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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. American photographers feel the country is simply too _______ to be understood - instead it must simply be catalogued.

2. In his photographs, Steichen gave ___________ material importance according to Sontag.

3. In large measure, photography has replaced experiential interaction with __________, according to the book.

4. In what year was photography invented, according to Sontag's research as outlined in this book?

5. Photography idealizes subjects and makes ________ of people who are in the photographs.

Short Essay Questions

1. How might the surrealist art movement be described, according to Sontag in this chapter?

2. How did Whitman want to see society as a whole, according to Sontag's writings in this chapter?

3. Why is photography a democratizing experience, according to Sontag in this particular chapter of the book?

4. Who were some of the groups of people who Diane Arbus took pictures of when she was creating portraits?

5. Are people with children more or less likely to own a camera, according to Sontag's own findings?

6. Why is surrealism not necessarily a universal art form, according to this particular chapter?

7. What kind of art does Sontag believe photography has become, according to the text in this chapter?

8. What does Susan Sontag suggest that photography has made society do in relation to reality?

9. What does Surrealism strive to do in society, much like the goals of photography in the world?

10. How does surrealism look at wealth, which is the same way that photography seems to look at wealth?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Sontag points out that some photographers are like scientists, documenting and examining the world.

Part 1: Why do you think photographers could be called scientists?

Part 2: Do you think photography is necessary in science? Why or why not?

Part 3: Why do you think it's important to document the world? Or isn't it?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

According to Sontag, painting favors beautiful items while photography favors less than attractive objects.

Part 1: Why do you think painting is used for beautiful items?

Part 2: Do you think painting can only be used for beautiful things? Why or why not?

Part 3: Do you think that photography focuses only on those things which are less attractive? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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