Jennifer Mielke
HON.192
Final Exam
Semester Reflection: Text vs. Images
Throughout the semester, everything in our Honors 192 class has been in some way or
another connected to not only writing, but also to visual elements. These visual elements allowed
for us to dig deeper into a subject to see the true meaning behind it and reach a better
understanding of the topic being discussed. The assignments completed in my Honors Writing
class are evidence of this.
Pictures can be analyzed to find deeper meaning and to jumpstart the research process of
a paper. The saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” really is true. When I sat down to
write my Visual Analysis Paper, I was worried that I would not know how to relate things in a
picture to a deeper concern within the city. After finding two photographs of the city, Hershey,
Pennsylvania, I looked closely at every small detail I could find, without worrying about whether
or not I could relate it to a bigger issue/aspect of the city. I noticed that the streetlights were
shaped like Hershey kisses, the trees were aligned and well groomed, there were factories in the
back, and SUVs were driving on the road. I looked at the differences between the older photo
from before 1950 and the photo taken after 2000. After careful analysis and a little bit of
research, I began to notice the connections. The Hershey kisses and well groomed streets showed
that this was a tourist town. The factories explained why it was a tourist town and the SUVs
showed that it was a family town. After doing a little research, I discovered that the town has
little crime, which also supports this point. Digging deeper into the small details that made up the
photographs, I was able to see the much bigger picture that was the city and gain a better
understanding to the things that went on in that city in the past as well as what it is like now.
Instead of jumping into a long, boring process of researching and writing, I was able to use the
photographs I found as a springboard for investigating ideas to my topic.
Jennifer Mielke
HON.192
Final Exam
Semester Reflection: Text vs. Images
Visual elements include more than just pictures, though. This can include paintings,
diagrams, maps, videos, television, and even television commercials/ads. These elements can
help give the writer, as well as the reader, a much better understanding of a difficult concept.
One example of this is the Classical Argument we did that covered proposals voted on in
Michigan’s November election of 2012. Reading about Proposal 12-3, a constitutional
amendment that would require 25% of energy to come from renewable sources by 2025, was
very difficult. Government documents include a lot of complex language that was hard to
understand. However, when it got down to it, the plan was quite simple. Watching ads for and
against the proposal made these difficult concepts easier to understand. I was able to see what the
people thought of each side.
For the Synthesis Essay, understanding came with the visual aspects as well. If I had
never watched a video where I was able to see the technology I chose, the Human Universal
Load Carrier, in action, then I would not have had a clue as to what the device looked like. For
this reason, I needed to give my readers a visual aspect that would help them better understand it.
The diagrams I made showed how the piece was set up, what it looked like, and the series of
events that occurred in order for the device to properly function. Even though my explanation of
this new technology was very in depth and gave examples relative to things that the reader
already knew, nothing short of a visual would allow for them to really understand what I was
discussing in my paper. These visual pieces allowed for my readers to form a picture in their
mind of what the device would look like in action.
Writing, when compared to visual elements, can portray the same topic, but at the very
same time give a different idea to the viewer. We think about them both in a different way.
Jennifer Mielke
HON.192
Final Exam
Semester Reflection: Text vs. Images
“Some dilemmas produce vivid images in our heads. And we’re wired to respond emotionally to
pictures. Take away the pictures—the brain goes into rational, calculation mode” (Green and
Amit). In my opinion, text and images are most effective when given together. An image without
text can leave viewers with questions as to what the image means. However, text without an
image can leave readers with an image in their head that is very different from that which the
writer was trying to portray. Images, when given with text, can give greater understanding to
both the writer and the reader.