The Napalm Girl: Examining the Vietnam War Through a Photograph

This essay delves into the profound impact of the iconic 'Napalm Girl' photograph, captured by Nick Ut during the Vietnam War. The image, depicting a young Phan Thi Kim Phuc fleeing a napalm attack, serves as a stark reminder of the war's devastating consequences. The analysis extends beyond the central figure, examining the expressions and postures of other children and soldiers present in the frame, each conveying unique reactions to the surrounding devastation. The essay highlights the photograph's ability to encapsulate the multifaceted nature of war, illustrating not only physical destruction and suffering but also the psychological and emotional toll on both victims and perpetrators. Ultimately, the 'Napalm Girl' image stands as a testament to the enduring power of photography to document and humanize the realities of conflict.

Running head: THE NAPALM GIRL
THE NAPALM GIRL
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1THE NAPALM GIRL
Figure 1: Napalm Girl (Google.com).
Figure 2: Phan Thi Kim Phuc(("Redirect Notice").
The prestigious Pulitzer Prize winning image popularly referred to as the ‘Napalm Girl’
is one of the most iconic images reminiscing the horrid memories of the destruction and havoc
that had been raged by the Vietnam War (Bruzzi). It was captured on the 8th of June, in the year
1972 by photographer Nick Ut, depicting a host of children escaping the arson created by the
Napalm bomb dropped by the US army in the village of Trang Bang, located in South Vietnam.
The most striking feature of the image is the girl running naked, with an expression of despair on
her face on having lost her village, her house to the fire, and having suffered severe burns as a
result of the onslaught. She, the Napalm Girl, Phan Thi Kim Phuc was a nine year old girl back
then, and today she is a celebrated motivational speaker settled in Canada (Guillaume).

2THE NAPALM GIRL
The message being conveyed by the image is way more than what one can view
explicitly presented. It is significant to understanding the ravages of war which goes beyond just
death and destruction, and perhaps that is why it has won such a prestigious prize. The Napalm
Girl might be the magnetic element in the image, but there are other features which do have a
story to recount of its own.
Towards the left hand side of the image a little child can be seen facing backwards
sideways. Amidst the other children of the village, who have more sense than him by virtue of
their age and support to fall back upon, he seems confused as to what exactly has happened. He
has joined the crowd but somehow he is clueless as to what all is happening around. Devoid of
any guardian he is looking for answers, and being the youngest among the human figures in the
image, his ability to express his feelings coherently is almost absent. The image of a girl guiding
a boy younger than her, in all probability a member of her family, at the right hand side can be
juxtaposed to the description of the solitary little boy to the left. The girl bears an expression of
fear and by her body language it is being implied that she is on a lookout for a safe haven and is
trying hard to cast the destruction and its horrendous memories to obliviousness. The boy
accompanying her seems confused and having no other option but to act the way he has been
goaded into follows mindlessly what his slightly more matured companion is doing. The contrast
in the elements that can be derived is the the fact that in times of distress people belonging to the
closest brethren are inevitable, without which life can be pretty difficult in this world full of
miseries. It also speaks of human nature that adversities drive human beings to selfishness, and
sometimes that is inadvertent, as shown in the image.
The naked girl at the center and the boy cladded in shorts and shirt bear a similar kind of
expression. However, it must be acknowledged that the image of the girl is somewhat more

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expressive and expresses the sentiment of grief on having lost all in a more painful way, both
symbolically as well as literally. Her hands stretched across the horizon elevates her mental state
of helplessness and the physical pain which she is undergoing without anyone to nurse her. The
boy seems to be in a standing position, which could be a result of physical and emotional
exhaustion rendered by the feeling that he has been left with nothing to lose any more. By the
expression of the girl, it becomes clear that her physical pain is not providing her the scope to be
bothered about her state of being destitute while the boy is seen exuding a way more matured
person like reaction to his tragedy.
The image of the soldiers covey the sense of human beings turning robotic. On one hand
they have to fulfill their professional commitment and on the other hand they also have their
humanitarian duties. They seem to be in a dilemma between choosing from upholding the
national interest and universally applicable principle of ethics.
On an overall basis, it can be said that the image is reflective of the fact that each one has
a different reaction to the war and that is not just specific to the chosen context, but applicable in
general. Belligerence does affect the victims, but that it does not affect the morale of the ones
waging it is an understatement. The ones waging the war being bound by a mission are as much
a victim as the ones suffering the destruction.

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References
"Redirect Notice." Google.com. N.p., 2019. Web. 18 Feb. 2019.
Bruzzi, Stella. "From innocence to experience: the representation of children in four
documentary films." Studies in Documentary Film 12.3 (2018): 208-224.
Google.com. N.p., 2019. Web. 18 Feb. 2019.
Guillaume, Marine. "Napalm in US Bombing Doctrine and Practice, 1942-1975." ASIA-
PACIFIC JOURNAL-JAPAN FOCUS 14.23 (2016).