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Jorge Gutierrez

Dr. Cynthia Aradillas

ENGL 1301-203

10 March 2023

One in the Same

Is there a way that a child can be truly happy

without their parent/legal guardian? On a personal level,

it is nearly impossible for a child to be truly happy

without living alongside their parents. The image of

choice sends a deep and meaningful message for a

variety of reasons. Therefore, the use of the U.S. flag in

color, the child in the image looking, and the way the

stripes on the U.S. flag are being used for a deeper and

ruthless meaning.

The image spreads a powerful message from the start by the separation of colors. From

what can be seen, it is quite peculiar that the national flag is in very bright and natural colors.

However, the background and the child are drawn with very dull colors making the reader feel as

though they are being left out. The color waves make amends with the average American citizen

because they are not being separated from their families. For instance, an artist will only ever use

gray and black when something is either excluded or feeling some type of depression. On a usual

note, the use of bright red colors on the flag makes the reader feel they are dominating over any

other person who is not in the same nation. As for the gray parts of the image, the intensity in

which the person is viewed changed. The child is portrayed gray and sad because it is a universal
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color. This means that everyone can see the color difference and immediately tell that the

person/thing in the image is not in a happy state of mind. Monotony is often used to describe the

feeling a human feels, for it is normally used as emptiness, sadness, or loneliness. These feelings

are used for every human alive since at some point in everybody's lives they have felt a form of

sadness. The child in the image is feeling empty and lonely because they were separated from

their family, so it is also why they chose that specific color.

Using critical thinking and visually analyzing the image of choice gives clear thought that

the author is aiming towards a goal in mind. That goal in mind is to acknowledge the problem

that is occurring in the world because not a lot of people take into account immigration as a

worldwide issue. However, because of immigrants there is mass production since there is a

higher percentage of smaller waged jobs from them trying to make a living. The main point in

the image is how children are growing up in a depression since there is not a parent figure there

for them in the American side. This targets the emotional side of the human feelings. Overall, the

author makes a fair argument by only using the image as a representation, but they still are able

to add small details such as their facial features.

Nonetheless, a way you can identify the child has been through some rough patches is

that they look older than the normal child would. The appearance of the child conveys multiple

things that could have been from trauma. One of the things that was observed was that the child

looks much shorter than a child should be, this implies that there was a form of trauma. Trauma

has a huge toll on a child's development and is clear as far as the image is presented. As for the

stress marks on the face means they have been through a form of chronic stress. Chronic stress is

a simple way to say that an individual is/was exposed to stressful situations or stimuli for a

prolonged period of time. It can have long lasting effects which can lead to the difference of
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appearance in a child's face. Because the child was separated from their long loving family, they

have a higher possibility of looking much older due to the lack of endorphins. The eye bags of

children look very defined, and this is because of the way they have been crying so much while

separated. Moreover, the child's overall appearance represents their maturity levels depending on

the trauma the child has faced.

Nonetheless, it is easily identified that the flag of the United States represents how the

nation as a whole fought for freedom. On the contrary, they are used to jail a child like it is a

prison. Freedom is limited to those who come from other countries, and it is specified with how

families are even separated. The artist/author made it to where the bars limit the child's freedom

in order to convey that they are preventing all children who have parents who are immigrants. In

a sense of anger, the author made this distinct choice in order to convey the importance of how

the nation limits the freedom of those who are in the country. Being separated from a special

someone makes a human feel as though you are being limited to your own freedom. This feeling

brings a lack of moral value into what the reader is trying to say for the message. Therefore, the

author uses human feelings to their advantage by putting a child behind bars.

All in all, the overall image makes the reader feel a sense of empowerment towards the

U.S. flag from the bright colors which represent the overall power the nation has. The child in

the image looks older emphasizing their maturity and trauma. The flags are being used as a cell

for a detainment. This makes the reader feel the message in a deep and meaningful manner

because they can put themselves in others' shoes. A child simply cannot live along with an

absence from a parent figure.