the ability to see through someone else’s eyes, to appreciate a different point of view, which tends to enhance communication.


“Antoine de Saint-Exupery.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 20 Oct. 2013. Web. 21 Oct. 2013 < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoine_de_Saint-ExupĂ©ry >
Nudd, Tim. “The World's Best Print Ads, 2012-13: See the top 59 winners from the Press Lions at Cannes.” ADWEEK. Guggenheim Digital Media, 26 Jun. 2013. Web. 21 Oct. 2013. < http://www.adweek.com/news-gallery/advertising-branding/worlds-best-print-ads-2012-13-150758#gold-lion-madrid-book-publishers-association-29 >
Saint-Exupery, Antoine de. The Little Prince. Trans. Katherine Woods. Reynal & Hitchcock, 1943. Print. EPUB.

6 comments:

  1. This is beautifully woven to connect so much more than "story". Thank you for what you do!

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    1. I'm glad you enjoyed the piece and go with me into the deeper layer!

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    2. Such a cool assignment and what a well thought out response! Almost makes me wish I was back in school...

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    3. Thanks, Vicki…I notice the "almost"…LOL

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