States article reviw
The article “States” describes the current state of Palestine by expounding on pictorial representation. The use of photography, in this case, depicts Palestinians history, whereby Edward Said illustrates the war-ravaged state of Palestine through vivid descriptions of every aspect in the pictures. Images illustrate Palestinian customs and culture such as weddings, as well as the controversies surrounding stateless country of Palestinians. He also points out how Palestinians are counted as exiles in their native land and treated with special status in other countries such as Europe, America, and Europe. The author adds recollections of the Palestine past and compares it with the present, bringing into context its’ dispossession.
According to Frederick R. Barnard in his book, “One look is worth a thousand words,” describes the importance of picture to denote a given message. Images evoke memories that transcend through time, helping us understand present scenarios in the context of the past. As Edward Said depicts in his statement, “the angle made across her face by the woman’s robe duplicates the ghastly wall pattern, the man’s crossed feet repeat and contradict the outward thrust of the chair [p 560].”He refers to the unsettled posture of Palestine and its people and their lack of any permanent dwelling or habitation.
Edward Said’s position on how photographs evoke fond and poignant memories of the past is intriguing. He points out how photography creates a lasting impression only for the eyes to see. In his statement, “What a distance now actually separates me from the concreteness of that life. How easily traveled the photographs make it seem,” he alludes the elusiveness and illusion of time with which photographs pose. According to him, photography seems to remove barriers of the past and bring its scenes to the present. Photography connects the past with the future and puts into context actions of the past with the present.
Edward Said’s arguments on photography as an avenue with which we see the past, converge with that of John Berger. In his Article “Ways of seeing,” he states,” Every image embodies a way of seeing even a photograph.” Berger acknowledges imagery as more foundational than spoken conversation. While Edward argues that photography makes the past real, Berger explains how seeing integrates perception, knowledge, and beliefs. However, Edward claims that photography doesn’t separate events, but time does, diverges with that of John when he affirms that the past forms the basis to which our actions relate to the images seen.
The writings of Cesaire brings into context the colonization of American Indians and its aftermath. The trampling of the colonized minority group’s rights. President Reagans Speech regarding the rights and freedoms of Americans begs the question of whether he understood the rights of the Americans. The disregard of the rights of particular minority communities is synonymous with that described in Edward’s Article, whereby the Israels state hinders the right to movement and settlement of Palestine communities, as he states, “The paradox of mobility and insecurity. Wherever we Palestinians are, we are not in our Palestine, which no longer exists.” Therefore upholding human rights and freedom is crucial to the success and development of any nation.