Assignment 2-2: Icon Analysis

Assignment 2-2: Icon Analysis

The turkey is my first icon. Whether you see an elegantly decorated turkey meal, or the turkey like my example picture, the first thing to come to mind is the Thanksgiving holiday. Most people think of this holiday as a time of family and good will, and this is part of the myth that goes along with Thanksgiving. While for some people, this is actually what happens, for far more this is a holiday that creates a lot of stress and is anything but a happy get together. Many have to travel to get to be with their families, which can be stressful, and then those who are hosting have to prepare a huge meal that they spend the event serving. Also, of course, are the people that have no family, or have lost loved ones, and Thanksgiving marks the beginning of a very hard time of year for them.

My second icon is the baseball which represents, of course, America’s pastime. While the sport has been for many years a symbol of the best athletes, it recently has come to represent the scandal of steroids. It’s hard to imagine where baseball is headed, and sad to think that even the suspicion of illegal doping has cast a shadow over the record of players like Barry Bonds. Although there have been no proven allegations against him, there is no doubt that his home run record will probably be looked upon as less of an achievement than that of the man who held the record before him: Hank Aaron.

The final icon I have selected is the Salvation Army shield. Anyone who has ever shopped between the times of Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) and Christmas is familiar with the Salvation Army bell ringers and the red kettle in which they take donations. The Salvation Army represents both the best and the worst of American society. For the best, there is nothing like seeing the spirit of charity amongst your peers, where most everyone who walks by the bell ringers has something to drop in the kettle. As for the worst, it hurts me to think that it is only during this season that many of those people are willing to give to a charity that helps so many. The need for financial assistance is a year-round need, but the only time many people give generously is during the holiday season.

Photos retrieved on November 12, 2007 from the following (in the order of turkey, baseball, Salvation Army Shield):

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3059940

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=6022582

http://www1.salvationarmy.org/ihq/www_sa.nsf