Barthes Over Baghdad

This question operates as a fantasy in which Barthes is resuscitated for just enough time to see this image for a few moments and provide an evaluation. We are the supposed vessels responsible for the expression of this evaluation, and as such I will operate under this pretense. This suggests, however, that certain knowledges are absent; the war in Iraq is unbeknownst to the cadaver, he is presumably unfamiliar with the language presented, and he is in the dark in regards to what country the gunman is from, and what country he is in.

Thus, how does Barthes view this image, literally? Well, to be contrarian to the likely answer presented, I feel that he views it as a soldier defending his homeland. The concrete sign indicates a flag - Barthes' knowledge obviously extends far enough to decode that much. The soldier is facing outwards whereas the flag is facing inwards, and yet he is still behind the plane of the sign. Thus, Barthes, without prior knowledge about the war in Iraq and the potentiality of the a soldier on this ground, sees the soldier peering at his potential enemies. Consider Barthes as a contemporary of World War II and you must understand that he is unfamiliar with the Middle East; as well as the suggestion that the Middle East would be the battleground of the future.

This question is poorly worded and does not offer a fulfilling information extrapolation.