Visual Argument

The first picture, “At the Time of the Louisville Flood,” represents a contradiction. The sign above the line of people waiting to obtain food says “World’s Highest Standard of Living,” when exactly the opposite is occurring. Seventy percent of Louisville was flooded during this hard time. Many people were homeless and hungry. The point that this image is trying to make, in my opinion, is that the American lifestyle is not always very pretty. Obviously the people in this image are struggling to hold on while their lives have been reduced to shambles. America has always been looked upon as the land of opportunity but this image represents the hardships people may go through in life. The second picture is of an old woman wrapped in an American flag blanket waiting outside of the New Orleans convention center after hurricane Katrina. Hurricane Katrina devastated many peoples’ lives. This image also portrays distraught after bad weather hits. The old woman’s name is Milvertha. She is waiting to receive food and shelter after a massive and devastating hurricane struck, probably taking her house with it. The convention center was the safest place in New Orleans at the time but there was an overwhelming amount of people that wanted to gain entry. She probably had to wait for hours just to obtain a small amount of food. The picture proves that many people suffered hardships after this hurricane.