Studying these photos has engendered in me a sense of horror and embarrasment to be part of a country capable of such grave attrocities. The pictures not only provided a visual image of the lynching of five African American men, but tapped into my emotions by allowing me to see this moment in time. The African American men were badly beaten and tortured with knives before being hanged. At the same time, you are able to see the pleased looks from the white mob showing that an event such as this was condoned by the majority of the public. This picture has much more of an impact on me then reading a passage in a novel such as Beloved by Toni Morrison because I could personally interpret the picture and judge for myself how to view it instead of reading how I should interpret the scene through the eyes of an author. The reality of the photo brings with it a power that written words cannot. A picture is a bold message, stating the facts and not hidning anything, whereas a literary text often covers up the harsh reality of the feelings invoked.
However, a novel offers backround information and a story to go along witha particular scene. In raeding a passage, one can create what they believe the image represents. The only danger in this is that it may not be accurate and the reader has to imagine the scene instead of actually bearing witness to it. This si one reason why it is crucial for us in the 21st century to read/view acts of violence. We must pair accounts from literary texts as well as historical images together in order to get the best representation of these atrocities.

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