I found Lee Miller’s account of her time covering World War II in France both frightening and impressive. As a female photojournalist at this time she was certainly a minority in her field, and on top of that constantly surrounded by male soldiers. I would imagine there was some stigma and sexism she would have had to overcome regarding women being capable on the front lines. If this was the case, Miller does not openly discuss any such issues. However there are two moments in the essay that I felt may have eluded towards some different treatment as a woman, where she is asked on one occasion to kiss some wounded soldiers, and on another to “speak American” for the entertainment of a few of the homesick soldiers. Another part of this essay I found particularly interesting was how Miller had to find film in an abandoned camera shop. Today with digital imaging technology and super portable SD cards with large storage capacity, the idea of running out of film while on assignment isn’t something I would consider, much less having to develop film in a basement with old chemicals. In a strange, probably horribly desensitized way, I found this more shocking/creepy than Miller stumbling over a severed foot in the street.
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