Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson is loved by many as one of the greatest comic strips of all time. The above strip shows why it is so loved. It combines the humor of small children, simplicity of design and satire of current events to create a delightfully funny and yet pointed statement.

In this particular strip, Calvin, a first grader who hates all things educational (except dinosaurs) is attempting to do his math homework. As is his usual habit, he attempts to find a way around it. This time, he decides math is essentially a religion in which addition and subtraction problems constitute miracles. He then explains that he doesn’t believe the “religion” and declares himself a “math atheist.” Hobbes, Calvin’s stuffed tiger that is alive in Calvin’s imagination, is always the sensible one in the strip. As the more logical of the two, he realizes the teaching of the mathematical “religion” in public schools violates the separation of church and state. Thus, the strip is meant to be humorous and still maintain a connection to the readers’ lives.

As with many other comics, one of the first things to catch the viewers’ attention Calvin’s ridiculously big head, relative lack of height, and simply-drawn face and hands ask the viewer to accept the strip as what it is—a fanciful look into the life of a first grader. After all, what first grader understands the concept of religion in school so thoroughly? The same applies to Hobbes. This strip doesn’t show it, but whenever another character is in the frame we see Hobbes as a mute stuffed tiger—as everyone but Calvin sees him. Watterson again expects us to ignore impossibilities for the sake of the humor and satire of the piece. This is also illustrated by the outside-the-lines drawing of Hobbes’ stripes, the fact he is standing erect, and his exaggerated facial features.

The basic mechanics and norms of Calvin and Hobbes are followed pretty strictly. We are not asked to guess which characters are speaking or in what order the characters are speaking. There is also very little ambiguity in what the characters mean or imply. In other words, in the case of mechanics it is a very standard newspaper comic strip.

The typography used in Calvin and Hobbes is very telling to the internal context of the strip. It is written in an all-caps font with errors in mechanics such as slanting (which is most apparent with exclamation points). It also looks very childish, which correlates with the six-year old main character. However, it is serious and readable enough that the audience does not lose the message and most likely will not consciously notice it without reading several strips.
Calvin and Hobbes is a classic among newspaper comic strips. Through simplicity and imagination, yet attention to mechanics of the genre it manages to be both humorous and pointed at the same time. Watterson created a masterpiece in Calvin and Hobbes, and this piece exemplifies that genius.

WP1: Final Draft

Author's Note:

This assignment was extremely difficult for me in two ways. First, I know next to nothing about photography and analyzing photographs is something completely foreign to me. I was able to overcome this obstacle by studying CDA and practicing analyzing photos in-class. My second challenge was my love of history and previous knowledge of World War II. Because I love history, it would have been very easy for me to change the essay into a history report. Also, because of my previous knowledge, it was very difficult for me to distinguish what was and was not common knowledge. For example, I had a hard time deciding if the blitzkrieg is common knowledge. I overcame the difficulty of my love and knowledge of history first by making sure everything in the essay flowed from the thesis and constantly checking to make sure I was staying on-topic. I also decided to cite every historical fact not taught in elementary school.

The largest change I made while revising was moving the paragraph with the historical context from after the thesis statement to before the thesis. My fear was that moving this paragraph would make the thesis seem irrelevant because the introduction would be too long. However, after moving the paragraph I realized this was not the case.

The second biggest change I made was taking out difficult to prove historical facts and inferences. A specific example of this is the statement, “British arrogance did not take long to show itself once again in WWII.” Since this would be difficult to know for sure, I decided the above sentence should not be in the final draft. I replaced it with the sentence “[The American] experience [with the British in WWI] would have been in the minds of American civilians and officials alike.”

Another change I made was making the paper more historically accurate. Upon doing more research on the subject, I found that some of the statements I made in the rough drafts were not entirely accurate. First, while it is true American tanks were inferior to German tanks in WWII, it turns out the M3 actually matched up relatively well at first. Thus, I removed the sentences talking about the British learning how to pilot a death trap, since the “death traps” were actually the M4s, not the M3s. This forced me to change the paragraph about the modern viewer, emphasizing that the M4 is the best known American tank of the war.

The second historical inaccuracy I found was about Pearl Harbor. Instead of defeatism, the sources I found said the main effect of the attack was not despondency, but enthusiasm and determination. Thus, I changed the argument of my essay from “reminding Americans they could win the war” to “stirring the already existing enthusiasm.”

I also took out the propaganda poster and replaced it with a picture of a tank shell compared to a pistol. I also added hyperlinks to Axis Powers and 9/11. In addition, I made minor changed to things like sentence structure, grammar, etc., but the changes listed above are the largest and most significant.

Rough Draft #1
Rough Draft #2
Statement of Purpose

Final Draft:

For the first time the United States was involved in a full scale desert war. After the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States declared war on the Axis powers and moved to invade German North Africa. It was in this environment a wartime photographer took the photo entitled British tank men study U.S. tanks between battle in Egypt. British tank crews in Egypt train for the use of tanks arriving for the U.S.A. Experts on the U.S. machine give impromptu lessons, then the men climb aboard and examine every detail themselves. A gunner giving a talk on the 75mm gun (otherwise known as British tank men).

In order to understand the arguments made in this photograph, it is important to be familiar with its historical context. World War II began in Europe, and it was the first war to utilize the modern tank. The German military swept through Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France in a very short time using a new strategy known is the blitzkrieg (lighting war), using their overpowering Panzer tanks to brush away any resistance. By 1941, this tactic had allowed Germany to annex or conquer all of continental Europe, and the Allies had no answer for the might of the Panzer. (US Memorial Holocaust Museum) This trend continued in North Africa. The allies could not match the power of the German’s tanks. The M3 Lee, the tank pictured in British tank men was supposed to change that.The M3 was the most powerful tank the Allies possessed. (militaryfactory.com) Thus, the M3 shown in British tank men would have a strong nationalistic appeal to the American viewer. After the attacks on Pearly Harbor, the American people were united to defeat their new enemies. (Robinson) British tank men was meant to keep that enthusiasm strong.

British tank men was not meant to be a documentary photograph, but a propaganda photograph used to boost the spirits of American civilians. This can be seen through the pathos and logos generated from the vectors of attention, saturation, and framing, inspiring feelings of nationalism and reflecting the belief of American superiority. To the modern viewer, these same technical elements in British tank men speak of sadness and disappointment.

The first and most important element used by the photographer in British tank men is vectors of attention. When the viewer first sees this photograph, his eyes are immediately drawn to the tank (an M3 Lee), the focal point of the picture. By making this monument to the power of the United States the main focus of the picture, the photograph stirred the patriotism and enthusiasm of the American people. The state of the military at Pearl Harbor was no longer the case. Through the picturing of the greatest American weapon of war, Americans were inspried of their nation’s might, and encouraged to work toward victory.

After the tank, the viewer’s attention is drawn to the actual soldiers in the picture. The vectors of attention of the soldiers are extremely important to the argument this photograph was making to American civilians. The British soldiers in the picture are obviously not looking at the camera, but are instead looking toward their American instructor. By situating the American at the head of the semicircle and showing the British soldiers learning from him, the photograph is once again appealing to the nationalism of Americans. The United States and Britain, despite being allies, had not always worked well together in war. In WWI, the British attempted to dismantle the US Army units shipped to Europe and instead use American soldiers as replacements for fallen British troops. (Hickman, Kennedy) This experience would have been in the minds of American civilians and officials alike. To combat this, the vectors of attention remind Americans and the world of American ingenuity. It is not the British who are teaching the Americans, but the Americans who are teaching the British how to fight the Germans. The logos of the vectors of attention of the British soldiers appeal to a pathos of nationalism and determination. Yet, while most of the British are looking at the American, one soldier is looking directly at the camera. He seems to be looking at the audience, reminding them the war is very real. This helps to draw the audience into the picture, and even gives the audience a feeling of sympathy for the soldiers. This would reinforce the appeals to Americans’ resolve in “getting the boys home.”

Finally, the American soldier is not shown looking at his students or the tank. He is instead looking at the shell in his hands. He sees that it is the most important thing to both him and his students. They of them have most likely seen combat before and seen the destruction the Panzers could cause. This shell could save his life, destroying the Panzer before the Panzer destroys him. Including this in the picture not only appeals to nationalism, but reminds the American people of the horrors of war. People will die on both sides, but the ingenuity and might (shown through the tank and the shell) of the Allies would win in the end.

Given the history of the history of fighting in North Africa and the information provided in the title, this picture was most likely taken in the spring or summer of 1942 with a 1940s black and white camera. Therefore, the coloration is slightly altered by the limitations of period technology. However, there are specific elements within British tank men which could not be unintentional. These two purposeful elements are saturation and contrast. The photograph is super-saturated, creating harsh and difficult to distinguish transitions between the tank, men, and shell. This gives the picture somewhat of a dark, gritty feel, creating a sense of chaos and confusion in the viewer. This forces the audience to focus on key objects, such as the tank, soldiers, and shell. Thus, it makes argument of nationalism and determination by focusing attention on the objects making the argument. This also extends the argument of sympathy for the soldiers, appealing to American determination to end the war.

Finally, British tank men is framed to specifically show a very narrow field of vision. No tank would be alone during wartime, especially “in between battles,” as the picture’s title says. However, the photographer chose to intentionally omit anything but the tank and soldiers. In addition, the field of vision specifically includes the armament and turret of the tank. The framing makes the tank the main focus of the photograph, thus appealing once again to the national pride Americans took in their technological prowess. In addition, the decision to show almost no sky and foreground suggests the surroundings of the photograph were not particularly important. While the picture was taken in the North African desert, the photographer does not want us to focus on the location, but on the soldiers (appealing to determination to win and bring them home) and the tank (sparking a pathos of nationalism.)

Just as the United States was stunned and united by 9/11, so was the America of 1941 stunned and united by Pearl Harbor. (Robinson) British tank men was a propaganda picture used to inspire Americans to stay committed to the war effort. It was intended to create a sense of national pride, in the same sense pictures of Americans fighting in Afghanistan did after 9/11. However, to the modern viewer, the key elements in British tank men do not inspire pride. Instead, they create a pathos of disappointment. American tanks during WWII were in fact far inferior to German tanks. Sights such as the picture to the left (an M4 Sherman) were all too common. The M3 was slow and was an extremely easy target for experienced Panzer gunners. It is true the M3 had some initial succes. (militaryfactory.com) However, the M4 tank, America's main battle tank, was sadly overmatched. (Dugdale-Pointon) Because of how well known it is, the M4 has come to symbolize American tanks during WWII. Thus, pictures that show American tanks bring to mind these failures and generate a pathos of despair.

In its original context, British tank men gave American civilians a sense of national pride and determination through vectors of attention, saturation, and framing. The picture of the M3 and the American teaching the British would have stirred nationalism, while the gritty feel gained through saturation would have inspired determination to win the war. To the 21st century viewer, the emotions brought forth are instead feelings of sadness and disappointment because of America's inferior tanks. World War II was the largest war in the history of the world, taking more lives than any war in history. Through this one small snapshot of that war, we can see the determination and pride Americans took in their military and country, and we are inspired to feel the same for 21st century America.

Works Cited:

Hickman, Kennedy, About.com, “World War I: General John J. Pershing.” © 2010. Author’s credential found here.

United States Memorial Holocaust Museum, “Blitzkreig (Lightning War)” Last updated May 4, 2009. © United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, DC.

Staff Writer, miliartyfactory.com, "Medium Tank, M3 (Lee / Grant)", (c) 2003-2010

Dugdale-Pointon, TDP. 16 November 2000, "M4 Sherman tank (1941)"

Robinson, Bruce, “Pearl Harbor: A Rude Awakening,” BBC. Last updated November 5, 2009.

WP #1 Rough Draft #2

For the first time the United States was involved in a full scale desert war. After the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States declared war on the Axis powers and moved to invade German North Africa. It was in this environment a wartime photographer took British tank men study U.S. tanks between battle in Egypt. British tank crews in Egypt train for the use of tanks arriving for the U.S.A. Experts on the U.S. machine give impromptu lessons, then the men climb aboard and examine every detail themselves. A gunner giving a talk on the 75mm gun (otherwise known as British tank men).

In order to understand the arguments made in this photograph, it is important to be familiar with its historical context. World War II began in Europe, and it was the first war to utilize the modern tank. The German military swept through Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France in a very short time using a new strategy known as the blitzkrieg (lighting war), in which the Germans used their overpowering Panzer tanks to brush away any resistance. By 1941, this tactic had allowed Germany to annex or conquer all of continental Europe, and the Allies had no answer for the might of the Panzer. This trend continued in North Africa. The allies could not match the power of the German’s tanks. That is where the tank pictured in British tank men, the M3 Lee, came in. It was supposed to be able to match the firepower of its German counterparts. At the time, the M3 was the most powerful land weapon the Allies possessed. Thus, the M3 shown in British tank men would have a strong nationalistic appeal to the American viewer.

British tank men was not meant to be a documentary photograph, but a propaganda photograph used to boost the spirits of American civilians. This can be seen through the pathos and logos generated from the vectors of attention, saturation, and framing, inspiring feelings of nationalism and reflecting the belief of American superiority. However, to the modern viewer, those same technical elements speak of sadness and disappointment.

The first and most important element used by the photographer in British tank men is vectors of attention. When the viewer first sees this photograph, his eyes are immediately drawn to the tank (an M3 Lee), the focal point of the picture. At the time, the unprepared-ness of Pearl Harbor was still very much on the minds of Americans of this period. The M3 was the height of American military might and design. By making this monument to the power of the United States the main focus of the picture, the photograph reminded its original viewers that the US was had the capability to win the war. The state of the military at Pearl Harbor was no longer the case. Through the picturing of the greatest American weapon of war, Americans were reminded of their nation’s might, and inspired to work toward victory.

After the tank, the viewer’s attention is drawn to the actual soldiers in the picture. The vectors of attention of the soldiers are extremely important to the argument this photograph was making to American civilians. The British soldiers in the picture are obviously not looking at the camera, but are instead looking toward their American instructor. By situating the American at the head of the semicircle and showing the British soldiers learning from him, the photograph is once again appealing to the nationalism of Americans. The United States and Britain, despite being allies, had not always worked well together in war. In WWI, the British attempted to dismantle the US Army units shipped to Europe and instead use American soldiers as replacements for fallen British troops. To a lesser extend, British pride showed itself in WWII as well. The British had been fighting the Germans for four years across Europe, while the United States did not join until provoked by Japan. British arrogance did not take long to show itself once again in WWII. The vectors of attention show otherwise, reminding Americans and the world of American ingenuity. It is not the British who are teaching the Americans, but the Americans who are teaching the British how to fight the Germans. The logos of the vectors of attention of the British soldiers appeal to a pathos of nationalism and determination. Yet, while most of the British are looking at the American, one soldier is looking directly at the camera. He seems to be looking at the audience, reminding them the war is very real. This helps to draw the audience into the picture, and even gives the audience a feeling of sympathy for the soldiers. This would reinforce the appeals to Americans’ resolve in “getting the boys home.”

Finally, the American soldier is not shown looking at his students or the tank. He is instead looking at the shell in his hands. He sees that it is the most important thing to both him and his students. They have all most likely seen combat before, and seen the destruction the Panzers could cause. This shell could save his life, destroying the Panzer before the Panzer destroys him. Including this in the picture not only appeals to nationalism, but reminds the American people of the horrors of war. People will die on both sides, but the ingenuity and might (shown through the tank and the shell) of the Allies would win in the end.

This picture was taken in North Africa during spring or summer with a 1940s black and white camera. Therefore, the coloration is slightly altered by the limitations of period technology. However, there are specific elements within British tank men which could not be unintentional. These two purposeful elements are saturation and contrast. The photograph is super-saturated. In fact, it is so saturated that the background appears completely white. Usually, high saturation creates a dreamlike quality. In this case it does not. This creates harsh and sometimes hard to distinguish transitions between the tank, men, and shell. This gives the picture somewhat of a gritty, chaotic feel, creating a sense of chaos and confusion in the viewer. This forces the audience to focus on key objects, such as the tank, soldiers, and shell. Thus, it calms the audience while simultaneously making an argument of nationalism and determination by focusing attention on the objects making the argument.

Finally, British tank men is framed to specifically show a very narrow field of vision. No tank would be alone during wartime, especially “in between battles,” as the picture’s title says. However, the photographer chose to intentionally omit anything but the tank and soldiers. In addition, the field of vision specifically includes the armament and turret of the tank. The framing makes the tank the main focus of the photograph, thus appealing once again to the national pride Americans took in their technological prowess. In addition, the decision to show almost no sky and foreground suggests the surroundings of the photograph were not particularly important. While the picture was taken in the North African desert, the photographer does not want us to focus on the location, but on the soldiers (appealing to determination to win and bring them home) and the tank (sparking a pathos of nationalism).

Just as the United States was stunned and united by 9/11, so was the America of 1941 stunned and united by Pearl Harbor. British tank men was a propaganda picture used to inspire Americans to stay committed to the war effort. It was intended to create a sense of national pride, in the same sense pictures of Americans fighting in Afghanistan did after 9/11. However, to the modern viewer, the key elements in British tank men do not inspire pride. Instead, they create a pathos of disappointment. American tanks during WWII were in fact far inferior to German tanks, and the M3 Lee was no exception. Sights such as the picture to the left (an M4 Sherman) were all too common. The shell the American is staring at was fired from a low-velocity canon, which could not pierce the Panzer’s frontal armor. The British were learning how to fight in a moving deathtrap. The tank itself was slow and was an extremely easy target for experienced Panzer gunners. Essentially, the very elements that once inspired patriotism now inspire remind Americans of the death resulting from inferior technology.

In its original context, British tank men gave American civilians a sense of national pride and determination through vectors of attention, saturation, and framing. To the 21st century viewer, the vectors of intention instead inspire a pathos of sadness and mourning. World War II was the largest war in the history of the world, taking more lives than any war in history. Through this one small snapshot of that war, we can see the determination and pride Americans took in their military and country. Regardless of political ideology, the modern American can learn from the pathos shown in British tank men and be reminded that the freedom we enjoy came at a price, and that price is still being paid.

WP #1 Rough Draft

It was the 9/11 of the 1940s. For the first time since the War of 1812, a foreign power had attacked the homeland of the United States. The economy still had not recovered completely from the Great Depression, and wartime rationing quickly took effect. It was in these conditions a wartime photographer took British tank men study U.S. tanks between battle in Egypt…A gunner giving a talk on the 75mm gun (British tank men).

This photograph makes two distinct arguments, one to the original audience and another to 21st century viewers. To the original viewers of British tank men, the pathos and logos generated from the vectors of attention, saturation, and framing inspired a feeling of nationalism and reflected the belief of American superiority. To the modern viewer, those same technical elements speak of sadness and disappointment.

In order to understand the arguments made in this photograph, it is important to be familiar with its historical context. The German military’s strength was its mobility. It swept through Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France in a very short time using a new strategy known as the blitzkrieg (lighting war). Essentially, the Germans used their overpowering Panzer tanks to brush away any resistance. By 1941, this tactic had allowed Germany to annex or conquer all of continental Europe, and the Allies had no answer for the might of the Panzer. That is where the tank pictured in British tank men, the M3 Lee, came in. It was supposed to be able to match the firepower of its German counterparts.

The first and most important element used by the photographer in British tank men is vectors of attention. When the viewer first sees this photograph, his eyes are immediately drawn to the tank. This is the main focal point of the picture, and the photograph uses the tank (an M3 Lee) to make its main arguments. The M3 was the height of American military innovation and design. By making this monument to the power of the United States the main focus of the picture, the photograph reminded its original viewers that the US was had the capability to win the war. Pearl Harbor was still very much on the minds of Americans of this period. Through the picturing of the greatest American weapon of war, Americans were reminded of their nation’s might, and inspired to work toward victory.

After the tank, the viewer’s attention is drawn to the actual soldiers in the picture. The vectors of attention of the soldiers themselves is extremely important to the argument this photograph was making to American civilians.

The British soldiers in the picture are obviously not looking at the camera. They are instead looking toward their instructor, an American. By situating the American at the head of the semicircle and showing the British soldiers learning from him, the photograph is once again appealing to the nationalism of Americans. The United States and Britain, despite being allies, had not always worked well together in war. In WWI, the British attempted to dismantle the US Army units shipped to Europe and instead use American soldiers as replacements for fallen British troops. To a lesser extend, British pride showed itself in WWII as well. The British had been fighting the Germans for four years across Europe, while the United States did not join until provoked by Japan. British arrogance did not take long to show itself once again in WWII.

The vectors of attention show otherwise, reminding Americans and the world of American ingenuity. It is not the British who are teaching the Americans, but the Americans who are teaching the British how to fight the Germans. The logos of the vectors of attention of the British soldiers appeal to a pathos of nationalism and determination.

Yet, while most of the British are looking at the American, one soldier is looking directly at the camera. He seems to be looking at the audience, reminding them the war is very real. This helps to draw the audience into the picture, and even gives the audience a feeling of sympathy for the soldiers. This would reinforce the appeals to Americans’ resolve in “getting the boys home.”
Finally, the American soldier is not shown looking at his students or the tank. He is instead looking at the shell in his hands. He sees that it is the most important thing to both him and his students. They have all most likely seen combat before, and seen the destruction the Panzers could cause. This shell could save his life, destroying the Panzer before the Panzer destroys him. Including this in the picture not only appeals to nationalism, but reminds the American people of the horrors of war. People will die on both sides, but the ingenuity and might (shown through the tank and the shell) of the Allies would win in the end.

This picture was taken in North Africa during spring or summer with a 1940s black and white camera. Therefore, the coloration is slightly altered by the limitations of period technology. However, there are specific elements within British tank men which could not be unintentional. These two purposeful elements are saturation and contrast.

The photograph is super-saturated. In fact, it is so saturated that the background appears completely white. This creates a surreal, dreamlike pathos, painting an idealized picture of war. Even though things like the shell and tank remind viewers the war will be horrific, it also lets the audience feel some comfort. The dreamlike quality allowed WWII civilians to see the war as far away from American soil. This helped to calm fears about another Pearl Harbor. However, it also creates harsh and sometimes hard to distinguish transitions between the tank, men, and shell. This gives the picture somewhat of a gritty, chaotic feel, creating a sense of chaos and confusion in the viewer. This forces the audience to focus on key objects, such as the tank, soldiers, and shell. Thus, it calms the audience while simultaneously making an argument of nationalism and determination by focusing attention on the objects making the argument.

Finally, British tank men is framed to specifically show a very narrow field of vision. No tank would be alone during wartime, especially “in between battles,” as the picture’s title says. However, the photographer chose to intentionally omit anything but the tank and soldiers. In addition, the field of vision specifically includes the armament and turret of the tank. The framing makes the tank the main focus of the photograph, thus appealing once again to the national pride Americans took in their technological prowess. In addition, the decision to show almost no sky and foreground suggests the surroundings of the photograph were not particularly important. While the picture was taken in the North African desert, the photographer does not want us to focus on the location, but on the soldiers (appealing to determination to win and bring them home) and the tank (sparking a pathos of nationalism).

British tank men was essentially a propaganda picture used to inspire Americans to stay committed to the war effort. It was intended to create a sense of national pride, and it would have in the same sense pictures of American soldiers fighting in Afghanistan did after 9/11. However, to the modern viewer, the key elements in British tank men do not inspire pride. Instead, they create a pathos of disappointment.

American tanks during WWII were in fact far inferior to German tanks, and the M3 Lee was no exception (the tank in the above link is the M4 Sherman, the main US tank during the war). The shell the American is staring at was fired from a low-velocity canon, which could not pierce the Panzer’s frontal armor. The British were learning how to fight in a moving deathtrap. The tank itself was slow and was an extremely easy target for experienced Panzer gunners. Essentially, the very elements that once inspired patriotism now inspire remind Americans of the death resulting from inferior technology.

In its original context, British tank men gave American civilians a sense of national pride and determination through vectors of attention, saturation, and framing. To the 21st century viewer, the vectors of intention instead inspire a pathos of sadness and mourning. World War II was the largest war in the history of the world, taking more lives than any war in history. Through this one small snapshot of that war, we can see the determination and pride Americans took in their military and country.

WP#1 Purpose Statement

The overall purpose this writing project is to analyze arguments made by the photographer in the picture British tank men study U.S. tanks between battle in Egypt... A gunner giving a talk on the 75mm gun. (From this point forward to be referred to as British tank men.) In order to achieve this purpose, I will first explain and analyze the historical context of the photograph, operating on the assumption it was taken sometime in 1942. This is the most logical date, given the history of the M3 Lee and the fighting in North Africa.

In order to understand the argument of the photograph, I will be analyzing the appeals pathos and logos made in British tank men. To do this, I will examine at several elements within the photograph, all the while keeping the original audience in mind. Through this examination, my goal is to show the audience the extreme feelings of nationalism and determination the original audience would have felt.

The first technical element that will be examined is the significance of the vectors of attention. The photographer was making a specific argument when he decided the British crew should be looking at the American, and the American should be looking at the shell. For the purposes of the analysis, I will also be considering the tank as a person rather than an inanimate object, since way the tank is situated and its position in the picture are also significant. Through relating the historical context, my goal in analyzing vectors of attention is to show the audience how symbolic the vectors would be to WWII civilians.

The second technical element I will examine is the coloration. This includes, but is not necessarily limited to, saturation, hue, and brightness. While there are certain limitations in this analysis due to period technology, the photographer was certainly making an argument when he made the background pure white and exaggerated the shadows on the tank and men.

In addition to examining the original argument of British tank men, I will examine the emotions and feelings in invokes in the 21st century viewer. Because of the historical context and the general failure of the M4 (and thus, American tanks in general), photographs such as these invoke very different emotions to us than the original viewers. Instead of the original audience’s pride, we feel a deep sorrow for the needless deaths caused by inferior technology. I will examine these unintended arguments that are in many cases opposite of what the photographer intended.

Since this paper will be posted on a blog, the general audience could be anyone in the English-speaking world. However, my primary audience is my professor and classmates. Because this paper is for an assignment at a university, it will employ a professional, non-conversational tone. However, since it is possible for almost anyone to view the paper, it will also be written is such a way that is accessible to anyone who has not read Compose, Design, Advocate. Key terms used in the paper will be briefly defined very few assumptions will be made about the audience’s knowledge and background.

The success of this writing project will be determined by the reaction of the viewer after reading it. If the reader reads the paper and understands the arguments made to both the original viewers and the modern viewer and how the technical elements of the photograph support those arguments, then success has been achieved. If the reader does not leave with such an understanding, the paper may be considered a failure.

My largest concern about this project is being too detailed in the historical context. As a student of history, it is very easy for me to get “carried away” and provide too much or unrelated information. This is a concern especially because of the rather limiting word count maximum.

Writing Project #1 will be a challenge for me. Since I have never analyzed photography before, it is something I am not very comfortable with. However, if I explain to my audience how the historical context, vectors of attention, and technical elements work together in British tank men to create cohesive arguments, this project may be considered a success.