“A Russian Journal” by John Steinbeck and Robert Capa: “Us” and “Them” in Photographs

Abstract

Introduction. The article is devoted to the analysis of the images of “us” and “them” in the photographs of Robert Capa on the pages of “A Russian Journal,” the text of which belongs to John Steinbeck. Containing both explicit and implicit markers of otherness, this text is an early example of nascent Cold War discourse. Methods and materials. Using methods of media and visual studies as well as photograph theory, the author of the article considers “A Russian Journal” as a single media text. Its specificity lies in the interaction of two media within it: visual (photo) and verbal (text). Analysis. The author of the article traces how the meaning of the images arises from their connection with text and how the presence of the images affects the whole narrative of “A Russian Journal.” The photographs here function on two levels. First, they certify the sincerity of the writer, as Capa is represented as an observer, and the very function of the photograph-document is informational. Second, the very presence of a camera is considered a threat and means power. The photographs construct the meaning of reality and implicitly become an instrument to reveal the differences between the two powers, the USSR and the USA. Results. The photographs, as a discursive element of “A Russian Journal,” mark an insurmountable barrier between the two countries. The specifics of photographic media and the discourse built around this media influence the creation of the image of the “other”, which turns out to be a potentially dangerous “alien”.