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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. Overall, Sontag seems to believe that images are ultimately which of the following?
2. Sontag claims that sentimentality is often accompanied by which of the following?
3. What does Sontag claim as our only connection with the dead?
4. Which of the following does Sontag suggest is an ethical act?
5. Which of the following photographers exhibited photographs of Sarajevo in 1994?
Short Essay Questions
1. Sontag contrasts the perceived number of atrocities now with the number from years ago, and makes a specific claim about the rate of atrocity. Discuss this assertion.
2. What does Sontag mean when she said that photographs transform?
3. Sontag suggests that there is a rise of sadism in contemporary culture. Discuss this assertion using specific examples.
4. In her discussion of the emotional impact of artistic renderings of suffering, Sontag referrs to Kabuki or Bunraku plays. What are these plays? Why does Sontag include this example?
5. Sontag discusses two widespread ideas about the influence of photography. What is the first idea? Discuss it including one example.
6. Why does Sontag say that "it is not necessarily better to be moved?" Discuss the negative aspects of sentimentality.
7. How does Sontag refute claims that photography is somehow inherently more voyeuristic than other forms of observation?
8. Discuss the photograph that Georges Batailles kept on his desk. Why does Sontag discuss this particular photograph?
9. Discuss the significance of the photograph's intended purpose. If a photograph is intended to convey a message, but because of the context in which it is displayed does not, is the photograph still successful?
10. According to Sontag, designating a hell is not enough; yet, she suggests that this ability to name an atrocity does accomplish something. What does this accomplish? What is the point of naming an atrocity an atrocity?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Sontag commented extensively on the ways in which war photography and atrocity centered journalism has evolved from the inception of photojournalism. Discuss your views on the evolution of war photography. Do you agree with Sontag's assertions? Why or why not? Draw on specific historical and contemporary examples to support your analysis.
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
Throughout Sontag's argument, gender norms and expectations emerge as contributing factors in the way individuals receive images. How does Sontag treat these gendered expectations? Do you agree with Sontag's assertions on this issue? Why or why not? Discuss the differences in the ways men and women receive photographs of war and atrocity as well as the way publishing companies think about their audiences in terms of gender.
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This section contains 1,042 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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