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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 lists many effects of photographs depicting war victims. Which of the following was not one of the effects she lists?

2. Restrictions on media coverage of the British campaign in the Falklands was notable for which of the following reasons?

3. Sontag discusses one year in European history in which the photograph was able to truly capture the nature of human atrocities. Which year was it?

4. The footage from a 1898 charge of Colonel Roosevelt's volunteer cavalry, the Rough Riders, was replaced with film of a staged charge later for which of the following reasons?

5. Which of the following magazines was NOT devoted entirely to photography?

Short Essay Questions

1. Sontag suggests that the same photograph might elicit "opposing responses." Discussing a specific example, explain how this might be possible.

2. Sontag identified two types of censorship which affect war photography. Describe both types of censorship. Which is most influential?

3. Sontag distinguished between "image makers" and "image takers". What is the difference between these two groups of artists? How are they perceived differently?

4. Sontag agrees with Woolf's assertion that the educated class has failed to understand war. How is this a failure of empathy or imagination?

5. Sontag stated that the photographer's intentions do not determine the message of the photograph. Discuss the contributing factors which influence the reception of photographs in the media.

6. According to Sontag, how do mass Hollywood productions influence the public's perception of catastrophic or horrific events?

7. Discuss the controversy surrounding the kidnapping of Daniel Pearl in Karachi in 2002. What was the main conflict?

8. Explain the purpose of photography collections such as Ernst Friedrich's "Krieg dem Kriege!" (War Against War!), and discuss how these works attempt to achieve this end.

9. Why do images of pain challenge us to look without flinching? According to Sontag, what purpose does this serve?

10. How did war journalism change during the Spanish Civil War (1936-39)? How did the coverage of this war more closely resemble modern media coverage of conflicts?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Sontag discussed image-glut and image-flow extensively in this essay. Do you agree with her assertions that the modern world contains a plethora of disturbing or horrific images? Evaluate her argument regarding the effects of image-glut and propose your own. How does the influx of war photographs affect the viewer? Are viewers more prone to apathy because of the quantity of images? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

On witnessing suffering in a photograph, are we morally or ethically obligated to be emotionally moved? Sontag suggested that perhaps the viewer should not feel ashamed for not feeling a reaction. Do you agree or disagree? Support your position with a discussion of the ethics of witnessing suffering from such a distance.

Essay Topic 3

Sontag suggested that specific memory of atrocities may be detrimental to peace efforts. Is this necessarily true? Is there a way in which memories and memorials might contribute to establishing and maintaining peace? If so, how? If not, why not?

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