Question

Dorthea Lange

Directions: Please respond to the following questions. Unless otherwise stated, your responses to each question should be 3-7 sentences in length where applicable.


1. Lange states, “[It] was the most important thing that happened to me, and formed me, guided me, instructed me, helped me and humiliated me…” What was she speaking of?

2. What were the two major components of Lange’s upbringing? How did these influence her life and her work?

3. What was the title of Lange’s most well-known portrait? Why do you think this portrait is so popular?

4. Why do you think Dorthea Lange was able to influence so many people with her photographs? What was unique about her?

5. What was happening in the United States in the 1930s that may have influenced Lange’s documentary photography? Explain your choices.

6. Now it's your turn. Conduct a search either online or at your local library to find a biography of someone you are interested in learning more about and answer the following questions.

a. Who did you choose and why? What do you like or dislike about this person?

b. Why do you think the author found it important to write a biography based on the life of this person?

c. List a minimum of 3 important events that occurred in this person’s life. List at least 5 interesting facts about this person or their life.

Think about accomplishments, awards, inventions, etc.
When were they born? How do you think this impacted this person’s life?
What did this person do for work?

Answer 1

Step-by-step explanation:

• Lange was speaking of her childhood illness, polio, which left her with a limp and impacted her for the rest of her life.
• The two major components of Lange's upbringing were her upbringing in a middle-class family with an interest in the arts and her father's abandonment of the family when she was a child. These influences led to her interest in photography and social issues, which were reflected in her work.
• Lange's most well-known portrait is titled "Migrant Mother." This portrait is popular due to its powerful portrayal of the hardships faced by migrant workers during the Great Depression and Lange's skillful composition and use of lighting.
• Lange was unique in her ability to capture the human side of social issues and to use her photographs to bring attention to these issues. She also had a strong sense of empathy for her subjects and was able to connect with them on a personal level.
• During the 1930s, the United States was facing the Great Depression, which had a profound impact on the country and its citizens. Lange's documentary photography captured the struggles and hardships faced by many Americans during this time, bringing attention to their plight and influencing public opinion.
• a. I chose to learn more about Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest Nobel Prize laureate. I admire her courage and dedication to promoting education and women's rights, despite facing significant opposition and danger in her home country.
• b. The author likely found it important to write a biography based on Malala Yousafzai's life because of her significant contributions to the fight for women's rights and education.
• c. Three important events in Malala Yousafzai's life include her advocacy for girls' education in Pakistan, her survival of a Taliban assassination attempt, and her subsequent global activism for women's rights and education. Five interesting facts about Malala Yousafzai include that she is the youngest Nobel Prize laureate, she started blogging for the BBC at age 11 to share her experiences living under Taliban rule, she co-founded the Malala Fund to support education for girls, she attended the University of Oxford, and she has written multiple books about her life and activism.