During the 1980s, when housing choices began to dwindle, homelessness became a major issue. The Merriam Webster dictionary defines homelessness as someone without a permanent home, typically living on the streets. For this visual analysis essay, the image selected is a meme of a homeless man. The text on the meme says that “Homeless people are lucky that they never have to clean their house. ” Many questions come to surface after reading the text, which include, “Who would say such a thing? ” “Why would someone make a joke of an issue so severe? or “What makes this image comical? The conclusion that became visible was that some privileged people are self-centered, and in being self-centered, they unintentionally knock down those who are already beneath them.
With the aim of making a statement, the meme utilized logos, pathos, and sarcasm. Logically, from what the meme stated, it is implied that the author of the meme feels no empathy towards those who are in detrimental conditions such as homelessness. With that being stated, the implication is that since the author was able to make a joke of an issue so severe, e/she obviously does not feel any empathy towards homeless people, and only cares for themselves.
There is a similar distinction in a different photo dating back to the year of 2012 from the New York’s Fashion Show. In the photo, which was taken by Lucas Jackson, there are four eye-catching components. There is a homeless man sitting on an empty staircase, and there are three of the models from the New York Fashion Show standing directly next to him (Royal, 2012). The three models are dressed in designer fashions with overwhelmingly bright colors, and shining grins are plastered on their faces. On the other hand, the homeless sits next to the models, looking gloomy, appears to be scratching due to the excess dirt that he is covered in.
Furthermore, in the background of the photo, there is a group of people dressed in designer gear with their shades on, turning their heads away from what was happening. In comparison with the image that I selected, the photo demonstrates my thesis. My thesis of how people who are not in need have become so self-centered and “unaware” of things that happen to the other people that are not on the same level with them financially or in society. Often imes, one is aware and remains oblivious to the fact of the matter, and keeps on about their business.
The photo also implies that instead of helping those who are underprivileged, we should rather do no more than broadcast them and keep moving, merely seeking society’s response. The photo from New York’s Fashion week was chosen specifically because both images had a similar subliminal message being sent. The message was that, most people who are not in dire need of things pay no mind to those whom are struggling and need help. The emotional appeal that the author utilizes is recognizable hrough the homeless man’s body language. The homeless man is sitting on the steps with a coat on, and the hood of the jacket is concealing his face.
The body language that he provides forces the reader to believe that he does not want to be seen because he is ashamed and humiliated. This targets the readers’ emotions because one would want to empathize with the homeless man, due to the fact that he is already disappointed and ashamed of himself, causing one to feel that similar emotion. Furthermore, the image utilizes sarcasm to further develop the image’s argument. Sarcasm, as used in the image, is a literary and rhetorical device that is meant to mock with often satirical or ironic remarks with a purpose to amuse and hurt someone or some section of society.
The image uses sarcasm through the statement provided on the photo that “Homeless people are lucky they never have to clean their house. ” The author of the image does two things with this statement. For one, the author is mocking the homeless population because they are homeless, in which they have no home. In addition to that, the statement raises amusement to those who do have a ome because they are able to say that they “have a house to clean. ” Furthermore, the author utilizes allusion to bring forth a revelation for the reader.
Allusion, from the way that it is utilized in the photo, is an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference. Homeless people have to endure cruel things every day, some of which include sleeping in harsh weather conditions, poverty, verbal abuse from the authorities, or starvation. Those who are not homeless, but have certain privileges also have many problems; their car breaks down efore work, leaving their key to their classroom at home by accident, wasting a cup of coffee on their work uniform, or failing a major test.
Nevertheless, one does not realize that in “having a bad day,” their day remains good: that is the revelation that the author of the image brings forth. The author, without explicitly saying it, enforces the reader to reflect on the fact that even when all else fails, one remains to have the ability to go home and eat a nice meal, take a shower in their own bathroom, and one can still lie in a comfortable bed every night. With that being said, the image alludes to one’s own self happiness or privilege, questioning whether or not they realize that there are other people who have it a lot worse than they do.
Additionally, the image is call to action for the people who are privileged. For the reason that, the author has already gotten the reader to empathize with the homeless man, and now the author moves to enforce the reader to take some type of action that is beneficial to the disadvantaged party. Having said that, initially, when I selected the meme, I thought to yself, “What can I do to help him? ” Because normally, when I see homeless people, or if they ask for money of some sort, I walk past saying, “So sorry, I don’t have any money.
Alternatively, I would use another excuse such as “I don’t have my wallet. ” When, in all actuality, lam just being selfish. The meme forced me to place myself in the homeless man’s shoes and wonder, “What if that were me? Lying on that sidewalk, sleeping in that alley, or digging in that trash for food? ” I then came to the realization that, if that was me, I would be asking for help too. However, in this era, some of us have become too self-centered to realize that.
Conclusively, the image does a fine job at getting the reader to acknowledge what society is coming to; the way in which many of us have become oblivious to the things that are going on around us, but are not actually involving us. The way in which many of us have turned our heads, or turned up our noses to those in need. The image specifically questions the humaneness of society; questioning whether or not people are still able human, able to feel, sympathize, and look beyond our own desires.
