Against the Wall

Against the Wall, San Francisco, 1934
Dorothea Lange

Dorothea Lange's photograph entitled Against the Wall depicts a man in despair. The subject is set against a blank background which focuses the viewer's eye on the man. It appears as if the man is in an unfortunate situation. The man's body language expresses a sense of defeat and anguish, and the upside down wheelbarrow lying next to him also adds to the emotions being conveyed in the photograph. The wheelbarrow's upside down positioning parallels the man's plight. Another aspect of the photograph that draws attention to the man's emotions is the way Lange framed the photograph. She included much of the wall above the man. This framing causes the man to appear very small against the large, weathered wall behind him and thus adds to the subject's sense of despair and feelings of insignificance.