V-J Day Analysis

The day America gained its victory over Japan when they finally ceased fighting, a war that has been going on since the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, was a day that will always be remembered. This day, also known as V-J Day, occurred on August 14th, 1945 but is still celebrated on the next day, August 15th. When Japan surrendered, shouts of joy were heard all across the United States as President Truman announced that war between Japan and America were finally coming to an end. Alfred Eisenstaedt, photographer hired by LIFE magazine, was walking the streets of Times Square in New York City the day America was informed that Japan had surrendered (V-J Day in Times Square 1). Celebrating, the people of New York as well as the overjoyed men and women in uniforms, were walking along the streets, leaping with joy.

To exhibit this event, Alfred was taking pictures of this epic commemoration when he spotted a sailor running along the streets and grabbing many female in his sight. Remarkably, Alfred snapped a picture of this particular sailor grabbing a
Color in photography and film was not yet in existence otherwise I think the photographer would have liked to include color to portray the liveliness of the city if possible. Knowing the background information, the speaker of this photograph is the sailor. He, feeling extremely euphoric about the fact that the violence among the United States and Japan had ended, kisses a random woman on the street to express this excitement. Through the sailor, we are able to feel and understand the rest of New York as well as America’s gleefulness and relief that war is over. Knowing this, the group of people that this photo is taken for, or the audience, would be those who understand the mark of V-J Day. This would be the majority of educated Americans such as high school students, adults, and those who were living around the time of World War