HUNGER AND DEATH OF HUMANS: A SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS OF ICONIC GENOCIDES IMAGES OF THE WORLD

Abstract

The intentional destruction of a particular race, ethnicity, religious groups or nationality is referred by Genocide. Genocides have occurred (and continue to occur) in every corner of the globe, in societies ancient and modern, as in Iraq and some other Arab and Islamic countries, for reasons as diverse as the acquisition of land and resources, to the demented hatred of a single man. Images work hand in hand with written records and books to document the cruelty of those historical incidents. The present study analyses ten images of the most heinous genocides in human history on semiotic bases in order to reach the meanings that an image conveys. The study concludes that images connote meanings beyond the mere presentation of a person. Children appear as signs of innocence and freedom, but sometimes they represent lost childhood and aging. Positive connotations characterize the appearance of women, such as passions, wisdom and protection while in other images, they signify hunger, distraction and their inability to provide shelter for their children and food to satisfy their hunger. In some images, men signify power and control while in others they signify hopelessness and humility. It is also noticeable that black people as well as white ones are equally the victims of those genocides. This may deliver the message that violence does not exclude anyone.