Felber 1

Simone Felber

Professor Celello

English 101

2 March 2022

Quick Laugh or Deeper Meaning

In German, the word “schadenfreude” is used to describe the feeling of satisfaction that

someone might feel from another person's misfortune or bad luck. At first glance, this image

radiates that same feeling. Over time, we have developed receptors in our brains that

involuntarily make assumptions. In this specific image, given that the corners of her mouth are

turned slightly upward, the girl’s facial expression means that she is happy or content. With such

a situation as this photographed so closely, our brains assume she is smiling because of the event

in the background. This also leads our brains to assume she might have had something to do with

it. However, after carefully analyzing each aspect of this viral image, is it possible to determine

that there might be a deeper meaning behind her perceived facial emotions? Is there any rhyme

or reason in regards to the camera angle and focal points? Do the colors of the photograph play a

role in catching someone’s eye? Taking the time to analyze a raw photo or video clip can help

answer many questions one might have about it.

As this meme has gone viral, people tend to use it to portray a mischievous or devilish act

or to portray a sly idea. As stated previously, the initial reaction our brains have to the image is

that this little girl is smiling which equals satisfaction or happiness. Despite what a smile might

typically suggest, there are other meanings behind why people smile. For instance, certain

individuals deal with grief through jokes. Although this may be a complex reaction coming from

as young a child as the girl in the image, it is most definitely not impossible. Then again, she
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could very well be genuinely happy. Assuming the girl in this image is under 5 years old, she

might not have developed a true moral compass yet. Younger children tend to make up stories

that might seem wrong or hurtful to an adult, but the child doesn’t really comprehend why it

might be wrong; the children are simply repeating words or actions that they’ve seen or heard

from other adults. When time is carefully spent examining something, it becomes easier to

develop a bigger idea of what a small detail might mean.

Another significant piece in this image is the camera angle and what the photographer

included in the image and the focal points. While the background is blurry and the focus is

mainly on the little girl’s face, we can still very clearly see the event that is occurring. The image

doesn’t allow us to see anything else about the girl except for her face. The meticulous detail to

include the entirety of her face and not just part of her face might have played a critical role in

this picture going viral. By looking at the size of the road, we can speculate that this little girl

and the person who photographed her are standing on the opposite sidewalk of the burning

house. Additionally, there is at least one other person standing on the sidewalk closest to the

house presumably speaking with a firefighter as they both watch the house burn. This can lead to

the assumption that this could be the girl’s house or a fellow neighbor’s home. Also, by

including the fire truck, it can be said that the person taking the image was not specifically trying

to capture an image of the house but rather the entire event that was taking place. The choice of

angle and focus can be deciding factors in the meaning behind an image. For instance, imagine

that the focus was on the house and not the little girl and the photographer took a few steps back.

Would the image still hold the same value and meaning as it did before? Arguably, this image

went viral for the reason of where the girl in the image was, how close the camera was to her

face, and the focal point that was her face.

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Lastly, the color of the overall image seems to set a specific tone for viewers. There is a

raging yellow and orange fire with black smoke rolling off the edge of it all close in the

background. If you bring your gaze to the fire alone, the rest of the image seems colorless and

drab. You can hardly see the girl when a chaotic fire is breaking out. Bringing attention to the

lawn in front of the house, the grass is not green for the full area of it. It seems as though brown

leaves litter the end of the yard and the curb of the street. With the bright colors of the fire

nearby but the focus of the camera set on the girl’s face, attention to detail of both pieces is

brought to both pieces of the photo. Another way that the girl and the fire are the main attractions

is by looking at the color of the sky. It seems like a cloudy day, mostly likely towards the end of

the night. This just emphasizes the importance of the color the fire has in the photo. Similarly,

the pale skin and light hair of the girl allows more attention to be brought to the fire. Even when

looking at the girl, you can see the colors of the blazing fire right behind her. The focus on the

girl and the colors of the fire provide a clear balance between where the eyes should be on the

photo.

Although anything can go viral in today’s world, analyzing a photo can tell us reasons

why people gravitated towards it. The color scheme, textures, words, fonts, intended audience,

conveyed emotion, context, sound, camera movements, etc. are all things that a person should be

analyzing within a photo. Pulling out the importance of the color, camera focus, and conveyed

emotion of this specific photo allows a deeper dive to be taken into it. Which in turn, makes this

a primary candidate for a photo that can go viral. And once something starts to go viral, it

quickly spreads like wildfire.