Uncovering the Sadness of Young Death

Though I looked through several images posted on NY Lens Blog, this one in particular really resonated with me. There is such a range of emotion that Andrea Bruce was able to capture in this image; the death of a child is something extremely dramatic and traumatizing. The contrast and color reiterate the morose feeling of the photo. It helps to dramatize the photo even more, and really get the point across.

I really like the fact that in the photo there are more people included than just the mother and child. It’s clear that multiple generations are shown in the photo to illustrate how many people are affected by this death. Mourning over a child has to be one of the hardest things to do; a child should never have to die from the cold. The older woman cries and consoles the mother, and though their arms are linked they appear disconnected. The mother seems to be in shock, showing very little emotion, in disbelief that her child is laying dead in front of her.

The lighting of this image has to be the most important factor. The child is perfectly illuminated from the light coming through the window while all around it is dark. While the mourners are standing in the shadows, some hiding their faces but this little angel is in the light, symbolizing, to me, that the child has found peace and safety in death. Of the women whose faces are shown, the darkness of their clothing eliminates any distractions from their solemn facial expressions, and really brings out the true emotions shown on their faces. I also find it interesting that the photographer was able to keep the face of another, living child, in the frame. Although this one child has died, hope can be restored through the life of the other child in the image.

This is an image that absolutely works alone. In fact, in my opinion, it works better alone. It’s all the viewer needs to see to feel the emotion of what it’s like to lose a child due to poverty. We can see enough of the environment to know these are not ideal living conditions, and the dead child in the photo represents the harsh realities impoverished families, and mothers face every day. At the same time, it’s a beautiful thing that the child is mourned over and shown just as much respect as any other deceased family member would be.

-Ruby Bobkowski