Style of "Flower in the Gun"

The style of photograph "Flower in the Gun" displays the mismatch between military officials and war protesters during the 1960s. An important element to analyze is the angle of the photograph. The angle displays an overwhelming presence of soldiers compared to one lone female protester. Soldiers, armed with bayonets, extend in a straight line all the way throughout the photograph. In comparison to the large number of soldiers, the photograph shows a single protester. The photograph displays a distinct difference in numbers between the military and protesters. Protesters are at a clear disadvantage to promote peace. Another element for style is hue. The soldiers are wearing black uniforms and holding black rifles, in contrast the female protester is wearing colorful clothing and holding a flower. War protesters in the 1960s used colorful clothing to symbolize peace and serenity of the movement. Vibrant colors for everyday items like clothing were based off of the colors of flowers. While the colors of protesters represented peace, the colors of the soldiers represent death and despair. Death is an obvious mismatch to peace. Combining angle and hue, death overwhelms peace in the photograph. Through elements of the photograph there is a clear mismatch of ideals and symbolism between protesters and military personal.

Establishing Ethos for "Flower in the Gun"

The photographer, Marc Riboud, has a long history in journalism. He has many experiences photographing all over the world. He traveled through both North and South Vietnam.  The photograph he takes is published in many publications worldwide. His vast wealth of experience and international appeal give him extrinsic ethos. He is trusted to be a honest photographer. He is trusted to not stage the photograph. This trust makes the image seem more genuine and real. The only problem the photograph has with establishing ethos is that it only shows one view. It could have been framed to promote the photographer's bias. The photograph shows only one of the many protestors and a line of soldiers. This unfair view of the soldiers hurts the general public's respect for the photographer and hinders its effect outside of antiwar protestors.

Logos of "Masters of War"

           As stated in our post about the ethos of “Masters of War,” people knew Bob Dylan as a rebellious soul. Unsurprisingly, in “Masters of War” he went against “the man” and criticized America’s involvement in Vietnam. With Dylan’s reputation as a protestor in mind, one can clearly identify his logical argument of the song. Dylan argued that the politicians, the “masters,” responsible for the fighting in Vietnam caused great amounts violence and death, unaware and apathetic to the true effects of their actions. He supports his belief of the masters’ indifference through the lyrics, “You fasten the triggers for the others to fire. Then you set back and watch when the death count gets higher. You hide in your mansion as young people’s blood, flows out of their bodies and is buried in mud.” These words show that the politicians did not care about the rising death toll in Vietnam; as long as they could hide from the violence, they were content. He also asserts his belief that the government officials did not care about the lives of the soldiers through the lyrics, “You play with my world like it’s your little toy.” The comparison of Bob’s life to a toy demonstrates how the politicians did not take their actions seriously. In addition, Bob Dylan strengthens his argument further by appealing to logos through the use of allusions. For example, he states, “But there’s one thing I know, though I’m younger than you. Even Jesus would never forgive what you do.” 
By inserting this widely historical/religious figure, Dylan makes use of an assumption that almost everyone understands. Therefore, the audience can use previous knowledge about Jesus to make the conclusion that the actions of the masters of war were so heinous that even the One known for loving all people could never forgive the politicians’ deeds. Although Dylan makes a stronger appeal to pathos in his song, “Masters of War” has elements of logos that help the audience form an opinion, perhaps one similar to that of the writer’s.

Style of Masters of War

In the live version of “Masters of War”, Bob Dylan usually starts out with a guitar intro and talks to the audience. He tells them how “some people see this song…as very naive” but he doesn't care because he hopes that the real-life masters of war die. The fact that he takes the time to address his position and defend his beliefs from any critics is significant because it shows how Dylan was determined to spread his message no matter what people thought of the song. He contrasts the violence and horror of the lyrics with the peaceful quality of his voice. Only Dylan could sing about blood running into the mud or watching the masters of war being lowered into their graves and still keep up the folk music quality of the song. The contrast between what he is saying and the calming effects of his voice and guitar chords creates an interesting juxtaposition. It calls attention to the severe contrast between violent words and peaceful music. There were critics that argued that Dylan didn't have a powerful singing voice, but the lyrics more than make up for what his vocal chords lack. Professionals have argued that what Dylan says is more important than how he sounds, making him more of a poet than a musician. He left behind a lasting legacy of powerful words and opinions that added to a movement determined to bring peace to the world.

Emotions and Flowers

The photograph of the flower in the gun relies on an emotional appeal to relay the message of peace. The innocence of the young women clashes with the seriousness of the soldiers. In the face of danger the women isn't afraid and offers peace. The women represents the anti-war movement as a whole within the picture. The angle of the photograph portrays one lone women against a large group of soldiers. The angle creates the sense that the soldiers are ganging up against one innocent women who is protesting peacefully.This mismatch between the women and soldiers shows the passion of the anti-war movement against the government. The contrast in colors within the photograph emphasizes the mismatch of the soldiers and the women. The soldiers are wearing all dark clothing and holding black rifles, whereas the women is wearing colorful clothing and holding a flower. Dark colors represent evil and bright colors represent good. Soldiers are made out as evil and the women is made out to be good. The photograph brings out the classic emotional battle between good and evil. The strong emotional response to the mismatch within the photograph created support for anti-war movement.

It's Simply Logical: the Logos in the Flower in the Gun

While the message the photographer was trying to get across was mostly emotional, there is still an appeal to reason.  The photograph is framed to show more guards than protestors. This makes it so the police presence seems disproportionately large. The photographer is trying to assert that the government is overreacting to the peaceful protestors and trying to stifle the antiwar movement. It is not reasonable to point rifles at someone with a flower. He is trying to show that the soldiers and the war they represent are simply illogical and should be stopped.

Bob Dylan's Appeal to Pathos

           Throughout the 1960s, Bob Dylan had a reputation of being a rebellious soul, often objecting to societal norms and governmental policies. He created this disobedient status through the writing of multiple protest songs. In the lyrics of his music, Dylan wove in many pathetic appeals that helped convince listeners to accept his point of view. Specifically, the piece “Masters of War” has multiple uses of imagery, analogies, and concrete language that help Bob Dylan make an appeal to the emotions of his audience.

            First, Bob Dylan uses multiple images throughout the song to provide vivid scenes in the mind of the listeners. For example, he sings, “You hide in your mansion, as young people’s blood flows out of their bodies and is buried in the mud.” Here, Dylan’s lyrics evoke the picture of a young man at war in Vietnam dying a gruesome death while the people who sent him to war sit comfortably in their houses of luxury. The image of the blood of the soldier flowing into the mud gives the listeners an idea of the atrocities that happened in Vietnam. This idea prompted Dylan’s audience to feel empathetic toward the soldiers, the victims, and hostile toward the politicians, the villains.

            Second, Dylan placed analogies throughout “Masters of War,” that help convince the audience to accept his viewpoint and protest the violence of the 1960s, particularly the Vietnam War. Specifically, Bob sang, “Like Judas of old, you lie and deceive. A world war can be won you want me to believe.” Dylan made his appeal to pathos by traitor Judas. He wanted the listeners to feel betrayed by the government, hopefully leading them to question why America was in Vietnam.

comparing the masters of war (the politicians in Washington) to the

            Third, Bob Dylan used concrete language to stir feelings of negativity and disgust within his listeners. Take, for example, the lyrics, “You put a gun in my hand and you hide from my eyes. And you turn and run farther, when the fast bullets fly.” One can picture a young man, inexperienced and afraid, thrown into active combat as the “masters of war” run away, not wanting to witness the damage that they are causing. The language that Dylan used attempted to lead his listeners to feel ashamed of the American leaders’ careless actions. He wanted his audience to realize that the politicians were sending unskilled young men to an early death.

            Throughout “Masters of War,” Bob Dylan used charged language in order to make his appeals

to pathos. The lyrics of the song helped conjure feelings of empathy, distrust, and anger within his audience, effectively making his pathetic appeal.

Ethos of "Masters of War"

 Bob Dylan performing "Blowin' in the Wind"

Bob Dylan developed a large amount of extrinsic ethos and became known as the voice of the 1960s Vietnam War protests. When people went to hear him play, they expected songs promoting peace and denouncing the death and horror that wars brought on soldiers, families, and children. Though “Masters of War” was only on Bob Dylan’s second album, the incredibly popular song “Blowin’ in the Wind” came out earlier and defined his period of rebellion; it can be heard in the background of almost all 1960s documentaries. This song created Bob Dylan, the protest singer, as he asked rhetorical questions like “how many times must the cannon balls fly before they’re forever banned?” and the answer, of course, is blowin’ in the wind. Within the lyrics of “Masters of War” created a much different type of intrinsic ethos than “Blowin’ in the Wind” because instead of asking questions

 about when the world would see peace and equality, Dylan tells us that there is someone to blame for all the destruction. They are the mysterious “masters of war” who hid behind desks in offices and never saw the children crying or the soldiers dying. Dylan appealed to a morally compelling argument asking if it was right for people to sit back and collect money while their actions resulted in higher and higher death counts. One thing Bob Dylan did not do is ethically consider alternative points of view about war. Instead of appealing to neutral or conservative groups, he was very liberal and antagonized anyone who didn’t share his opinion. Instead of using his song to try to persuade politicians that war in Vietnam was wrong, he personally attacked them by singing “I’ll watch while you’re lowered, down to your deathbed, and I’ll stand over your grave, ‘til I’m sure that you’re dead”. This doesn't leave any room for a compromise, Bob Dylan was angry at these masters of war and had no interest in hearing their arguments for violence, thus decreasing the amount of intrinsic ethos he developed in the lyrics.

Kairos of "Masters of War"

The 1960s in America are characterized in history books by hippie culture, Vietnam War protests, and overall social rebellion, when in reality this counterculture movement was made up of the minority. Bob Dylan represented this minority through his powerful and passionate folk songs, especially “Masters of War”. In this repetitive song he called out the politicians and business men who stood to profit from war but had never actually seen a battle firsthand. Rebels and hippies all over the country choose Bob Dylan to be their idol as they publicly declared their hatred of war through burning draft cards and putting flowers in the barrels of guns at protests. Bob Dylan had always been a rebel in his own way, he dropped out of college to move to New York City and become a musician. When he gained recognition in a New York Times article, fans flocked to his music and his messages to stop violence and promote peace. Bob Dylan’s messages of peace came at a time when Americans were unsure if America should be involved in a war in Vietnam. Dylan's political movement gained traction throughout the war, but “Masters of War” was written in 1962-1963 and was one of the first songs people rallied behind to protest the war. The kairos, translating to the timeliness, of this song was perfect for its era because when people were unsure of how they felt about another war, Bob Dylan criticized not only the war, but those who supported the war for their own personal benefit. His lyrics were so powerful and influential that some compared him to a poet and argued that he deserved the Nobel Prize in Literature. “Masters of War” was the song that launched Bob Dylan into the role as the original protest singer and he went on to define a decade of protests and rebellion against “the man”.

Stasis Theory- Flower in the Gun

We define the photograph of the flowers in the gun as a protest strategy to promote peace. Backlash against the Vietnam War paved the way for anti-war protests in the United States. Protesters started putting flowers into the barrels of guns as a non-violent way to demonstrate in front of military personal and riot police. Flower in the gun was a new strategy and was coined by American beat writer Allen Ginsberg as "Flower Power". Flower power became a popular movement in the United States especially with the Hippies. Flower in the gun is a great example of a meaningful non-violent way of protest. Flowers represent love, peace and serenity, the main focuses of the anti-war movement. It presented the positives of the movement, while not acting in harmful ways. Flower power was implemented and ingratiated into the Hippie culture. Hippie clothing transformed into flowery vibrant colors to convey their message of peace and nature. The images of flowers contributed to the symbolism of the anti-war movement during the 1960s.

The Kairos Behind the Flower in the Gun

The 1960s were a turbulent time for America. There was a rise of counter cultures and the backlash from the main stream. One of the polarizing issues of the day was the Vietnam war. The Vietnam war caused a massive social divide between the disenfranchised youth and the so called "silent majority". Most Americans thought that the antiwar protestors were at best foolish, naive children and at worst traitors.The antiwar protestors were appalled by the loss of life in Vietnam and the senselessness of the conflict. Many felt that they were not being represented and went to the streets to protest. The photograph was taken at one of those protests. On October 21st 1967, thousands of antiwar protestors converged on the Pentagon. The photograph, taken by Marc Riboud, was a juxtaposition between the ideals of violence and peace. The stark contrast between the dangerous guns pointed at the woman's face and the harmless flower she is offering in return fit well in the time of turmoil. At the protest many were arrested and beaten by those guarding the Pentagon. The continued violence against unarmed protestors really helped elevate the images emotional effect. The government's overreaction to the protestors led many to sympathize with the protestors. The violence and strife of the 1960's helped accentuate the photograph's message of peace.

"Masters of War"- Analyzing Bob Dylan's Rhetorical Message

            “Masters of War,” written by Bob Dylan in 1962-1963, targeted the United States government regarding the Vietnam and Cold Wars. He chastised the leaders of the United States for misleading the American citizens into believing that we, as a nation, could actually win a world war. Additionally, Dylan called out the leaders in Washington, claiming that they constantly pushed for war, as long as they did not have to do the fighting. These politicians “hid behind their desks… fastening the trigger, for others to fire” as they sent unsuspecting, young men into combat.

            When reviewing history, it is obvious that both the Cold War and the Vietnam War actually happened. The Cold War resulted from the tense relationship between the US and USSR regarding communism, eventually leading to a competition in multiple areas, including space travel and weapon build-up. The Cold War raged on, from the end of World War II up until the fall of the Soviet Union, never resulting in actual combat. On the other hand, the United States actually sent soldiers to help the South Vietnam defeat the northern, Communist Viet Minh party and southern Viet Cong regime. The conflict lasted from 1954 up until 1973, with more than three million casualties, half of which were civilian deaths. The United States became involved with the Vietnam War in an attempt to contain Communism and prevent the Viet Minh from gaining control of the entire country.

            In accordance with Dylan’s message, it seems that both the Cold War and Vietnam War did not have any value nor did they improve the quality of life in the United States. In fact, the Cold War led to the Red Scare, which initiated a sense of anxiety throughout the country. Additionally, when

considering the fact that over 500,000 Americans died during Vietnam, it is pretty clear that the conflict had no positive effects. Bob Dylan mentioned his belief that the American government basically wasted lives and money in “Masters of War” through the lyrics, “Let me ask you one question: Is your money that good? Will it buy you forgiveness? Do you think that it could?”

            Although both the Vietnam War and Cold War already happened, we can still learn from our country’s past mistakes. In “Masters of War,” Dylan asserted that we must actively prevent conflicts such as these from ever reoccurring. He stressed this point through the lyrics, “And I’ll watch while you’re lowered, down to your deathbed, and I’ll stand o’er your grave, ’Til I’m sure that you’re dead,” hoping for the death of the violence that plagued our country at that time.