The Image On Page 42 By Joe Rosenthal

The image on page 42 was taken by photographer Joe Rosenthal. It featured a scene where U.S. Marines raised the American flag on the Pacific Island of Iwo Jima in 1945 on February 25 (Muller 42). According to the text below the picture, on the day it was taken, 7,000 American lives were lost in trying to capture the island from Japanese troops (Muller 42). The overall purpose of the image is to convey the message that America is strong, united, and resilient. When looking critically at various elements of the image, one can see aspects of ethos. One example would be the American flag. As a well known symbol across the U.S., it establishes a sense of honor, respect, and patriotism. Had the American flag not been in the image, the image wouldn’t have persuaded us to believe in the strength of America. Thus, the American flag gives credibility to the images message. Another aspect of the image that adds to the ethos of it is that it doesn’t show gender. The photographer may have done this to leave the image nonsexist so that it would appeal to a broader audience. For with a broader audience, comes a greater amount of acceptance

The debris is shown in the foreground, and the vaster skies are in the background. The marines are facing the vaster skies to symbolize that they are turning their backs on the negative and focusing on the positive. However, they are still honoring those that died in the tragedy by raising the flag in the foreground to show that America values respect. The flag itself also shows pathos. Because it is blowing in the wind, it symbolizes America’s lively spirit even in the wake of tragedy. In addition, the image is in black and white to capture the gloomy emotions felt on the day when 7,000 American lives were lost (Muller 42). Nevertheless, the image uses emotion to express America’s values and persuade us to believe in the country’s strength, pride, and