1. Possible statements the artist attempted to convey through the piece:
The person who captured this picture and then released it was probably trying to convey a message of hope. This boy who is in the picture is a 19-year-old soldier of East Germany during the time of the Cold War. He is jumping over the Berlin wall to get to West Germany (a place known for being democratic). This picture really gave hope to people during the time period because it showed someone who would likely agree with communism, if he was fighting for East Germany, and yet didn’t. In this time, the more people who openly disagreed with communism, the better chance they had of freedom. This picture also conveys a message of hope because it shows that some people can get out of bad situations, like communism was in East Germany.
2. Symbolic elements present in the piece:
The Berlin wall (the barbed wire that is in the picture) was very symbolic during this time period. The wall symbolized the Cold War, and furthermore, symbolized communism and the divide between communism and democracy. The wall was built by East Germany after over 2.5 million of their citizens had escaped past the borders to West Germany. The USSR felt the need to prevent this, and as a solution, they built the wall. The wall literally showed how oppressive communism is because it prevented the citizens of East Germany from leaving. It also very much represented the sharp differences between communism and democracy because it literally divided the two and showed that those who were communist feared the power of democracy.
3. Themes that arise from the piece:
The main theme that comes up in this picture is the oppressiveness of communism. In the background of the picture, citizens of East Germany are staring at the boy jumping over the fence. They must have been surprised that anyone would that openly defy such a powerful and oppressive force as communism was in East Germany. The boy who is jumping over the fence is also doing so at great risk to himself. Many people were shot and killed for attempting to do that, but communism must have been so oppressive that he would rather face death free than face live oppressed.
4. Artistic and/or historic importance of the piece:
This piece is very important historically. It really shows how the acts of the USSR and the state of East Germany during the Cold War, as well as communism in general, can affect people. If a boy was that determined to leave, even knowing that he was risking death, it must have been pretty bad living under communist rule. Luckily, we don’t have to live like this, which means we will never know what it feels like to be in his shoes. By looking at pictures like this, however, we can gain a snapshot into such an important time in history.
The person who captured this picture and then released it was probably trying to convey a message of hope. This boy who is in the picture is a 19-year-old soldier of East Germany during the time of the Cold War. He is jumping over the Berlin wall to get to West Germany (a place known for being democratic). This picture really gave hope to people during the time period because it showed someone who would likely agree with communism, if he was fighting for East Germany, and yet didn’t. In this time, the more people who openly disagreed with communism, the better chance they had of freedom. This picture also conveys a message of hope because it shows that some people can get out of bad situations, like communism was in East Germany.
2. Symbolic elements present in the piece:
The Berlin wall (the barbed wire that is in the picture) was very symbolic during this time period. The wall symbolized the Cold War, and furthermore, symbolized communism and the divide between communism and democracy. The wall was built by East Germany after over 2.5 million of their citizens had escaped past the borders to West Germany. The USSR felt the need to prevent this, and as a solution, they built the wall. The wall literally showed how oppressive communism is because it prevented the citizens of East Germany from leaving. It also very much represented the sharp differences between communism and democracy because it literally divided the two and showed that those who were communist feared the power of democracy.
3. Themes that arise from the piece:
The main theme that comes up in this picture is the oppressiveness of communism. In the background of the picture, citizens of East Germany are staring at the boy jumping over the fence. They must have been surprised that anyone would that openly defy such a powerful and oppressive force as communism was in East Germany. The boy who is jumping over the fence is also doing so at great risk to himself. Many people were shot and killed for attempting to do that, but communism must have been so oppressive that he would rather face death free than face live oppressed.
4. Artistic and/or historic importance of the piece:
This piece is very important historically. It really shows how the acts of the USSR and the state of East Germany during the Cold War, as well as communism in general, can affect people. If a boy was that determined to leave, even knowing that he was risking death, it must have been pretty bad living under communist rule. Luckily, we don’t have to live like this, which means we will never know what it feels like to be in his shoes. By looking at pictures like this, however, we can gain a snapshot into such an important time in history.