On June 5, 1989, one day after the Chinese government used violence to end the Tiananmen protests, a lone man put his life on the line and became an anonymous hero to oppressed people everywhere. In the now famous image, a man in a white shirt and black pants, still grasping shopping bags, can be seen holding up a column of Chinese military tanks. The tanks, definitive icons of power, are powerless against the man’s dedication to stop their advance. Taking place in downtown
The photograph is especially striking to me because it seems like the man made an impromptu decision to take the enormous step of stopping a column of armored vehicles. The fact that the man is still holding shopping bags, and wearing the attire of a normal businessman, gives the impression that it was not a premeditated act. If true, it would mean that even ordinary citizens, not radicals or rebels, were not supportive of what the Chinese government was doing.
Before analyzing the “tank man” photograph for this class, I had never considered the artistic value of the photograph itself. Previously I considered the photograph just as a medium to show this powerful image of defiance. However, now that I look more into it, I believe the stylistic grittiness of the photograph adds to the image’s significance. Just like the man made an impromptu decision to defy authority, it seems like the photographer made a quick, impromptu attempt to capture the image. The slightly blurred features of the man, the streetlight protruding into the image, and the rough texture of the photograph all add to the startling reality of what the man is attempting to do.
Unfortunately no one knows who this man was, or what happened to him, for sure. However, this photograph inspires me because it shows how one person can be a symbol against something greater. Even though his whereabouts are unknown, his defiance lives on thanks to this image.
David Creamer
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