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Photographic Essay: Teju Cole And W. J. T. Mitchell

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From the numerous photographic essays of great authors such as Teju Cole and W.J.T Mitchell, I kept in mind their common approach of basing my photographic essay on personal experience, while also giving an insight of the perception of others in times of facing pitfalls. In regards to the personal aspect of my photographic essay, I believed that it would be far more relatable to my audience, following the argument stated by Catherine Moore and Andrew Sullivan. Due to this, it would be most beneficial for my photographic essay to be of similar elements to that of Sullivan and Moore’s works where they managed to strike an emotional nerve with their readers. To elaborate, the essays by Sullivan and Moore were formed by alluding to climacteric events in their lives. For instance, Sullivan gets his opposition of social media and the web across by recalling the question “Did you really survive HIV to die of the web?” Similar to my essay, Moore also experiences a personal dilemma of worry whether or not her actions of black appropriation are acceptable In terms of the perceptive aspect of my essay, I realized that to an extent, it was starting …show more content…

Accordingly, it was more systematic to relate the viewpoints of gentrification to those displacing the natives of communities, those who are enduring the rapid change in the social activity of their locale, and to those who want improvement, but do not want to inflict hardships on the individuals currently living in the region. Additionally, with each of the stances to gentrification mentioned, it would be complementary to have the text throughout my photographic essay correlating with the photographs using a method that could allow the reader to dissect the controversy behind the topic of gentrification in communities over the

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Gentrification is the process of improving a struggling neighborhood for affluent people. One of the main causes of this shown by Kelefa Sanneh’s article “Is Gentrification Really a Problem?” , is the real estate market. Things that affect the value of something in a certain neighborhood can end up having a direct influence in all of the neighborhood and can lead to gentrification. The construction of a luxury apartment building can attract more businesses and in turn, more high-quality living spaces which could eventually displace someone living three blocks away.

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Similarly, Susan Sontag’s On Photography provides a modern version of Plato’s teachings, prompting the audience the question the candidness of photographs. Her essay discusses how photography limits one’s understanding of the world, and she strengthens her argument through the use of rhetorical devices. Sontag demonstrates a thoughtful tone, which enhances her credibility. At the beginning of the passage, she acknowledges the importance of photos in preserving culture and their irreplaceable role in society.

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There has to be a realistic solution that can be put into motion to benefit everyone involved. Referring again to his article “Is Gentrification All Bad?” Davidson argues that urban renewal, if done right, is not a monstrous custom that it is painted to be; nevertheless, he reasons that gentrification depends on who does it, how they do it, and why they do it. As a resident in New York, a city where gentrification is as widespread as the common cold in winter, Davidson speculates that those who go into a neighborhood with the intention to renovate houses, or abandoned buildings ought to have a good reason for it. The author points out that “Gentrification does not have to be something that one group inflicts on another…” (Davidson 349), rather, he suggests that everyone, the gentrifiers and the locals, be on the same page when it comes to developing their

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In spite of the fact that Gentrification is an indication of financial development, there are still some extremely negative parts of it. As cash streams into an area, numerous parts of ordinary life are improved. Structures and stops are remodeled and embellished. Employments land with the expanded development action and new retail and administration organizations. Wrongdoing rates decrease.

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To be specific, she situates the imminent feminist struggle by highlighting the legacy of slavery among black people, and black women in particular. “Black women bore the terrible burden of equality in oppression” (Davis). Due to her race, her writing focuses on what she understood and ideas that are relevant to black females. Conversely, since white men used black women in domestic labor and forcefully rape these individuals. These men used this powerful weapon to remind black women of their female and vulnerability.

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