1st Edition

An Analysis of Susan Sontag's On Photography

By Nico Epstein Copyright 2017
    118 Pages
    by Macat Library

    118 Pages
    by Macat Library

    Susan Sontag’s 1997 text, On Photography, brought photographic theory into the university classroom with its staunch defence of the medium as art and inspired a new wave of Marxist Criticism in the field.  Sontag explains the way in which we are addicted to images and depend on them for knowledge of our surroundings and the problems and challenges this causes. Already an established academic figure, Sontag brought Walter Benjamin’s theories in into the academic mainstream.  The book retains its relevance in the everyday world because of the applicability of its ideas to the world of digital photography.

    Ways in to the Text  

    Who was Susan Sontag? 

    What does On Photography Say? 

    Why does On Photography Matter? 

    Section 1: Influences 

    Module 1: The Author and the Historical Context 

    Module 2: Academic Context 

    Module 3: The Problem 

    Module 4: The Author's Contribution 

    Section 2: Ideas 

    Module 5: Main Ideas 

    Module 6: Secondary Ideas 

    Module 7: Achievement 

    Module 8: Place in the Author's Work 

    Section 3: Impact 

    Module 9: The First Responses 

    Module 10: The Evolving Debate 

    Module 11: Impact and Influence Today 

    Module 12: Where Next? 

    Glossary of Terms 

    People Mentioned in the Text 

    Works Cited

    Biography

    Nico Epstein