I find the most compelling aspect of Dorothea Lange's photography to be her sympathy. At a time of rising emphasis on individualism and progress, Lange admirably highlights those captured by poverty and crushed by industrialization. As the clip we watched in class pointed out, Lange photographed the people that society had kicked out. She gave an account of the people that didn't (or couldn't) keep up with the developing decade. However, instead of blaming the individual, she empathized with their sufferings and published their pain. Lange offered a different interpretation of the social order in the United States. She rejected racial hierarchy and presented the grief of all races, rejecting the idea of white supremacy. Lange liberated the idea of individualism: she captured failures, not successes and showed pain instead of joy. She exposed the consequences of an independent lifestyle and showed (in great detail) the nation’s need for justice and civil rights.
At a time of unacknowledged depression, Lange photographed the world honestly. I think it’s admirable and selfless and entirely commendable that she dedicated many years of her life to fighting for the people who couldn’t fight for themselves.
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