“Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima”-What Americans Stand For

Joe Rosenthal’s Pulitzer Prize winning photograph, “Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima”, is considered to be a famous war image, but is also an iconic image that reflects American cultural ideas and the values that Americans stand for today. From the photograph, Americans can see that the United States Flag is more than just an object:  it’s a symbol of greatness, power, and authority that all Americans share even when the world is chaotic and violent. This particular picture was taken during World War II at the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945, which was an important step and turning point in winning the War in the Pacific. At this time for Americans, raising the flag in the photograph was a sign of hopefulness and assurance that the War was winnable and that all the Americans who feared a defeat didn’t need to feel worried. Americans could feel mighty and incorruptible by watching their flag hoisted. Such events, like September 11^th, 2001, Americans felt the same way when the American flag was lifted where the Two Towers once stood: it showed that Americans would not give into defeat and that Americans were still unified and confident after the tragedy.

                 Although “Raising the Flag at Iwo Jima” creates a sense of up-lifting spirits and demonstrates our freedom from other countries, the photograph also develops an idea of patriotism. One thing to keep in mind when looking at this photograph is that the men raising the flag are American soldiers who have risked their lives in order to ensure our protection. In other words, we are able to say that we are “free” due to the men and women who have been dedicated to fighting in order to secure our freedom. Within the image, the men are a collective group, undivided and determined to hold up the flag, almost acting as a metaphor for how American citizens are to be under the flag: a society of one, helping one another.  From the image, Americans are reminded of the sacrifice that American soldiers have made so that our flag can continue to be raised and our independence celebrated.

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