Final Exam: A "Candid" Shot of Mr. President

    Barack Obama is America's first African American President, but in the long run, will his bust deserve to be placed next to Martin Luther King Jr., Abraham Lincoln, and George Washington? This photograph of Barack Obama in the Oval office is an important contemporary artifact and relates to many texts discussed in class.
     The caption under the photograph, taken by the White House photographer, Pete Souza, claims that the picture is “candid.” I doubt this to be true because the President’s life is completely staged. Obama happens to be sitting in the company of some very important people in American history; Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, and Martin Luther King Jr. This relates to another photograph we looked at in class where Obama is surrounded by no less than eight American flags. Rachel Hoying commented that Obama “had to prove how American he was.” The word that stands out to me is “prove.” Obama cannot just tell people that he is American, but has to prove himself by showing it. In my artifact's case, Obama is surrounded by American icons, again trying to prove to his doubters that he is an American. George Washington, the father of our country, hangs above everything else in the picture, but Obama is on the same level as MLK and Lincoln. If the lower part of the picture were cut off, Obama’s bust would fit in quite well, showing him as another great American leader.
    Specifically, Obama’s bust would closely resemble Lincoln’s. Their heads are in almost the exact same position, looking down. In the movie “Lincoln,” Abraham Lincoln is shown as very calm. This photo seems to be channeling that side of Lincoln in Obama by making him seem very poised, despite surrounding pressure. Also, because the eye reads left to right, a viewer starts out focusing on Obama, and ends up on Lincoln. This makes it seem like the photographer is purposefully comparing Obama to Lincoln, rather than to MLK. This reminds me of the movie “Glory” when Trip, a member of the 54th regiment, asks Colonel Shaw, “What about us? What do we get?” The word “we” stands out because Trip is not just referring to himself, but all the freedmen. The picture may be trying to show African Americans and White people as equal by making Lincoln and Obama similar, but the problem is that having an African American President does not mean that there is complete equality for African Americans, the “we” that Trip was referring to.       
    This picture could also represent pressure surrounding the President. Despite the eyes constantly watching Obama, he still looks calm and collected; his arms rest casually on the chair, and his face reveals little, if any, emotion. The pressure that this photo may be portraying reminds me of the progress myth: to do better than your parent’s generation. Bill T. Jones said that “we’re supposed to do better than our parents.” The words “supposed to” stand out to me. Parents work hard so that their children can succeed, which may cause pressure for kids to feel like they must live up to a certain standard. In Obama’s case, the pressure is not from his parents, but from the leaders before him. MLK and Lincoln seem to be acting as the agents, or people who made it possible that an African American could become President. Obama has pressure to use his power and help society progress. 
    Clearly there was some motive behind the photo. It seems that the underlying theme beneath it may be to glorify Obama. The question is, will Obama will only be remembered because he was the first African American president, or because of the progress and accomplishments he made while in the White House? What do you think the photographer’s motive was?