Image Analysis

What colors are used in the ad? Are they effective or ineffective?

The ad mainly utilizes dark colors, specifically black. The pale peach complexion of the boy provides a stark contrast between him and the background highlighting that he is a prominent figure. The white text is easy to spot and stands out when compared to the boy's skin tone and the black. The bruising on the boy's eye is composed of dark blue, purple, and pink. The colors are effective as they do not blend together and clearly state the author's message while still placing emphasis on the child.

What emotion or mood might the colors used evoke?

The colors used evoke a serious and poignant mood. Black is associated with sadness and mourning therefore causing the ad to be associated with that. The dark blue and purple bruising on the boy's eye reflects how serious the situation is and makes the reader feel a deep sense of sadness. The shadowing on the boy's face also adds to the dark, solemn emotions as dark colors are used to represent acute things and situations.

What kind of fonts are used in the ad (consider both size and the look of the font)? What does the font tell you about what tone the creator is trying to elicit? Is it effective?

The ad has little font but the one sentence uses a basic typewriter font. The sentence is in all capital letters. The font shows the urgency the author is trying to convey through the use of capital letters. The typewriter-like font reminds me of serious documents, much like the tone of the image. The font can clearly be read and seen therefore the audience can not disregard the sentence. It is effective as it relays the seriousness behind the issue and is easy to spot and read.

Consider the image itself. How does it make you feel?

The image itself makes me feel mournful and empathetic. The image shows a boy who has clearly been abused by someone, most likely a parent as the ad references his mother's eyes in it. People tend to forget how difficult the lives of some children are whose parents are not fully supportive or loving and harm their children. No one notices an issue until it either happens to them or someone they know. The image makes me think about my parents and how caring they are. My parents could never raise their hands on their kids because they love them and respect them. While I maybe lucky with this, that is not true for everyone making me feel empathetic for the boy. No child deserves to be treated so poorly from such an early age.

What do you believe the author wanted to convey with the image? Is it effective?

I believe the author wanted to convey a message of seriousness behind the abuse of children. In today's society there is a day and night difference between discipline and abuse. Children are continuously punished for things out of their control. The author also highlights a sense of ignorance from others. Many times households function under a "what happens in this house, stays in this house" rule. People from the outside never get the chance to notice what is happening to someone as they keep it hidden, to avoid trouble. The irony in this ad that the boy shares similar eyes to his mother is that he is being abused at home and is getting black eyes. This could also indicate that the mother is also abused and that family abuse is a real and prominent issue in today's modern world.