Says/Does: Chief Joseph of Nez Perc- Surrender to US Army

Says:

Tell the general I know him. Our chiefs are dead and we are tired of fighting. All the old men are dead and it is the young that decide now.

Does: 

What chief Joseph does in this first part of his speech is clearly appealing to the audience’s emotions. He has shown signs of surrender and is trying to reach some consent with his enemies. He describes a situation and follows with a criticism.

Says:

The leader of our young men is dead. It is cold and we have no blankets, and our children are freezing. Many have run to the hills and have nothing to keep them warm.

Does:

The chief continues trying to appeal to emotion. He brings forth the image of death, cold, and hunger. He also includes a metaphor of the cold to emphasize his point. He then posses an idea of safety, but which is simply countered with more hunger a death.

Says 

I want to look for my kids, which I might find among the dead. Listen! I am tired, my heart is sick and sad. I will not fight tomorrow.

Does:

In this final section, the chief brings out basically what’s left in him. There is a clear declaration of surrender. There is repetition of an idea to emphasize it and a final statement which is very defining and absolute. The chief has clearly expressed what he was trying to get through to his attackers. 

Dialectical Journal

“My people, some of them, have run away to the hills, and have no blankets, no food.” (Chief Joseph)

This single phrase alone describe the fear of an entire group of people. They ran to the hills for safety but only found cold and hunger. In a way, it is a cry for help and surrender towards the US army. This speech represents the fight of the native americans against the United States army for what was rightly theirs. A struggle for freedom and rights which only ended in despair and agony. Chief Joseph’s speech was his statement to end the suffering of his people.

“I want some time to look for my children, and see how many of them I can find. Maybe I shall find them among the dead.” (chief Joseph)

This single statement sums of the feelings that tormenting Chief Joseph, and how, in a way, he has lost all sense of hope and will to fight for his people’s freedom. When someone mentions the possible death of their children in such an emotionless manner, then you know that that person in dead inside. Clearly, the war against the US Army had much deeper physical wounds on this man, than emotional. 

“I am tired; my heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever.” (Chief Joseph)

This is the sentence that chief Joseph uses to end his speech. It is his final surrender, his admit of defeat. For man to put his pride aside, and give in to the power of another man, is a very significant action. In the end, we all end up listening to our hearts. In this case, the chief’s heart told him that enough blood had been shed, and that it was time to put an end to the war.

http://www2.gsu.edu/~eslmlm/chiefjoseph.html

OPTIC "Train Station"

Objective:

In this painting we can see a train station filled with african americans and white americans, each going to different destinations.

Parts:

The painting has quite a simple texture and composition. It is made up of several straight lines and bold colors. The lines create a sense of depth, which is pretty important when depicting a train station. There is clearly  division of this painting into three parts, divided by two main columns. In the left section, we can see a group of white people getting on a train. The middle and right section is filled with African Americans who are taking a train to go the other direction.

Title:

The title of this illustration in “Train Station”. It comes mainly from the setting, which is actually a train station. The importance of the title though, is that is implies that everyone involved in this painting has a future destination which is not the actual train station. The fact that it includes two different races, and was painted during a time of racial segregation in the united states, brings up much deeper themes than simply a train station.

Interrelationships:

As mentioned before, the most important aspect of this painting is its people’s destinations. Above the train which the white people are getting on, there is a sign that says south. Above the train in which the African Americans are getting on, there is a sign that says North. Clearly, this represents a vast migration of races in the United States, most probably after World War I.

Conclusion:

This is definitely a very interesting painting. Although it shows the division of race at one particular instance, it also represents a new, larger mixture of race in the United States as a whole. The painter, Walter Ellison, lived through the entire political movement concerning racial tolerance, therefore this his work of art gives the viewer a quick glance of what was going on.

OPTIC "The Scream"

Objective:

In this painting we can see a horrified, screaming, man, standing near a body of water on what is probably a bridge.

Parts:

The texture of this painting is very unique. It is made up of curved lines, and very little sharp edges. All the brush strokes seem to flow together in the same direction. The colors are also very passive shades of blue, orange, red, and yellow. It is set near the what assume is the ocean, on some sort of a dock or bridge. Judging by the colors, it is right around sunset.

Title:

The title of this painting is “The Scream”. On a literal level, you can see that the name comes from the illustration’s the main subject, a man with his hands on his faces, screaming. Of course there is deeper reason to why it received this title. The scream also refers to the horrors and agony of life. The painter was Edvard Munch, a man who went through several deaths and tragedies before painting his masterpiece. Clearly, “The Scream” was a representation of the unfortunate events that were going on in Munch’s life during that period. 

Interrelationships:

Although in terms of texture, the painting is very soothing and quite dull to the senses, it is contrasted by the horror displayed in the central theme of the illustration. The screaming represents horror, dismay, agony, pain, etc. Since this man is the main focus of the painting, you can’t help but feel the emotions he conveys, and in a way, share his pain.

Conclusion:

The scream is a very well known masterpiece by Edvard Munch. It represents the constant scream the runs through life in every person. It is the constant terror that follows everybody and is inevitably bound to you. Although the scream was painted after very harsh moments that the painter lived through, every person can identify with it, for everyone has also had that moment where they just want to scream.