Photos and Images are More Powerful than Words Essay -- Argumentative

Images are More Powerful than Words The American Heritage College Dictionary defines the term image as â€Å"An optically or electronically formed representative reproduction of an object, esp. an optical reproduction formed by a lens or a mirror.† This is what is more commonly referred to as a picture. The definition of a word is â€Å"a sound or combination of sounds, or its representation in writing or printing that symbolizes and communicates a meaning and may consist of a single morpheme or a combination of morphemes.† In fact, there is a constant debate about the importance and significance of both forms of communication. Because either one can be interpreted and considered differently, depending on who the viewer or reader is, this debate has been ongoing for quite some time now. The power that images have over words is stated simply by Neil Postman’s â€Å"The Great Symbol Drain† as â€Å"one picture, we are told, is worth a thousand words† (515). So, one can take a stand in saying that images are more powerful than words, because they can be understood and interpreted differently by different people. One of the benefits of EOP Cultural Trip was the visit to the United Nations Building (UN), where there was a Mural that depicted the past, present and future achievements of the UN as an organization. The images contained in this Mural evoked so many different emotions at one time that they forced one to become completely overwhelmed and in total awe. The pictures of the Holocaust were more vivid than any that could have ever been imagined while reading any book or article on the same topic. The images depicted struggle, despair, hope, strength and determination of those who were involved in that tragedy. Everyone,... ...s, Madge Sinclair. Paramount Pictures Video, 1988. Class Film. Eng 1201-EB. Summer Session, 2002. â€Å"Image.† American Heritage College 3rd ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000. Image of Kofi A. Annan With Young Girl. EOP Cultural Trip to New York: United Nations Building, July 19, 2004. Mural of Past, Present, and Future of the United Nations. EOP Cultural Trip to New York: United Nations Building, July 19, 2004. Postman, Neil. â€Å"The Great Symbol Drain† The Presence of Others 3rd ed. Ed. Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2000. Stephens, Mitchell. â€Å"By Means of the Visible; A Picture’s Worth† The Presence of Others 3rd ed. Ed. Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2000. â€Å"Word.† American Heritage College 3rd ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000.