Kevin Carter Starving Child And Vulture Rhetorical Analysis

Hunger is one of the biggest problems in our world today. It most often stems from the failure of crops due to severe drought. The picture being discussed is called "Starving Child and Vulture." It was taken in 1993 by Kevin Carter while he was photographing the famine in Sudan. It shows a very emaciated young girl as she rests on her way to get food. There is a vulture in the background watching her; waiting for her to die. This eye-opening picture brings awareness to the, often overlooked, issue of people starving in other countries because it gives a strong sense of emotion, a strong sense of determination, and a desire to be more compassionate.

This picture conveys an emotional message of the mighty versus the weak because most people can relate to this on some level. To relate to something means to show a connection or have something in common. There is a vulture in the background watching the girl and is waiting for her to die. The viewer could perceive him as a bully that waits for a sign of weakness before striking. The viewer must wonder what she is thinking while she rests knowing that he is watching her. She doesn't want to be weak, but this is her lot in life. Therefore, most viewers could relate to this on some level because at some point in their lives they have been in a similar situation.
Moreover, the viewer perceives a sense of determination in the child's posture which sends a message to never give up.
To have a sense of determination means to have a purpose and it conveys strength of character. This young girl had a purpose when she set out. Her
goal

was to make it to a feeding center in order to get food for herself. She stops to rest her tired, little body. The viewer could perceive that she is possibly praying for strength to reach her destination. The girl is most likely scared that the vulture is watching her because in her world, she knows what that means. Is she wondering if she should just give up because it seems hopeless? Furthermore, the viewer could say that knowing the vulture was watching her would make her even more determined to get up and continue. The story after this picture goes on to say that she was able to make it to the feeding center, and the viewer can now see that she did not give up.

Nevertheless, looking at this picture causes the viewer to be more aware of the dire needs in other countries and gives them a desire to be more compassionate and want to help. To be compassionate means to feel concern for the sufferings of others. When Carter saw the child, he wanted to help but he was told that he could not due to the spread of disease. After taking the picture, he ran the vulture off. He then found a place to sit, took out a cigarette, and he "talked to God and wept", showing compassion for the girl. (Starving Child) This picture causes the viewer to feel compassion for the girl because of her suffering, and makes them want to help others in this situation.

This picture made such an impact on viewers when the media published it, and people were more than willing to donate to these types of causes. In 1994, Kevin Carter received a Pulitzer Prize for this photograph, but sadly, he committed suicide four months later. He had seen enough suffering. Therefore, it is obvious by looking at this picture that it brings an awareness to the issue of people starving in other countries by giving a strong sense of emotion, a sense of determination, and a desire to be more compassionate by helping others that are less fortunate.