It was her last published book before her death in 2004. Get Regarding the Pain of Others from Amazon.com. Copyright © 1999 - 2020 GradeSaver LLC. From Goya's Disasters of War to news footage and photographs of the conflicts in Vietnam, Rwanda and Bosnia, pictures have been charged with inspiring dissent, fostering violence or instilling apathy in us, the viewer. For much of this work, Sontag wrestles with this question: what is the difference between simply representing atrocity and arguing against it? Get this from a library! Television is just another step in this degenerative process; it's effective for now, but already it's used as a mechanism for coping with short attention spans and a constant desire for more stimulation. War photography can be used well, but perhaps not to the extent or effectiveness that was once hoped. Sontag explains that a picture's meaning is derived through a synthesis of artifice, context and experience. The first edition of the novel was published in January 7th 2001, and was written by Susan Sontag. Read the Study Guide for Regarding the Pain of Others…, The Meta-logic of Pain in Storytelling: Comparing Diop and Sontag, View Wikipedia Entries for Regarding the Pain of Others…. The viewer's prior experience and the context of the viewing, all play a part in how meaning is derived. Sontag ends this essay with the argument that, while these images can be effective in their own right, they will never be able to truly encapsulate war and allow viewers to experience it secondhand, simply because they have never experienced it firsthand. In Regarding the Pain of Others, Susan Sontag takes a fresh look at the representation of atrocity - from Goya's The Disasters of War to photographs of the American Civil War, lynchings of Blacks in the South, and the Nazi death Sontag rejects the notion that war imagery will necessarily compel a repudiation of war, instead arguing that war is itself perennial. GradeSaver, 29 September 2019 Web. Summary Last Updated on May 5, 2015, by eNotes Editorial. Through the rest of the work, Sontag uses various illustrations to argue the point that horribly disturbing images of war can be interpreted in many ways, unlike Woolf's devoted pacifistic ideas: a photograph of a dismembered child could either convince a viewer that war is an atrocity that must be stopped, or that the army needs to redouble its efforts to end the war as soon as possible. Regarding the Pain of Others essays are academic essays for citation. After you claim a section you’ll have 24 hours to send in a draft. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. Images, however, have impeccable veracity to the human mind, representing as they do the basis of empirical truth. Chapter 1: This chapter is essentially an analysis on "regarding - at a distance, through the medium of photography- other people's pain" (13). The book has been awarded … Sontag decides that a history based only upon images is a fiction, explaining that a general understanding of history is more important than images pertaining to one historical event. Regarding the Pain of Others study guide contains a biography of Susan Sontag, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. War and society. In Regarding the Pain of Others, Sontag considers the subject of atrocity photography; of photographs that In fact, there are many uses of the innumerable opportunities a modern life supplies for regarding - at a distance, through the medium of photography - other people's pain. Chapter 7 Summary and Analysis Sontag reminds the reader to be aware of what it means to look at pictures of cruelties and crimes. There is also the matter of why the viewer is looking at the image. It's equally likely that the appeal to halt the spread of militancy might spur it on instead. Regarding the Pain of Others Chapters 1-3 Summary & Analysis Chapter 1 Summary Sontag opens with an anecdote regarding Virginia Woolf’s 1938 book, Three Guineas, which includes Woolf’s ruminations on the roots of war. Regarding the Pain of Others Summary and Study Guide Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “Regarding the Pain of Others” by Susan Sontag. Regarding the Pain of Others is Susan Sontag's searing analysis of our numbed response to images of horror. In Regarding the Pain of Others, Susan Sontag takes a fresh look at the representation of atrocity--from Goya's The Disasters of War to photographs of the American Civil War, lynchings of blacks in the South, and the Nazi death camps, to contemporary horrific images of Bosnia, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Israel and Palestine, and New York City on September 11, 2001.In Regarding the Pain of Others Susan Sontag … She contends that war imagery is open to both interpretation and manipulation. Sontag is concerned with photography's prurient intrusiveness, its surreal dislocation of reality, its irrelevant aestheticism. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Sontag considers the many ways that war is articulated through images, noting that artifice did not end with the advent of photography. Regarding the Pain of Others by Susan Sontag. Photojournalism—Social aspects. Sontag addresses the issue of censorship with the idea that war photography is, usually, anti-war in nature. At the same time, the hyper-saturation of images has dulled the public's sensibilities, making them callous. Sontag recognizes that atrocious images can leave one with a sense of powerlessness, but nevertheless concludes that it is important for people to be aware of what humankind is capable. The main characters of this non fiction, philosophy story are , . everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of Regarding the Pain of Others. help you understand the book. this section. ISBN 0-31242219-9 1. In Regarding the Pain of Others, Susan Sontag examines the manner in which war is perceived, taking into account such factors as sex, culture and status. From Goya's Disasters of War to news footage and photographs of the conflicts in Vietnam, Rwanda and Bosnia, pictures have been charged with inspiring dissent, fostering violence or instilling apathy in us, the viewer. Not affiliated with Harvard College. will review the submission and either publish your submission or provide feedback. resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel. She achieved widespread recognition through her collections of essays, Against Interpretation (1966), On Photography (1977) and Regarding the Pain of Others (2004). From Goya's Disasters of War to news footage and photographs of the conflicts in Vietnam, Rwanda and Bosnia, pictures have been charged with inspiring dissent, fostering violence or instilling apathy in us, the viewer. There is an intriguing twofold nature of the world in context of the image: the public opinion is shaped by the media, much of which comes in the form of images. She spent in Sarajevo much of the time between early 1993 and 1996 and was made an … Viewers are more inclined to feel compassion toward subjects of their own race and nationality. A Summary of Regarding the Torture of Others by:Vernon Foley 2012 The author, Susan Sontag, uses this tragic record of events to explore the power of imagery to tell a … Tracing the development of technology alongside military history, Sontag demonstrates the importance of the Spanish Civil War: it was the first war to be attended by a crew of photographers to record it and send it home. Is the mere representation an argument, or is it an invitation to find it pleasurable or miserable? 5303.6 Sontag offers an example story from Plato, where young Leontius is compelled, despite his disgust, to look upon the corpses of executed criminals. 3. While each image is a mere token of a larger issue, they collectively represent a broad strokes understanding of mankind's problems. Regarding the Pain of Others is Susan Sontag's searing analysis of our numbed response to images of horror. Journalists, meanwhile, participate in a type of self-censorship based on unspoken ideals of "good taste.". Susan Sontag was born in New York City on January 16, 1933, grew up in Tucson, Arizona, and attended high school in Los Angeles. Download books for free. Thus I have spent a very long day confronting the evil we do, regarding the pain of others, and( ) The Question and Answer section for Regarding the Pain of Others is a great Regarding the Pain of Others is Susan Sontag's searing analysis of our numbed response to images of horror. The book was published in multiple languages including English, consists of 117 pages and is available in Paperback format. But are viewers inured--or incited--to violence Sontag reminds the reader, however, that images are first filtered through image-takers. This Study Guide consists of approximately 21 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - Regarding the Pain of Others Susan Sontag From Goya’s Disasters of War to news footage and photographs of the conflicts in Vietnam, Rwanda and Bosnia, pictures have been charged with inspiring dissent, fostering violence or instilling apathy in us, the viewer. 2. Regarding the Pain of Others | Sontag Susan | download | Z-Library. Governments use photojournalists to put a positive face to unpopular wars. She contends that war imagery is open to both interpretation and manipulation. War photography-Social aspects. Images make events seem "real" to viewers, even as they seem "unreal" in their similarity to art. ― Susan Sontag, Regarding the Pain of Others 7 likes Like “Citizens of modernity, consumers of violence as spectacle, adepts of proximity without risk, are schooled to be cynical about the possibility of sincerity. In Regarding the Pain of Others, Sontag directly addresses an issue that she has mentioned in previous works (namely On Photographs): the applicability of war images for use in pacifist efforts, as well as their effectiveness in the endeavor to force their viewers to understand the brutal reality of war. Susan Sontag is the author of four novels, The Benefactor, Death Kit, The Volcano Lover, and In America, which won the 2000 National Book Award for fiction; a collection of stories, I, etcetera; several plays, including Alice in Bed; and five works of nonfiction, among them Against Interpretation and On Photography, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award for criticism. Free download or read online Regarding the Pain of Others pdf (ePUB) book. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Regarding the Pain of Others is a 2003 book-length essay by Susan Sontag, which was nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Susan Sontag (1933 – 2004) was an American writer, critic, cultural philosopher and political activist. The human attraction to things morbid and gruesome is long established. 2 Susan Sontag, Regarding the Pain of Others (New York: Picador/Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2003), p. 42. Regarding the Pain of Others is Susan Sontag's searing analysis of our numbed response to images of horror. This study guide contains the following sections: This detailed literature summary also contains Topics for Discussion and a Free Quiz on 4. You can help us out by revising, improving and updating Regarding the Pain Of Others READ AN EXCERPT One of the distinguishing features of modern life is that it supplies countless opportunities for regarding (at a distance, through the medium of photography) horrors taking place throughout the world. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Regarding the Pain of Others by Susan Sontag. While most people cannot, will not, ever know what it means to suffer such horror, it is important that everyone understand that such nightmares are real. From Goya's Disasters of War to news footage and photographs of the conflicts in Vietnam, Rwanda and Bosnia, pictures have been charged with inspiring dissent, fostering violence or instilling apathy in us, the viewer. Anonymous "Regarding the Pain of Others Summary". An editor Regarding the Pain of Others Summary & Study Guide includes comprehensive information and analysis to Sontag, Susan, 1933- Regarding the pain of others / Susan Sontag. "Regarding the Pain of Others" by Susan Sontag May 24, 2014 • 1 Comment I have the good fortune of spending two weeks in New York City. Woolf contends that men make war, and women find it … She notes, however, that interest is not necessarily accompanied with compassion. Sontag revisits humankind's fascination with images of suffering, considering several theories as to why it exists. 3 Susan Sontag staged Beckett's Waiting for Godot in the summer of 1993 in besieged Sarajevo. Regarding the Pain of Others is an interesting, detailed explication of a subject Sontag touched on in her previous work, On Photography, but one that she felt needed some further explanation: the use of war photography as a medium by which the public might be awakened to the horrifying reality of … Sontag claims that people are drawn to images of suffering with an almost sexual interest. Since the majority of people demand objectivity from photography, Sontag considers the subject of authenticity, examining the ways in which photography might be influenced by "art" to incite sentiment in the viewer. Regarding the pain of others. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. Regarding the Pain of Others is Susan Sontag's searing analysis of our numbed response to images of horror. Even so, the role of spectator makes many such viewers feel helpless to act upon what they are seeing. from the College of the University of Chicago and did graduate work in p. cm. Shots are often staged and events reenacted for the camera. Governments clamp down on photojournalism to silence anti-war sentiment. ― Susan Sontag, quote from Regarding the Pain of Others “No "we" should be taken for granted when the subject is looking at other people's pain.” “With time, many staged photographs turn back into historical evidence, albeit of an impure kind - like most historical evidence.” War in art—Social aspects. She begins this long essay by considering a passage from Virginia Woolf's Three Guineas, a book dealing with the Spanish Civil War, arguing that Woolf's objection to the discrepancy between different views on war is too weak; instead of merely being subject to the differences between men and women, views on war are far from uniform, and different pieces of evidence lead different people to drastically different conclusions. Since Sontag offers us no visuals in this short book, I found myself again and again having to search for the images she describes. [Susan Sontag] -- Watching the evening news offers constant evidence of atrocity--a daily commonplace in our "society of spectacle." Susan Sontag (/ˈsɒntæɡ/; January 16, 1933 – December 28, 2004) was an American writer, filmmaker, teacher, and political activist. In some cases the camera's presence can influence what is captured. Word Count: 426 Susan Sontag created a sensation in the mid-1960’s with her essay … Written by people who wish to remain anonymous. The sheer amount of coverage of death in the modern era, moreover, has begun to normalize it, taking away from the original power of the image. Photographs also have a unique advantage over other forms of communication and recording: they are necessarily objective, and yet they are still taken from a subjective point of view, lending credibility to whatever argument is propagated by the photographer, an important development for the advent of photojournalism in the 1940s alongside World War II. In Regarding the Pain of Others, Susan Sontag examines the manner in which war is perceived, taking into account such factors as sex, culture and status. Order our Regarding the Pain of Others Study Guide, teaching or studying Regarding the Pain of Others. 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