NAME: Reitumetse Andrew Nts’asa

DATE: 03 March 2021

The following is analysis of the TIME magazine cover which is published in

14th March 1977. The cover is of a picture showing a very chaotic situation. It
is chaotic as most things are clustered together in a very small area. In the
picture, there is a pile of dirty dishes and cutlery, a bottled dish-washing soap,
a baby bottle quarter-filled with milk and a book called “Total Joy” by Marabel
Morgan, who also might be the one who covers the article. It is not only the
dishes on the table but also there is some dirt which needs to be cleaned.

The color and lighting on the cover is dull reddish-like and it is aligned to the
top of the cover. The red color usually represent sacrifice, heat, activity and
danger, so the use of dull-ish red here can mean that there is no happiness in
doing lots of work. This shows the strain that is being put on women as the
objects on the picture are supposed to be cleaned by that. In the 1970s, the
were many movements by women fighting against feminism and the
significance of the cover being published during that time may be to
strengthen the movements especially because it shows the lot work which is
supposed to done by women.

When looking at the main topic of the text, fighting the housewife blues, it is
written in large white font which makes it outstanding from the rest of the
image and easily shows the important part. It is placed on the dull part so that
it shines and it is placed right below the name of the magazine to show its
importance. The name of the magazine is written in large blue font, and it is
well known that the color blue signify depth and power, so this can make
people more likely to read the article(as there may be something positive in it),
although it contrast with the color used for the rest of the cover. The title of the
article suggest that married women are not happy in marriage, therefore not
enjoying the marriage as men do hence why that needs to be fought against.
The word blues represent feelings of melancholy, sadness and depression.

When taking the picture of the women, the camera in above her eyes and it is
like looking down on the her. Also when using the rule of thirds to cut the
picture, the woman covers only the bottom third which can make her look
weak. Apart from that, the upper two-third which is way larger than the picture
of the woman may suggest that women are doing much work which is beyond
them. The placement and the angles at which pictures are taken reveal much
about the texts, and every image has its purpose. When looking at the picture
it can be seen that the woman is smiling and the title of the book is total joy,
and that contrast with the sadness the text is about and it is somehow
sarcastic as there is no one who can be happy is such situation .

The probable audience of the text might be feminists men and the reason may
be to show them the depressing lot of work their wives do and then expected
to be happy. The other probable audience may be housewives who are sad
and depressed in their marriages. The fact that the story is published may
make them feel that their sorrows are noticed, and they can feel encouraged
to continue with their marriages until feminism fades.
The global issue portrayed by the text is feminism. The women are being
mistreated by their husbands and society as it is shown in the text. In the text,
that lot of work which is shown, feeding the children, cleaning the house, is
supposed to be done by women while also expected to be happy. The text
represent females as the slaves for males as there is no male who is present
in the text. By this text, concept of communication is well portrayed as only the
pictures are used in order to pass the certain message and it is well received.