Afghan Girl Research Paper

479 Words1 Page

The Afghan Girl photograph is taken from the shoulders up, the girl is looking directly into the camera with a tattered, red scarf draped around her top half: head and shoulders.This head covering marks that the girl is of Middle-Eastern descent and likely has an Islamic background. The tears in her scarf, along with its sooty look, indicate she has been through quite a lot and may come from a impecunious family. The unkempt look of the girl cause the viewer to feel the need to come to her aid - to support her. A scar, likely from a previous injury, has left a mark on her nose.The girl’s dark brown hair is tucked away under her scarf with a single strand over her left eye. Her skin is tanned and a few blemishes indicate it is dirty. The green background makes her green eyes appear very …show more content…

The Afghan Girl was captured in 1984 in a refugee camp in Nasir Bagh, Pakistan during the Soviet-Afghan War. Afghan Girl, Sharbat Gula, ended up in a refugee camp when her village was attacked by Soviet helicopters which ultimately, killed her parents. Along with her siblings and grandmother, Gula walked to the Nasir Bagh refugee. The photograph of Gula caught and captivated millions around the world, baffled that this twelve year old girl was caught up in the cruelties of war. For a child, Gula saw the horrors of war and they have a clear impact which is defined by her eyes. The inhumanity of war and the loss of her parents take a toll on her face. The eyes are a symbol to end the cruelty in Afghanistan, to create peace. Sharbat Gula is from a Pashtun background, a tribe in Afghanistan. The war has caused her a tremendous amount of stress and ravaged her childhood. Through these experiences, her fear, sorrow and anger have been captured in her eyes .McCurry never considered that his photograph would have a tremendous influence on the

Open Document