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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Sontag seems stereotype inscrutable Chinese values, smacking of the anti-Chinese ____________ in her time.

2. And others believe that all proficient photographers must metaphysically ________ the object which they are photographing.

3. The very act of ____________ something new casts it as something new and beautiful.

4. The question becomes whether photography is a ___________ process of documentation via machine, or not.

5. Photography freed ____________ from the reproductive arts, according to Sontag's writing in this book.

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did photography enjoy a sudden burst in popularity, according to the text in this chapter?

2. In 1839, why was photography briefly attacked by those in society, according to the history lessons of this chapter?

3. What discussion does false photography illuminate in regards to the essential division in photography?

4. What do cameras often reveal in the subject of the picture or in the object being photographed?

5. What kinds of subjects does it seem that painting and photography seem to favor, according to the argument in this chapter?

6. What does Sontag see as the central tension in photography, according to the discussion in this chapter?

7. In order to avoid the over-exposure of beautiful things, what becomes necessary in relation to beauty?

8. What do some philosophers - namely Balzac - have to say about the idea or the act of taking photographs?

9. What is difficult, if not impossible to do when it comes to looking at photographs, as opposed to looking at paintings?

10. What does the final chapter have to present about the idea of images in relation to reality, something which may not be fully supported by the text?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The Farm Security Administration once did a photography project which sought to capture the 'common' man

Part 1: How do you define the idea of a common man? Is this definable?

Part 2: Why is it important to document that image of a common man? Or isn't it?

Part 3: How can images of what is common change the way the world works?

Essay Topic 2

Whitman strove to see what was similar in all beings as opposed to what was unique about people, it seems.

Part 1: Do you think people are unique or are we all the same? Why or why not?

Part 2: How does the perception of the world change when you realize all people are the same?

Part 3: Why do you think it's important to see similarities among people? Or isn't it?

Essay Topic 3

Sontag makes the statement that in a person being photographed in a sexual way, it's almost as if it's a violation or a rape.

Part 1: Why do you think a photograph might be like a rape?

Part 2: What happens if a person consents to having their picture taken? Is that still a 'rape' of sorts? Why or why not?

Part 3: Do you feel violated when someone takes a picture of you? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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