Migrant Mother Case Study

In the case study of Migrant Mother by Dorthea Lange, Liz Wells explores all the ways that the photograph has been analyzed throughout its journey to becoming an American icon of strength. The case study notes that photography critic John Roberts feels that the image became so popular because it was precisely what the magazine editors wanted: an image that embodied both tragedy and resistance. The image simultaneously sells the spectacle and sensationalism of tragedy while also selling the hope and perseverance so ingrained in American culture. That the image came to be read in so many ways is undeniably a result of its iconicity, but also because it is so accessible and easily projected upon. Lange notes in her account of the creation of the photo that the encounter had an equality about it, a mutual benefit for both subject and photographer. Although the San Fransisco Gate article “Daughter of “Migrant Mother” Proud of Story” reveals that the popularization of the image did not go on to benefit the titular women or her children, the equality of the encounter between the subjects and Lange speaks to the ubiquity of the image. The mutual understanding between the two parties allowed for the creation of an image that is both an intimate personal account as well as a universal account of American perseverance. Several of the critics quoted in the case study see Migrant Mother as a symbol of femininity and motherhood, but I don’t immediately buy into this. The woman does not appear overtly feminine or motherly, in fact, to me she breaks free of those constraints and goes on to symbolize something larger and more universal. She is at once a mother, a father, a friend, etc. She is anyone who has ever cared for and provided for another. This, I believe, is the reason for the enduring popularity of Migrant Mother.