In Class: Analyzing a Visual Argument

What about this image immediately draws your attention? (Candy Cigarette image)
The first thing i noticed was the girls seemingly sad stare past the camera. the picture's black and white effects make the atmosphere much more solemn and gloomy. my eyes scanned her sad expression and noticed the shadows above her eyes and her long messy, once pure and blonde, hair that looks dirty and a little bit frizzy.
After initial orientation toward her face, i noticed the cigarette in her young fingers and her other arm wrapped around her torso for warmth and comfort. her white dress gives a hint of purity ruined. it looks a bit dirty and her skin looks pretty dark and rough for someone so young, like she's already been through hard times. the only light in the whole photo is the sun creeping over the trees in the top left corner way off in the distance. the girl next to her is almost completely swallowed in shadow and looks equally melancholous. i can't really tell what the figure is in the back left corner, it takes on the shape of a taller man with no arms or head. it could be a distant parental figure that has forsaken the little girl, or even caused her anguish.
Emotions portrayed: The figure in the back left corner seems distant and out of sight and out of helpful reach of the girl suggesting a sense of abandonment and unhappiness. the girl appears lonely and sad but not too disturbed by her lonesomeness. it seems like she has adapted.
the purpose of the image is to show a lost little girl that was once pure and somebody's little baby. something went wrong along the way and she lost her chance to grow up in a threshold of happiness and a secure home and loving family. the purpose is to convey a sense of responsibility in the viewer, responsibility for your loved ones and for those weaker and more vulnerable than you, no one fits this description better than your own child. if you are a parent or will be someday, it is your inherited responsibility to care for and love your child and do everything in your power to ensure his/her well-being.