For identity, for me.

In Rae Lynn Schwartz-DuPre’s paper, Portraying the Political: National Geographic’s 1985 Afghan Girl and a US Alibi for Aid, she discusses the effects of the Afghan Girl’s iconic photo, which was to help the U.S.’ political agenda. What was so surprising to read was the fact that National Geographic is a subdued puppet for the government. However, once Dupre points out how National Geographic can secretly supplement the government’s agenda onto their citizens, it was an ‘aha’ moment. I could not believe I did not see it before. While reading the paper, I was curious and googled the Afghan Girl, and it is an image that does not resonate very much with me like the photograph of Iwo Jima. However, the eyes, how the girl was posed, and the framing or cropping that was done in the photo feels familiar, in a sense that I see females around me trying to imitate the intimacy within a photo.  Another google I did was the Migrant Mother, and the person who was pictured was ident...