Blog Post 14

I could not find a great deal of historical and cultural research for the specific context of this comic, but I did find some on the author himself. Dan Piraro is a cartoonist who began illustrating advertisemnets for Neiman-Marcus in 1981 and later was able to become a full-time cartoonist around 1990. In 1995, he began his first book tour, which was entirely reader supported.

Today, Dan Piraro has many different books where his comics are illustrated; they are called Bizarro. Piraro receive the National Cartoonist Society Panel Cartoon Award for 1999, 2000, and 2001, he has also been nominated for their Reuben Award several times for his work on the strip (Wikipedia). The majority of Piraro’s comics are not like his snowman one’s and use more cartoon looking pieces. I think that the snowman strips look to be a little more realistic than the regualar comic, except for the humanistic features that they are given.

Since doing some research on Dan Piraro’s work, I have noticed a significant change of pace from the snowmen comics. He definitely likes to use both humans and animals in his strips and they are all given human characteristics. Cats, dogs, pigs, rabbits, etc. all stand upright, just like humans do. When looking at this specific piece you can tell by all three of the characters that they possess human qualities. Both of the snowmen can contol their bodies (i.e., arms, facial expressions, ect.) and they can also defend themselves when put into danger. The rabbit in this piece is obviously the bad guy and holds up the hair dryer in terms of his weapon of choice.

You can also notice the different gender situations that seem to be appearing in this strip. The female snowman is a little off to the side and is showing a frightened expression. The male snowman is defending his kind from the evil rabbit. Assuming that the rabbit is male, he does not approach the female and sort of has a “stare down” with the male snowman.

I think that by giving both the snowmen and the rabbit human characteristics, it shows the true weakness of what is actually going on. We can interpret that the hair dryer, in which the rabbit is holding, is dangerous and/or harmful to the snowman not only because we know that it produces heat, but because of the expressions that are shown on their faces and through their emotions.

Works Cited

Heintjes, T. (n.d.). The Dan Piraro Interview. Retrieved October 28, 2009, from Daryl Cagle's Political Cartoonist Index: http://cagle.msnbc.com/hogan/interviews/piraro/piraro.asp

Wikipedia. (July, July 16). Dan Piraro. Retrieved October 28, 2009, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Piraro

Blog Post 13

In this comic by Dan Piraro, there are two snowmen attempting to defend themselves from the small rabbit with the dreadful hairdryer. The woman snowman says “It’s not worth it, Roy! Let’s just give him our noses & let him go!”. This is obviously entailing that that rabbit wants their carrot noses, therefore, that is why he is holding up the hairdryer; to melt the snowmen. The interactions between these characters are expressed visually because we can determine what is going on between the characters and who is who. We know that the rabbit is the “bad” guy and the snowmen are the “good” guys just by looking at the expressions that the characters are showing. Also, we notice that the rabbit is holding a hairdryer, which is his intended weapon of choice, because that is the snowman's weakness; heat.

From the text, which the female snowman is expressing, the audience is informed once again to make the picture more clear and to let them know what the thoughts are in which they are thinking at the time being. And in case the audience does not develop the understanding that rabbits like carrots and that is what the rabbit is after, the text also proves this is what is happening. In this specific comic, typography helps us to understand the peace in full by expressing emotion through the text.

The text is, for the most part, in capital lettering as well as a bigger font size. This shows the audience that panic is occurring and that the character is being serious; possibly yelling and/or having a stern voice. We can also notice that the text looks more like a handwriting type font than anything else; which sort of personalizes the piece. The word “worth” is underlined as well which raises its importance to what is going on. The female snowman would rather give up her nose whereas the male snowman is willing, and would rather, fight to keep his.

Snowmen themselves carry symboled typography. When we make snowmen, the generic way to do this is to use the carrot as the “nose”, coal for the “eyes”, “mouth”, and “buttons”, and sticks for the “arms”. The hairdryer in this specific comic could also be looked at as a symbol because it produces the heat which would then lead to the snowman's deaths. The broom is used to fight off the rabbit, which is the snowman's weapon.

Blog Post 12: WP1 Final Draft

While in the process of writing my essay, I had a majority of challenges and difficulties that I faced. In the beginning, I found it somewhat difficult to find the right photograph to use; it took me a while to find the one I ended up with. It was sort of hard to go through all of those photos, and decide which one had potential, and which one didn’t. After finding my photo, I really had to look at it for a while to decipher what I thought the true meaning behind it was. I needed to figure out who these people were, what they were doing and why, where they were, why this photo was taken the way it was, etc.

While writing the essay itself, I found it hard to decide what to write about. I knew that I had to write about the photo and its meaning, but I tried to find a way to incorporate readings, and meanings, from the text into the essay. I couldn’t exactly find the right topics that I thought I should be focusing on the most. In the end, I managed to just keep looking at the photo and to decide what I thought were important aspects.

During the first revision process, I decided to change only a few things because I wanted to keep most of what I had due to the importance I thought it brought to the essay, and also how I looked at the photograph in my opinion. I think that some of the suggestions, on the first revision, from my peer were a little in disagreement to what I thought. I didn’t want to just change my essay because of somebody else’s view that I did not fully agree with in some aspects (i.e. the clothing that the people wore, why they were on the plantation, etc.). I also added a works cited into the essay and my citations as well. I thought that my photos and hyperlinks were all relevant to the essay so I did not end up changing them either.

In the second revision process, which lead to the final draft, I made a few more changes. First off, I did some simple changes such as changing a couple of words, or taking some out (i.e. in my first sentence I used different wording). I also rearranged some of the paragraphs where I thought they might work better and bring up important information where it was needed. The second and the third paragraphs are now switched due to suggestions. I also still continued to keep all my original photos and hyperlinks the same because I thought they brought some additional information into the essay, and they flowed well with the essay itself. The photos are also arranged with a little more space between some because of some of the paragraph changes.

WP1 rough draft 2

WP1 rough draft 1

Statement of Purpose

As I look at this photo, I first notice the plantation setting. I then quickly discover the three people; two adults and a small child. The little boy is what mostly draws in my attention though, he really seems to stick out. I find that this is because he is not following the adults direct movements and is a little spaced between them. He is careless and just tagging along; looking back at us . The two adults carry themselves well, as if they are walking with pride and nothing is in their way. The argument I want to make with this photograph is that the people in this picture are family, not slaves, and are probably working to make their own living. I want the audience to understand, as well, why family is important.

This photo was taken during the month of September in 1939 on the Marcella Plantation in Mileston, Mississippi. There are two adults and one child in this photo, walking on a dirt road to what looks like a house in the near background. The adults seem to be focused on keeping straight ahead, while the child is left slightly behind them in a curious state. The little boy’s attention seems to be drawn to the photographer, Marion Wolcott. Marion Wolcott worked for the Farm Security Administration from 1938 to 1941 (The First Art), so perhaps these were friends of her. The two adults do not acknowledge the photographer, as they look to be set on their destination. I feel that they are heading home from a days work, and possibly maybe just arriving.

During this time period, the United States was just merely coming out from the Great Depression, which took place in the years of 1929 to 1939 (The Great Depression), and it was also the beginning of World War II, which started in 1939 and ended in 1945 (Worldwar-2.net). This was a rather rough time for anybody, and society suffered a great deal. As you could imagine, families with children suffered the most and carried a large amount of stress to make it by. Living a poverty type life was not, and is still not, easy; the great depression only made it worse.

The architecture in the photo is relatively small. There is a house in the background and what looks to be a type of shed. There are also a couple of cars which are located near the house as well. The shed is probably used for farm equiptment and tools for everyday use. The house most likely belongs to the plantation owners, as do the cars.

Being that this photo was taken on a plantation, the landscaping is very organized. All of the crops are located in specific places, and the dirt road separates its continueing. The trees in the far, draw up a sort of dividing line between the colors as well. The bottom half of the photo which consists of mainly the crops, road, people, and buildings bring a brown hue to the picture with a low saturation. The varied colors are not as pure as they could be and look as if they flow together. The brightness in this photo is about medium strength to low being that there is not a wide range of white in the color, except for specific places in the sky. The coloration of the photo brings a gloomy look, hence, the struggles and depressed feelings brought upon by poverty. If the colors in this photo were more pure and a little brighter, It would look joyful as if they may just be on a nice walk; not near work. I feel that the author wants the photo to represent the landscaping of the environment from this time. She wants the audience to notice the setting and its appeal to the people who are there.

This looks to be like a typical family, who is struggling and working through a labourous job. I say family because there is a child in the picture. In earlier years, it was common to bring children to work and engage them in labor as well. I also sense that these people are of working class because of the clothing they are wearing. It is mostly grungy in style, and probably not tipically seem just walking around on the streets through out the town. Their lifestyle is most likely lived in poverty, simply only trying to make it by from day to day.

The lighting in this photo relates well with its time period. It is partialy dark which represents the time of need and the depression in which society was living. This helps the audience to relate on an emotional level with the need of work, and to how much labor has changed from the past. In present time, we take for granted our jobs, and feel we are asked for too much. When you look at this photo though, you realize what life used to really be like, and you learn to appreciate what you have and work for.

Having a job was a must, and it was definitely not a luxury. There was no extra spending money, and the money you receieved was from extreme labor. Mississippi has a lot of land, and a lot of the plantations required work. Working on a plantation was probably one of the easier jobs to find, but also one of the hardest. Working days consisted of long hours in the heat, and minimal breaks if any. The reason I do not think that the people in this specific photo are slaves, is because the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was signed in 1865. Although these could very much be illegal slaves held in capture, they seem to carry themselves otherwise.

Like I stated before, this photo was taken in Mileston, Mississippi which is located west from the direct center of Mississippi, taking place in Holmes County. Holmes County is a gererally small place and was founded in 1833(Phillips, G.). There are only two major cites, five towns, and four unincorporated palces which make up this county; Mileston is located in Thornton which is an unincorporated place. There are about 764 square miles which make up Holmes County, in which 756 of them are land based (Wikipedia). There are many plantations, as with the rest of Mississippi, and the Marcella Plantation was strictly a cotton plantation.

From some of the research that I have done, I have found that Mileston, Mississippi has usually always been in poverty. Holmes County also has the third lowest per capita income in Mississippi and the 41st lowest in the United States (Wikipedia). The average income for a family in Mileston was around $21,757 (County). Family, in the majority, is usually more of a priority when you are living a lower class lifestyle. You tend to rely on eachother more often and take comfort in them. Every person in the family takes part in work, whether it being inside or outside of the home.

When looking at this picture, I want others to understand the importance of family. During the time of this photo, family was such a necessity and was what you could rely on the most. Everybody needs that connection, and when life becomes easier it tends to fade away quickly. Since this photo took place during the great depression, it seems fairly clear that this family is making their own living, not somebody elses. This photo is a great representation when bringing up ethos, pathos, and logos as well. Each part ties in with each other to make a bigger picture that we can all relate to. Whether it being the emotional or physical aspects, or the environment and color in the photo. We all know life has struggles, and chances are most of us have lived through some. We all have family, and we all need family.

Works Cited

County- There's no place like Holmes. (n.d.). Retrieved October 12, 2009, from Holmes County: http://holmescountymississippi.com/home.html

Phillips, G. (2009). Mississippi Genealogy Trails. Retrieved October 10, 2009, from Genealogy Trails: http://genealogytrails.com/miss/holmes/

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. (1996). Retrieved October 12, 2009, from Artdaily.org: http://www.artdaily.com/indexv5.asp?int_sec=11&int_new=22007

The Great Depression. (2003). Retrieved October 12, 2009, from The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers: http://www.nps.gov/archive/elro/glossary/great-depression.htm

Wikipedia. (2009, September 26). Holmes County, Mississippi. Retrieved September 30, 2009, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holmes_County,_Mississippi

worldwar-2.net. (2006). World War 2 Timeline 1939-1945. Retrieved October 13, 2009, from Worldwar-2.net: http://www.worldwar-2.net/

Blog Post 12: Revision of WP1

As I look at this photo, I mainly and firstly notice the plantation setting. I then quickly discover the three people; two adults and a small child. The little boy is what mostly draws in my attention though, he really seems to stick out. I find that this is because he is not following the adults direct movements and is a little spaced between them. He is careless and just tagging along. The two adults carry themselves well, as if they are walking with pride and nothing is in their way. The argument I want to make with this photograph is that the people in this picture are family, not slaves. I also want to point out why family is important.

During this time period, the United States was just merely coming out from the Great Depression, which took place in the years of 1929 to 1939 (The Great Depression), and it was also the beginning of World War II, which started in 1939 and ended in 1945 (Worldwar-2.net). This was a rather rough time for anybody, and society suffered a great deal. As you could imagine, families with children suffered the most and carried a large amount of stress to make it by. Living a poverty type life was not, and is still not, easy; the great depression only made it worse.

This photo was taken during the month of September in 1939 on the Marcella Plantation in Mileston, Mississippi. There are two adults and one child in this photo, walking on a dirt road to what looks like a house in the near background. The adults seem to be focused on keeping straight ahead, while the child is left slightly behind them in a curious state. The little boy’s attention seems to be drawn to the photographer, Marion Wolcott. Marion Wolcott worked for the Farm Security Administration from 1938 to 1941 (The First Art), so perhaps these were friends of her. The two adults do not acknowledge the photographer, as they look to be set on their destination. I feel that they are heading home from a days work, and possibly maybe just arriving.

The architecture in the photo is relatively small. There is a house in the background and what looks to be a type of shed. There are also a couple of cars which are located near the house as well. The shed is probably used for farm equiptment and tools for everyday use. The house most likely belongs to the plantation owners, as do the cars.

Being that this photo was taken on a plantation, the landscaping is very organized. All of the crops are located in specific places, and the dirt road separates its continueing. The trees in the far, draw up a sort of dividing line between the colors as well. The bottom half of the photo which consists of mainly the crops, road, people, and buildings bring a brown hue to the picture with a low saturation. The varied colors are not as pure as they could be and look as if they flow together. The brightness in this photo is about medium strength to low being that there is not a wide range of white in the color, except for specific places in the sky. The coloration of the photo brings a gloomy look, hence, the struggles and depressed feelings brought upon by poverty. If the colors in this photo were more pure and a little brighter, It would look joyful as if they may just be on a nice walk; not near work. I feel that the author wants the photo to represent the landscaping of the environment from this time. She wants the audience to notice the setting and its appeal to the people who are there.

This looks to be like a typical family, who is struggling and working through a labourous job. I say family because there is a child in the picture. In earlier years, it was common to bring children to work and engage them in labor as well. I also sense that these people are of working class because of the clothing they are wearing. It is mostly grungy in style, and probably not tipically seem just walking around on the streets through out the town. Their lifestyle is most likely lived in poverty, simply only trying to make it by from day to day.

The lighting in this photo relates well with its time period. It is partialy dark which represents the time of need and the depression in which society was living. This helps the audience to relate on an emotional level with the need of work, and to how much labor has changed from the past. In present time, we take for granted our jobs, and feel we are asked for too much. When you look at this photo though, you realize what life used to really be like, and you learn to appreciate what you have and work for.

Having a job was a must, and it was definitely not a luxury. There was no extra spending money, and the money you receieved was from extreme labor. Mississippi has a lot of land, and a lot of the plantations required work. Working on a plantation was probably one of the easier jobs to find, but also one of the hardest. Working days consisted of long hours in the heat, and minimal breaks if any. The reason I do not think that the people in this specific photo are slaves, is because the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was signed in 1865. Although these could very much be illegal slaves held in capture, they seem to carry themselves otherwise.

Like I stated before, this photo was taken in Mileston, Mississippi which is located west from the direct center of Mississippi, taking place in Holmes County. Holmes County is a gererally small place and was founded in 1833(Phillips, G.). There are only two major cites, five towns, and four unincorporated palces which make up this county; Mileston is located in Thornton which is an unincorporated place. There are about 764 square miles which make up Holmes County, in which 756 of them are land based (Wikipedia). There are many plantations, as with the rest of Mississippi, and the Marcella Plantation was strictly a cotton plantation.

From some of the research that I have done, I have found that Mileston, Mississippi has usually always been in poverty. Holmes County also has the third lowest per capita income in Mississippi and the 41st lowest in the United States (Wikipedia). The average income for a family in Mileston was around $21,757 (County). Family, in the majority, is usually more of a priority when you are living a lower class lifestyle. You tend to rely on eachother more often and take comfort in them. Every person in the family takes part in work, whether it being inside or outside of the home.

When looking at this picture, I want others to understand the importance of family. During the time of this photo, family was such a necessity and was what you could rely on the most. Everybody needs that connection, and when life becomes easier it tends to fade away quicker. This photo is a great representation when bringing up ethos, pathos, and logos as well. Each part ties in with each other to make a bigger picture that we can all relate to. Whether it being the emotional or physical aspects, or the environment and color in the photo. We all know life has struggles, and chances are most of us have lived through some. We all have family, and we all need family.

Works Cited

County- There's no place like Holmes. (n.d.). Retrieved October 12, 2009, from Holmes County: http://holmescountymississippi.com/home.html

Phillips, G. (2009). Mississippi Genealogy Trails. Retrieved October 10, 2009, from Genealogy Trails: http://genealogytrails.com/miss/holmes/

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. (1996). Retrieved October 12, 2009, from Artdaily.org: http://www.artdaily.com/indexv5.asp?int_sec=11&int_new=22007

The Great Depression. (2003). Retrieved October 12, 2009, from The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers: http://www.nps.gov/archive/elro/glossary/great-depression.htm

Wikipedia. (2009, September 26). Holmes County, Mississippi. Retrieved September 30, 2009, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holmes_County,_Mississippi

worldwar-2.net. (2006). World War 2 Timeline 1939-1945. Retrieved October 13, 2009, from Worldwar-2.net: http://www.worldwar-2.net/

Blog Post 12: WP1

As I look at this photo, I mainly and firstly notice the plantation setting. I then quickly discover the three people; two adults and a small child. The little boy is what mostly draws in my attention though, he really seems to stick out. I find that this is because he is not following the adults direct movements and is a little spaced between them. He is careless and just tagging along. The two adults carry themselves well, as if they are walking with pride and nothing is in their way.

This photo was taken during the month of September in 1939 on the Marcella Plantation in Mileston, Mississippi. There are two adults and one child in this photo, walking on a dirt road to what looks like a house in the near background. The adults seem to be focused on keeping straight ahead, while the child is left slightly behind them in a curious state. The little boy’s attention seems to be drawn to the photographer, Marion Wolcott. Marion Wolcott worked for the Farm Security Administration from 1938 to 1941, so perhaps these were friends of her. The two adults do not acknowledge the photographer, as they look to be set on their destination. I feel that they are heading home from a days work, and possibly maybe just arriving.

The architecture in the photo is relatively small. There is a house in the background and what looks to be a type of shed. There are also a couple of cars which are located near the house as well. The shed is probably used for farm equiptment and tools for everyday use. The house most likely belongs to the plantation owners, as do the cars.

Being that this photo was taken on a plantation, the landscaping is very organized. All of the crops are located in specific places, and the dirt road separates its continueing. The trees in the far, draw up a sort of dividing line between the colors as well. The bottom half of the photo which consists of mainly the crops, road, people, and buildings bring a brown hue to the picture with a low saturation. The varied colors are not as pure as they could be and look as if they flow together. The brightness in this photo is about medium strength to low being that there is not a wide range of white in the color, except for specific places in the sky. The coloration of the photo brings a gloomy look, hence, the struggles and depressed feelings brought upon by poverty. If the colors in this photo were more pure and a little brighter, It would look joyful as if they may just be on a nice walk; not near work. I feel that the author wants the photo to represent the landscaping of the environment from this time. She wants the audience to notice the setting and its appeal to the people who are there.

This looks to be like a typical family, who is struggling and working through a laborious job. I say family because there is a child in the picture. In earlier years, it was hard to just leave your children or find someone to care for them. This often led to bringing children to work and engaging them in labor as well. I also sense that these people are of working class because of the clothing they are wearing. It is mostly grungy in style, and probably not typically seem just walking around on the streets through out the town. Their lifestyle is most likely lived in poverty, simply only trying to make it by from day to day.

The lighting in this photo relates well with its time period. It is partially dark which represents the time of need and the depression in which society was living. The setting itself is also economically pleasing, showing the dirt road on one side and the used crops on the other. This helps the audience to relate on an emotional level with the need of work, and to how much labor has changed from the past. In present time, we take for granted our jobs, and feel we are asked for too much. When you look at this photo though, you realize what life used to really be like, and you learn to appreciate what you have and work for.

During this time period, the United States was just merely coming out from the Great Depression, which took place in the years of 1929 to 1939, and it was also the beginning of World War II, which started in 1939 and ended in 1945. This was a rather rough time for anybody, and society suffered a great deal. As you could imagine, families with children suffered the most and carried a large amount of stress to make it by. Living a poverty type life was not, and is still not, easy; the great depression only made it worse.

Having a job was a must, and it was definitely not a luxury. There was no extra spending money, and the money you received was from extreme labor. Mississippi has a lot of land, and a lot of the plantations required work. Working on a plantation was probably one of the easier jobs to find, but also one of the hardest. Working days consisted of long hours in the heat, and minimal breaks if any. The reason I do not think that the people in this specific photo are slaves, is because the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was signed in 1865. Although these could very much be illegal slaves held in capture, they seem to carry themselves otherwise.

Like I stated before, this photo was taken in Mileston, Mississippi which is located west from the direct center of Mississippi, taking place in Holmes County. Holmes County is a generally small place and was founded in 1833. There are only two major cites, five towns, and four unincorporated places which make up this county; Mileston is located in Thornton which is an unincorporated place. There are about 764 square miles which make up Holmes County, in which 756 of them are land based. There are many plantations, as with the rest of Mississippi, and the Marcella Plantation was strictly a cotton plantation.

From some of the research that I have done, I have found that Mileston, Mississippi has usually always been in poverty. Holmes County also has the third lowest per capita income in Mississippi and the 41st lowest in the United States. The average income for a family in Mileston was around $21,757. Family, in the majority, is usually more of a priority when you are living a lower class lifestyle. You tend to rely on each other more often and take comfort in them. Every person in the family takes part in work, whether it being inside or outside of the home.

When looking at this picture, I want others to understand the importance of family. During the time of this photo, family was such a necessity and was what you could rely on the most. Everybody needs that connection, and when life becomes easier it tends to fade away quicker. This photo is a great representation when bringing up ethos, pathos, and logos as well. Each part ties in with each other to make a bigger picture that we can all relate to. Whether it being the emotional or physical aspects, or the environment and color in the photo. We all know life has struggles, and chances are most of us have lived through some. We all have family, and we all need family.

Blog Post 11: Statement of Purpose

My purpose for this photo is that in today’s world, for the U.S., we don’t seem to have as many problems with poverty as there used to be. Granted there are still many places struggling, but not like the times when the Great Depression hit. I chose this photo to try and express to others of the hardships Americans had to face and the daily struggles to just simply get by. As you can see in the photo, this is most likely a family walking, together, inside the area of the Marcella Plantation located in Mileston, Mississippi. Whether they are walking to work for a hard day’s labor, or home from a tiring day, they seem to show no depression. This could just be from the point of the photo, but they are more likely encouraged by the family which surrounds them.

Mileston, Mississippi is a very low class town, with a wide variety of plantations to work with. During this time of need specifically, finding jobs was tough and plantations seemed to be a way of life. Family was really all you had, aside from a laborious job with a provided low pay. Because of the connection this photo seems to bring with family, my main audience is those with a strong bond to their own family. This is definitely not my only limit in providing a bigger picture though; I also aim this towards my classmates, friends, and anybody else who might be interested in taking a longer look at this photo to find what is really going on. I think that by having an audience who understands the development of a stung family bond would appreciate this picture, and would be able to see the connection.

The communication for this photo will take place online, in our blogs. This is for everybody to see, whenever they may wish to look. For the most part though, I would say my context would be taking place during class, on the days of peer reviews. Yes, I will be there along with everyone else. The context specifically applies to my audience because I am sure that there are students in the class that embrace the bond within family. This will help them to understand where I am coming from with my meanings. To my audience outside of the classroom, I wish for those who may be at a time of struggle in their life to look beyond materialistic items.

I think that this is a purpose which everyone could share, but it is also to my own interests as well. Most of us have had a time of struggle in our lives, but learn there after it turns out ok. This is definitely a purpose that I would want others to have so we can all develop a sense of reality. Rough times happen, and you need to take comfort in those around you who may also be in your same position; or maybe they have gone through it prior. We all seem to be so independent as time passes and pressure ourselves in thinking we have to do everything alone.

Personally, do not believe this and think that people today need to understand it’s ok to have those close relationships with others, and to still be able to accomplish things yourself. Family is one of the most important gifts that we all have in common, and what are we to do as we slowly push them away and then need comfort. Society today takes too much pride in not showing emotion and worrying about what everybody else is doing. Stop conforming and let’s rewind time. To a time when we relied on family to be there for us, like it wasn’t a choice.

Blog Post 10: Pre-writing assignment 3

This photo was taken in September of 1939 at the Marcella Plantation in Mileston Mississippi. The Marcella Plantation was strictly a cotton plantation and was located in Holmes County. Homes County is a relatively small place consisting of about 764 square miles, of which, 756 square miles of it is land and 8 square miles of it is water (Wikipedia). The county was founded in 1833 and is made up of two major cities, five towns, and four unincorporated places. Mileston is located in Thornton (an unincorporated place).

“As of the census of 2000, there were 21,609 people, 7,314 households, and 5,229 families residing in the county. The population density was 29 people per square mile. There were 8,439 housing unit at an average density of 11 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 20.47% White, 78.66% Black, 0.12% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.07% from other races, and 0.52% from two or more races. 0.90% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race” (Wikipedia).

A majority of the households had other family members living with them, being under 18 years of age or over 65 years of age. The average income for a family was very low being $21,757. “Holmes County has the third lowest per capita income in Mississippi and the 41st lowest in the United States” (Wikipedia).

Because of the research that I have found over this particular county where Mileston, Mississippi is located, I know have a better picture of what life was like in this town. In the picture, I now see that family was probably a big priority because of the poverty surroundings. What do you do with your children when you and your partner need to make an income? You bring them with you to work in the fields. I am assuming that a lot of people living in these areas of Holmes County work in plantations because of the land amount being so large. This was probably a great way to find work, but very laborious as well.

I have also looked around at some other photos which were taken of the Marcella Plantation as well, and most of them show a type of housing and lifestyle in the picture. These houses were generally run down and looked as if there was a lot of labor taking place in the home (e.g., laundry hanging across the yard).

In my original photo, there are a couple of cars located in the background of the photo. Since my research, I still agree with what my first statement was that the cars belonged to the plantation owners. My reasons for still believing this are because income was so low in working families are cars are an expensive item to have. The plantation owners are more than likely wealthy, and their residence is located in the photo.

Works Cited

Wikipedia. Holmes County, Mississippi. 26 September 2009. 30 September 2009 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holmes_County,_Mississippi.