Upon First Look...

We are the Other - David and Lou, South Minneapolis, MN (2012)

Upon first examination, we see two photos that are seemingly the same. However, as we continue to analyze the image we can see many distinct differences between the pictures. From the clothing the men are wearing, the color of the men's skin, their body position, facial expressions, etc. These seem to be small insignificant differences between the two men when in actuality they see each other as the same. Equals. 

The man on the left says that they are "brothers from another mother", meaning they view each other as family. Their opinions and beliefs align and they feed off of each other's energy. They look out for each other. The man on the right moved to South Minneapolis from Chicago to escape the life that young black men are subjected to based purely upon their skin color.

The man on the left, David, has lived in Minneapolis his whole life and believes that Lou (man on the right) is someone who should have been in his life longer than he has been for they were each other “echo”.

When we further analyze how bias affects relationships, it is easy to see how pre-judging something or someone can shield you from people and things that you otherwise would not interact with or experience.

Both Atwood and Huie use images and colors to depict the idea of “othering”. 

For Huie, this is seen through his use of photography to depict similarities amongst others. This is seen in the above image, and so is the idea of color not being used as a barrier. Even though the men in this photo are not of the same race they don’t view each other differently because of it. This representation of color not being a factor in relationships is a contradiction to how Atwood uses color.

Atwood uses color for one purpose and one purpose only: to show division.

The Handmaid's Tale- Hulu Original Series (2017)

As seen in the above image there are three colors represented. The first being that of Offred who is the handmaid in red. She is being shown with a head covering and a dress that covers every inch of her body. Serena Joy is seen wearing blue. She is the wife of the Commander and therefore is treated with a higher level of respect and freedom. Lastly, Aunt Lydia can be seen wearing brown. She is not as disregarded as Offred so she has a less absurd head covering but is not nearly as highly regarded as Serena Joy and therefore must still maintain a certain level of coverage.

The distinctions between the women in the above image are to be highlighted and not disregarded for the coloring of each outfit serves the purpose of amplifying the social hierarchy in the book “The Handmaid’s Tale”.

While both people use images and color to further express their thoughts and ideas the outcome of their action differs greatly.

An obvious difference between the two texts is the way in which the creator presented their information. For Huie, it was the image and for Atwood, it was her book. Both provide benefits to the reader. The image allows for audience interpretation and room for unique perspectives to show up, whereas the book is more straight forward for it tells you what to think and why.

The image and the book were published 24 years apart however their effect on society remains the same: shocking.

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