Poetic Analysis: The Migrant Mother By Dorothea Lange

In the photograph know as the Migrant Mother by Dorothea Lange we can obviously see a very concern mother with three of her children. Two out of the three children seem to be helplessly laying on there mothers shoulders as they seem to seek security within them. The photography's protagonists facial expressions and postures help to form the central theme of fear of the unknown within the photograph.

One of the main focus points of the photography is the mother as she seems to stare away from the camera into what seems like the future. The woman's eyes have wrinkles around them as they symbolize years of hard work. The woman also carries a frown on her face as she stares away from her children who stay close to her as she acts like a safety barrier between them and the evils of the world. The protagonists faces also seem to have dirt on them which might be an indication of a necessities life. All these elements within the protagonists faces demonstrate how the mother might be looking into the future as she hopes for a better one for herself and her children.

My interpretation of this photograph would be the central theme of fear of the unknown.

The focus of the photography is located on the woman's face who seems to wear a concern look. The woman's facial expression leads me too conclude that she has lived a tiresome live and hopes for a better future. The photography was also zoomed in when taken which deprives the audience from focusing on anything but the four people within the picture. This carefully meditated action by the photographer leads me to believe that he wanted us to focus on the woman's face and predict what she felt at that exact moment. Therefore my interpretation of this photograph is the theme of fearing the

unknown.

My judgment of the photograph would be that it was a well planned and meditated photograph. The protagonists of the photograph are carefully positioned in a way that will help form the theme. For example the children’s postures are clearly positioned in a way that sets them up to be hidden but still able to give a message to the audience. On the other hand the mothers body is set up to be clearly visible to the audience but still somehow be hidden as her face is the focus point. For theses reasons I believe that the photograph is a well executed idea.

In the end the photograph know as the Migrant Mother by Dorothea Lange is clear representation of fearing the unknown. The woman's facial expression allows the audience to realize that she has lived a tedious life and seeks a better future. Her eyes seem to stare into the future which she possible hopes is a better one for her children who seem to find happiness within her shoulders as they don't know any better. Therefore creating the theme of fear of the unknown as the woman knows she can't secure a good future for her children.