UNDERGRADUATE

closest bayonet is visible. The soldier standing next to
him wears a helmet, and we barely see a few identifiable
facial features in his profile: slightly squinted eyes, a nose,
and an expressionless mouth. The next man’s face is less
distinguishable. Beyond him, everyone turns into a hazy
line of helmets and sheathed bayonets.
French photographer Marc Riboud photographed
the woman, Jan Rose Kasmir, at an anti-war rally in
Washington D.C. on October 21st, 1967. At the time she was
just seventeen and a high school student (Curry). People
gathered around the Pentagon to protest the Vietnam War
effort by exemplifying the ideology they promoted, one
of peace and non-violence, which was termed the flower
power movement by poet Allen Ginsberg (Curry). Antiwar
protesters dressed in flower patterns and bright colors to
identify themselves as “flower children.” Demonstrators,
embracing the term, would also pass out flowers, carry
bells, and sometimes chant mantras. The event later
became known as the March on the Pentagon, and would
come to serve as an U.S. public memory of the Vietnam
War, and of the counterculture involving the flower power
movement that accompanied this time period.
The seemingly endless line of sheathed bayonets gives
the viewer a sense that the girl on the right is quite
outnumbered. This line of weapons also seems to stand
in for the overwhelming presence that the Vietnam War
had in the U.S. at this time. Yet, the lone Kasmir seems
unafraid in front of these soldiers. Her innocent figure and
flower offering contrast the line of destructive, mechanical
tools. The National Guard’s sheathed bayonets and guns
threaten the protesters’ safety, most urgently Kasmir’s.
They have the means to attack if need be they seem to say.
Their helmets demonstrate their preparation to protect
themselves in the potential combat, something that the
woman in the flower-print dress on the right seems far
from ready to do. Yet, we feel confident that Kasmir can
hold her ground. She attempts to engage with the Guard.
She is not passive. She approaches them and offers a
flower. The image forces us to wonder what she says to
them, as she tries to get their attention with her daisy.
The almost entirely faceless soldiers reflect an inhumane
force of war. The men melt together. We see weapons,
bodies, and helmets. The image manages to capture the
overwhelming presence that the war had in the U.S. at
this time, as well as the innocence of the peace promoting
flower power movement. In this way, the photograph and
Kasmir herself reflects the contradictions in the response
to the war. Kasmir recalls, “It wasn’t a war machine, it
was just a bunch of guys with orders. Right then, it went
from being a fun, hip trip to a painful reality.” The March
on the Pentagon did not end in the peace that this photo
captures, however. Later that day the National Guard
and the protesters succumbed to violence, and hundreds
of protesters were arrested and hurt. Interestingly, the
same people who fought for the National Guard were also
civilians. The nation both protects and attacks its citizens
with its own citizens.
“Flower Child at the Pentagon" embodies the qualities that
Hariman and Lucaites offer to help us understand iconic
photographs. First, the photo is aesthetically familiar.
The subject, Kasmir, is in focus and framed slightly to the
right. The photograph follows the rule of thirds, in which
the photographer imagines the image as divided into nine
equal parts, where the important subjects or compositional
elements are aligned on one of the imaginary horizontal
or vertical lines or intersections. In addition to familiar
composition, the semiotic transcriptions are conventional
in U.S. culture. For example, the body offering the flower is
a woman. This is largely in line with traditional American
values and representations of femininity. Flowers too are
symbols of femininity, peace, and beauty. And she seems
to offer the flower in supplication or prayer. Where she
seems to delicately hold the flower, the soldier grasps the
barrel of the rifle. The sun’s reflection almost intensifies
or sharpens the grip. While Kasmir is not passive in the
image, she is certainly peaceful and seemingly nurturing,
looking out for the well-being of others. This image
performs civic and public memory by capturing the
conflict between the National Guard and flower power
148 CREATING KNOWLEDGE