WP2: Rough Draft

Every Sunday my mother would go outside to bring in the weekly paper, Omaha World Herald, and the mail. My favorite part of this systematic process was the newspaper aspect because of my delight in reading notoriously entertaining section called: Comics. My poison? It was none other than Luann herself; a spunky teenage girl in the throws of hormonal imbalances, pesky brothers and less than informed parental units. When I read comics they were simplistic and great, what you saw is what you got, no hidden meanings to try and decipher; fast forward six years and a new age of comic has risen. The comic I’ve chosen is called The Lord is My Nightlight by Jeffrey Rowland from the website, overcompensating.com. Looking at this comic through a rhetorical lens and religious context one can find that “hidden meaning” and be able to “decipher” it to fully understand this artists masterpiece.

This comic begins with the man sitting up in bed, Jeffrey, screaming because he realised that at any moment he could be killed by a star, the sun, and its impending destruction and that “the very concept of safety is absurd because at any moment everything could just explode”, and there is a man sitting in the corner that could be interpreted as the Lord because of the title of the comic and the halo like light around his head. The comic itself is called The Lord is My Nightlight; a nightlight is defined as “a small light source, often electrical, placed for comfort or convenience in indoor dark areas or areas that become dark at certain times(Nightlight)”. Using that definition one can ascertain that the “Lord” is there to comfort Jeffery, to quell his fears of impending doom, however, if you read the comic you find that he does no such thing. Aside from the nightlight aspect and looking at the conversation held between Jeffrey and the “Lord”, one can deduce that the “Lord” is almost like a parental figure in the comic and Jeffrey is his child. By reading the conversation between the two and looking at the different panels you see the “Lord” getting closer and closer to the bed and it makes the words hes saying seem as though he is just saying them to get Jeffrey to lie back down and go to sleep; like any parent would do if their child woke up from a nightmare in the middle of the night.

The author’s name is Jeffrey and the main character in his comics if Jeffrey so it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to assume that the author has implanted himself in his very own creation. While perusing through his website I encountered some background on the author. There was a little section on the bottom of the page that said “I’ve read the bible three times and I stopped believing because it was just a book telling me what I can and can’t do.” With that information the last panel of the comic makes a lot more sense. Jeffrey is ending his tirade by saying, “Also there are people who make a lot more money than me that believe slavery should be legal.” Then the “Lord” tries to make things better by saying, “Would it make you feel better if I told you everybody gets to go to Heaven?” and Jeffrey replies with, “Not even a little.” After this short exchange it is evident that you can view this comic through a religious context. If you flip through the pages of the bible you will come across a passage in 1Corinthians 6:9-10 that lists those who will, in fact, not make it into Heaven:

9Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

With this new found information it is not a wonder that he doesn’t feel any better. He has read the bible and knows the truth and knows that the “Lord” was indeed lying to him, and if the “Lord” can lie to him what else is he being lied to about?

Knowing this, I was able to formulate a viable argument that this comic was trying to make; perhaps your thoughts and your own knowledge can make you feel unsafe and that even if there is an explanation for what you are scared of your mind can still trick you into believing your not safe. So perhaps knowledge isn’t always power.

Works Cited

"Nightlight -." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 10 Nov. 2009. .

WP2: Statement of Purpose

Waking up on a Sunday morning and going out side to check the mail and pick up this weeks latest edition of the Omaha World Herald, I was filled with joy because as soon as I stepped inside I knew what awaited me; the comics.

The traditional comics I grew up on were simplistic, clear and concise, anyone who could read could enjoy my little piece of heaven every Sunday. My poison? It was none other than Luann herself; a spunky teenage girl in the throws of hormonal imbalances, pesky brothers and less than informed parental units.
After looking at this comic I, as an audience member, do not feel as though there was some hidden meaning behind it, whereas with the comic I have chosen, The Lord is My Nightlight, after reading it, you know that there is more to this comic than a scared man with his nightmares and a glowy one sulking in the corner.

With the comic I have chosen I want my audience to know that comics have evolved throughout the ages from entertainment purposes to educational ones. In The Lord is My Nightlight, Jeffrey, the man, has been unable to fall asleep because he "remembered how we were floating in space around a medium-sized explosion and everyone is going to die", "the very concept of safety is absurd because at any moment everything could just explode" and "there are people who make a lot more money than me that believe slavery should be legal". The man in the corner is supposed to be a "Jesus" figure with a halo of light around his head or at least a parental figure to quell his fears, either way he is there to make him feel safe, and in the end fails at doing his job. At the end of the comic the "glowy man" asks Jeffrey "would it make you feel better if I told you everybody gets to go to heaven?" Jeffrey retorts with, "Not even a little." With this next essay, for obvious reasons, I believe my audience will not only be my peers and professor but anyone with faith in Jesus Christ and those without it.

In analyzing this comic I will use the institutional context of religion. This context is most fitting, I believe, because of the use of the man with a halo of light, the title, and the reference at the end to heaven.

WP2: Culltural and Context Analysis

The two figures in this comic are a man named Jerry and the Lord. The comic creator is named Jerry so it would not be a stretch to believe that the man in the comic is in fact the author himself. In the comic Jerry cannot sleep because he feels that "safety" is unnatainable because of the gaseous star called the Sun can explode at any given time, thus, erradicating life as we know it. The Lord is there acting like a father figure to try and quell Jerry's fears by telling him something he may want to hear to make him feel better; as most parents do to children who wake up from nightmares. They may tell them that it was all a dream and that they are safe and nothing bad can harm them, when in fact, there is an entire world waiting out there to do that very thing; harm them. It is not responsible to try and lie to them to make them feel better and Jerry sees right through this because after God says what he says, Jerry replies with, "Not at all."

And what was it exactly that God said to make Jerry react in this way? After Jerry shared his fears and paranoia of Earth's pending destruction, God says, "Would it make you feel better if I told you that everyone gets to go to Heaven?" Jerry replies that way because he knows for a fact it was a bold face lie. In the bible in 1Corinthians 6:9-10 there is a list of those who do not inherit the kingdom of heaven. The passage says this:

9Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

Therefore because Jerry knows the truth, God is in fact lying to him, just like any normal parent would do to make him feel better, it does not make him feel better. And with this new information it is clear that not everyone gets to go to heaven and Jerry probably feels that if God can lie than his impending doom is most likely closer than expected and thus, God created and adverse effect and probably made him feel even scarier about being "safe".

WP1: Final

Links

Rough Draft 1

Rough Draft 2

Statement of Purpose

The photo I have chosen was taken in Rwanda under the program “Through the Eyes of Children”. When looking at this photo the visual hierarchy is as follows: the woman in dark clothing with two children standing in the shadows, the second woman standing with a group of children around her in bright clothing, then the greenery separating the two groups and the dark stormy sky in the background. This photo, I believe, is representative of the sorted and difficult history behind a country still struggling to rebuild itself from civil war and to fully understand the meaning behind the photograph one must understand the history of the land and the history of the photographer.

I believe the argument trying to be made here is that Dominique challenges us to climb out of our comfort zone of protection and security we feel in our own country and to try and experience the lives and hardships that others around the world feel and experience everyday of their lives. The ethos of the photo lies with the photographer, Dominique, an eighteen year old boy who was orphaned because his parents and family were killed by rebel forces. On account of the fact we know that he lives in this country, this country that is torn apart by war; the audience's pathos may be to feel compelled to trust him, trust him to depict the truth in a genuine and personal way because he in fact, lived through it. When you look at the photo the woman in the shadows looks scared and I feel as though you want to help these people. I want, as an audience member, to be able to take away their pain and suffering and to make them and their country whole again, however, other audience members may feel a completly different way.

The history of Rwanda begins with Tutsi and the Hutu. The Tutsi, a tall cattle-rearing people, infiltrate the area and win dominance over the Hutu, the people who already habitat the land and are living by agriculture. It starts with the reign of Rwabugiri; he comes to the throne and gains control over the land. His area is comprised of a feudal system; with the Tutsi as the aristocracy and the Hutu their vassals. After his death the Germans take over for a while before Belguim finally takes rule over the land from them and they further the racial conflict by making everyone wear race identification cards and force the Hutu into labor.

Like any repressed people, the Hutu rebeled and killed some 14,000 Tutsi(HistoryWorld). After the travesty the Tutsi form a group the Rwandan Patriot Front (RPF) to try and infiltrate Rwanda. There are many unsuccessful attempts and shortly following was the issuance of the Hutu Ten Commandments under the rule of Habyarimina; because of this, extremist supporters formed groups, Interhamwe, to rid Rwanda once and for all of their "infestation". August of 1993 President Habyarimina signs a peace treaty, officially bringing the war to an end and allowing the return of all Rwandan Refugees(HistoryWorld). These concessions seem outrageous to the Interhamwe and their political masters, April 6, 1994, Hutu extremists fire a rocket and bring down a plane, and in it contained two presidents- the head of state in Burundi and Habyarimina. The assassination of the president is the immediate prelude to the large amount of Hutu extremism. Radio broadcasts urge people to "do their duty"(HistoryWorld) and seek out the Tutsis and their sympathizers. "Eliminate the cockroaches"(HistoryWorld) is the message. On April 29th the radio announces that May 5th is to be the 'cleanup' day by which the capital must be cleansed of Tutsis. "One notorious broadcast even suggests a necessary precaution in the interests of thoroughness; unborn children should be ripped form the wombs of dead Tutsi women who are pregnant"(HistoryWorld). Between April and July some 800,000(HistoryWorld)Rwandans are slaughtered.

With this new found information there are several new ways one can interpret and analyze the photo. One specifally being through a historical context. The woman in the shadows could be representative to the Hutu in the beginning under the Tutsi rule (who are represented by the woman out in the open). The dark hue of the sky and background suggests the dark future they will soon endure. The fact they are standing in green land and not around houses is symbolic to the agricultural start on which the land was founded. Another viewpoint one could take on this photo would be that the woman in the shadows is actually the Tutsi and the other group is the Hutu because they greatly outnumbered the Tutsi, and when you look at the picture the visual hierarchy soon focuses your attention to the colorful group in the open.

For the fact that Rwanda is still struggling to rebuild itself that could be the reason as to why there are not any houses or buildings in the photo. Also, with only showing women and children I believe the author was trying to convey that the initial rebuilding of a land begins with women and children.

Women because they bear the children and raise the children as well. so one must start with them, and the children because children are usually representative of purity and the future so perhaps by incorporating them into the photo they want the audience members to know that in a ailing country there may be hope for the future because the stronge women who bear and raise these children can do so in a way to tear down racial barriers and walls; the way their parents before them could not.

The way that the two groups in the photo are arranged shows that perhaps the photographer is demonstrating two sides of the people in his community. The woman on the left is the part of his people that is sad and disparaged, the Hutu; and the groups on the right in the brightly colored clothes and in the sunlight symbolize the happiness the group on the left is trying to obtain. However, because of "the land" in the middle (rebel forces) the happiness she yearns for is further than it appears.

At first glance you see the woman and children in the shadows, the colorful group on the left, and then the greenery and the sky. The photographer uses the contrasting groups and the sky not only as a visual hierarchy but also as vectors of attention. As aforementioned the group in the shadows could be representative of the sadness of the people while the group on the right is the happiness they could be a part of, while the sky emits an imminent danger to both.

What one should take away from this photo is that one does not have to show death and destruction in a photograph for it to be moving like the one above. One does not have to show death and destruction to capture attention and keep it. The photographer used the lighting in the photo to show the distinct differences between the two groups and the cultural history lying just beneath the surface. The fact that he used women and children says that he knew his audience exceedingly well because people in any area of life can relate to women and children. He utilized pathos in doing that as well. Also, what makes the photograph chosen so moving is that the photographer is only eighteen and his parents were killed by rebel groups in Africa. It makes the experience in his country all the more real to him on a personal level. With that knowledge and experience, I believe he was able to transfer that into the picture that he took. Looking at the photograph on the outside looking inward, I believe, that we are seeing that horrifying part of Rwanda's history through the eyes of children.


Works Cited

"History of RWANDA." HistoryWorld. Web. 01 Oct. 2009. http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ad24.

WP1: Rough Draft

The photo I have chosen was taken in Rwanda under the program “Through the Eyes of Children”. When looking at this photo the visual hierarchy is as follows: the woman in dark clothing with two children standing in the shadows, the second woman standing with a group of children around her in bright clothing, then the greenery separating the two groups and the dark stormy sky in the background. This photo, I believe, is representative of the sorted and difficult history behind a country still struggling to rebuild itself.
The way that the two groups in the photo are arranged shows that perhaps the photographer is demonstrating two sides of the people in his community. The woman on the left is the part of his people that is sad and disparaged; and the groups on the right in the brightly colored clothes and in the sunlight symbolize the happiness the group on the left is trying to obtain. However, because of "the land" in the middle (rebel forces) the happiness she yearns for is further than it appears.

At first glance you see the woman and children in the shadows, the colorful group on the left, and then the greenery and the sky. The photographer uses the contrasting groups and the sky not only as a visual hierarchy but also as vectors of attention. As aforementioned the group in the shadows could be representative of the sadness of the people while the group on the right is the happiness they could be a part of, while the sky emits on imminent danger to both.

The ethos of the photo lies with the photographer because we know that he lives in this country, this country that is torn apart by war; the audience has no choice but to trust him, trust him to depict the truth in a very raw and genuine way. When you look at the photo you feel as though you want to help these people. I want, as an audience member, to be able to take away their pain and suffering and to make them and their country whole again. I believe the argument trying to be made here is that Dominique, the photographer, challenges us to climb out of our comfort zone of protection and security we feel in our own country and to try and experience the lives and hardships that others around the world feel and experience everyday of their lives.
To fully comprehend the meaning of this photograph one must understand the history behind the land. The history of Rwanda begins with Tutsi and the Hutu. The Tutsi, a tall cattle-rearing people, infiltrate the area and win dominance over the Hutu, the people who already habitat the land and are living by agriculture. It starts with the reign of Rwabugiri; he comes to the throne and gains control over the land. His area is comprised of a feudal system; with the Tutsi as the aristocracy and the Hutu their vassals.

Count von Götzen, the first European to enter Rwanda, comes to visit the court. In the next year the king dies and with Rwanda in turmoil over the succession, the Germans move in to claim the land for the Kaiser as well as Burundi. They treated both areas as one colony, Ruanda-Urundi; because these colonies are very inaccessible, German rule is indirect and is not yet extensive when the region is taken form their hands abruptly after the outbreak of the European war in 1914. Fast-forward two years and Germany is invading Belgium. Belgium retaliates by moving east to occupy Ruanda-Urundi. After this, Belgium is given a mandate to administer the colony. The administration of Ruanda-Urundi is left in the hands of the Tutsi. The Belgians, observing the distinction between Tutsi and Hutu, make it the very core of their colonial system.

The Hutu are subject to forced labor. From 1933 everyone is issued a racial identity card. They are defined as Hutu, Tutsi or Twa. Consequence of the Belgium’s attitude towards the groups they set the mood for the future violence. In 1959, the first outbreak of violence is sparked when a group of Tutsi political activists beat up a Hutu rival, The resulting nationwide campaign of Hutu violence against Tutsi is known as 'the wind of destruction' (HistoryWorld). Over many months the Tutsi flee from Ruanda, in 1960 the Hutu score an overwhelming victory in the election, declaring their independence. The two parts Ruanda-Urundi become independent and the names were changes to Rwanda and Burundi.

The first presidential election is won by Kayibanda. In the spirit of his movements, ‘cockroaches'(HistoryWorld) becomes the favored slang name for the Tutsi. December of 1963 several hundred Tutsi guerillas infiltrate southern Rwanda. They do not even advance twelve miles to the capital, Kigali, before they are eliminated by the Rwandan army. After declaring a state of emergency, within days, 14,000 Tutsi are massacred. It was described as 'the most horrible and systematic massacre'(HistoryWorld) since the holocaust.

After the travesty the Tutsi form a group the Rwandan Patriot Front (RPF) to try and infiltrate Rwanda. There are many unsuccessful attempts and shortly following was the issuance of the Hutu Ten Commandments under the rule of Habyarimina; because of this, extremist supporters formed groups, Interhamwe, to rid Rwanda once and for all of their "infestation". August of 1993 President Habyarimina signs a peace treaty, officially bringing the war to an end and allowing the return of all Rwandan Refugees. These concessions seem outrageous to the Interhamwe and their political masters, April 6, 1994, Hutu extremists fire a rocket and bring down a plane, and in it contained two presidents- the head of state in Burundi and Habyarimina. The assassination of the president is the immediate prelude to the large amount of Hutu extremism. Radio broadcasts urge people to "do their duty"(HistoryWorld) and seek out the Tutsis and their sympathizers. "Eliminate the cockroaches"(HistoryWorld) is the message. On April 29th the radio announces that May 5th is to be the 'cleanup' day by which the capital must be cleansed of Tutsis. "One notorious broadcast even suggests a necessary precaution in the interests of thoroughness; unborn children should be ripped form the wombs of dead Tutsi women who are pregnant"(HistoryWorld). Between April and July some 800,000 Rwandans are slaughtered.

With this new found information there are several new ways one can interpret and analyze the photo. The woman in the shadows could be representative to the Hutu in the beginning under the Tutsi rule (who are represented by the woman out in the open). The dark sky and background suggests the dark future they will soon endure. The fact they are standing in green land and not around houses is symbolic to the agricultural start on which the land was founded. Another viewpoint one could take on this photo would be that the woman in the shadows is actually the Tutsi and the other group is the Hutu because they greatly outnumbered the Tutsi, and when you look at the picture the visual hierarchy soon focuses your attention to the colorful group in the open.

What one should take away from this photo is that one does not have to show death and destruction in a photograph for it to be moving. One does not have to show death and destruction to capture attention and keep it. The photographer used the lighting in the photo to show the distinct differences between the two groups and the cultural history lying just beneath the surface. The fact that he used women and children says that he knew his audience exceedingly well because people in any area of life can relate to women and children. He utilized pathos in doing that as well. Also, what makes the photograph chosen so moving is that the photographer is only eighteen and his parents were killed by rebel groups in Africa. It makes the experience in his country all the more real to him on a personal level. With that knowledge and experience, I believe he was able to transfer that into the picture that he took. Looking at the photograph on the outside looking inward, I believe, that we are seeing that horrifying part of Rwanda's history through the eyes of children.