Pre-Writing Assigment 3

Ethnically, Rwanda consists of the Tutsi, Hutu and Twa tribes that partly determine the social status of and individual. Its because of the constant conflict between the three tribes, primarily between the Hutu and Tutsi, that shape virtually every aspect of Rwandan culture, economy, and government. The genesis of the conflict between the Tutsi and Hutu tribes began when the German and Belgian governments intervened in the monarchy of Rwanda, reforming it for according to European tradition .In the process of this reformation, the Germans and Belgians favored the Tutsis, claiming that they were born leaders and should single-handedly run the entire country, so the control of Rwanda shifted in favor of the Tutsi tribe. This upset the Hutu tribe because they originally had the most power and control in running the country. In the 1950s, Hutu ethno-nationalists rioted throughout the country forcing many Tutsi chiefs to flee the country in fear of exile and murder of their family. Tutsi people killed hundreds Hutu population and exiled several more, shifting the administration of the country through the feared influence of the Hutu people again. For forty years the Hutu people remained exiled, primarily in Uganda, and accumulated an army to march back to their home country and regain dominion. The group of Tutsi refugees that invaded, ultimately starting the infamous Rwandan genocide, was known as the Rwanda Patriotic Front and they fought the government to allow the Tutsi refugees back into the country. Thousands of Tutsi and Hutu people were killed in the 1994 genocide but fundamentally the invasion was successful and the Tutsi established themselves as the government again. Presently, they promote a multi ethnic idea of Rwandan national identity, though violence between the Hutu and Tutsi tribes continues. When the photo was taken in 1996, Rwanda invaded Congo to eliminate any threat from rising Rwandan militia who were reorganizing in refugee camps.

Family life in Rwanda is typically patrilocal, the father's side of the family lives together, living together in plots of land called hills. In Rwandan culture, children are a sign of wealth therefore Rwanda has the highest rate fecundity; due to this families rarely have enough money to pay for elementary education of their children, rather they are set to manual labor on farm plots. Daily clothes for a Rwandan individual is of western fashion, such as jean and a tee shirt since most of the population cannot afford traditional clothes or are worn on rare occasions, primarily weddings. Rwanda is an agrarian country, though most have moved to the city after the genocide, so a majority of farmers depend upon their crops and concentrate most of their time tending to their crops.

After researching Rwanda and its culture, the clothes that the girl is wearing in the picture are peculiar in that they don't seem to the normal garb or traditional clothes, but they appear to be expensive enough to assume that she comes from a family with more money than most. The village in the background could possibly be a single family complex; if it were the girls family then it would another sign of her family's wealth with a large family plot of land and genetic line. If these inferences were true, then the girl probably has been educated more than the average child in Rwanda since her family is wealthier than most. The bundle on top of her head turns into the equivalent of a backpack and she returns home to help with the farm.

Works Cited

"Aftermath of Rwandan Genocide." Trincoll, Web. 17 Feb 2010. .

Longman, Timothy. "Rwanda." Countries and their Culture. 2010. Advameg Inc, Web. 17 Feb 2010. .

Pre-Writing Assignment 2

Striding Girl illustrates the story of a typical child in Rwanda two years after the massive genocide between the Hutu and Tutsi tribes, even though the violence continued several years after the prominent event took place. Traumatic stress disorder and AIDS plagued the remaining survivors of the genocide burdening and eventually killing a majority of the adults in Rwanda, leaving thousands of children to fend for themselves in the failing economy of Rwanda. The children of Rwanda were forced to drop out of school and take up real jobs due to a lack of adults to provide and care for these children. This photo exemplifies the angst and tragedy surrounding Rwanda after the genocide of millions.

Colorful clothes of the girl attracts the eye of the audience as the first noticeable vector of attention being the most vibrant color within the entire composition. The extreme saturation of the photo increases the tone of poverty, strife, and misfortune in the country and the color of the garment pleases the eye more than the muted neutral colors of the surroundings. The package on top of her head blends into the bright lighting that dominates the top of the picture, taking focus away from the task that she is performing and concentrating on where the girl is going. The vector of attention takes veers away from the girl and in the direction of her gaze, up the road upon which she travels. The vantage point that the girl is meant to be viewed at emphasizes the journey, emphasized by cropping, shows more road that the girl has yet to walk than if she were in the center of the photo. The debris and black stains in the middle of the road articulate the destitute condition of Rwanda, adding to the photographers image of a destroyed country. The foreground of the picture is well lit compared to the shadow cast by the trees, hiding the white buildings nestled within the forest. The foreground focuses the attention on the journey of the girl rather than the task, leaving the audience to question where she is going.

The background is more subtle and serves as a frame to the front with its darker hues and tones of black and green. The coloration of the background serves to conceal and reveal the white tips of the village in the background, giving a possible answer as to where the girl is going. The village is not apparent at first glance, but it serves as another vector of attention. The cropping the photo allows the background more scenery on purpose, revealing a village that appears to hidden for a reason but also has to be found by the residents. Again, the lighting shows through the particular part of the forest in the background that shows the lighter corners of the buildings revealing that there are buildings. The background is also blurrier, pointing more attention toward the foreground and its subject. The elements of the photo come together to illustrate the forsaken, dangerous, and lonely time for Rwandan people, especially children who have lost either one or both of their parents.