The denotational meaning of this image relates closely to the description without including judgement. In this case the denotational meaning is in regard to this group of onlookers. This is a group of city goers reacting to something enmasse. There is a mix of older and younger people in this audience, and additionally from the looks of it this group is quite multicultural. When relating the image to memories of certain experiences we are taking into consideration all of the possible connotations the image has. In terms of relating this image to its connotational meeting, the image includes a group of scared New Yorkers endangering themselves and motorists as they stand in the middle of the street watching something perilous unfold.
“I was talking with my friend the other day about how just going into a new highly populated area like a mall, or a movie theatre, or New York City. There’s a lot more on our heads. Definitely like, growing up in the time afterwards, because we’re so young and we have so much ahead of us it’s a lot scarier for us to think that if were in the wrong place at the wrong time, our lives could be affected immensely, or even just our lives getting taken away from us.”
I do not believe that the meanings of the narrative have changed because of the icon, in fact I believe that the image and narrative actually go hand in hand in supporting one another. The meanings of the narrative relate closely to the ways in which many of the adults in the photo may be feeling at that time. They have just witnessed a massive attack on one of the most recognizable buildings in the western hemisphere, and have lost their sense of security and fortitude. Many of the children are speaking on the same topic, but they have an alternate perspective as someone born after the attacks.
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The denotational meaning of this image relates closely to the description without including judgement. This symbol is representative of many things, however without giving judgement its denotation is related to a black number “9” and a blue “11”. The symbol could be relative to a calendar, or telling the date, or time. The symbol of course includes numbers, and thus could have a value. When relating the image to memories of certain experiences we are taking into consideration all of the possible connotations the image has. In this case the connotation of the image is that the attacks on the Twin Towers took place on 9/11/2001, and the logo features the date of the attacks and stylizations that turn the ‘11’ into the South & North towers. This logo is used by the Ground Zero memorial, and is featured in combination with the famous “never forget” phrase coined by New Yorkers.
“I was talking with my friend the other day about how just going into a new highly populated area like a mall, or a movie theatre, or New York City. There’s a lot more on our heads. Definitely like, growing up in the time afterwards, because we’re so young and we have so much ahead of us it’s a lot scarier for us to think that if were in the wrong place at the wrong time, our lives could be affected immensely, or even just our lives getting taken away from us.”
The narratives meaning was not affected by the feature of the symbol, and I believe that the symbol actually provides some context for the excerpt. While the excerpt speaks about the spontaneity of reality it also provides enough context in order to relate it to the symbol. For many people who were younger at the time of the attacks, 9/11 is just that, a date like any other. This relates to the excerpt because the children are speaking on a date that to them has a totally different meaning, or no personal meaning at all.
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The image I would be most likely to include as a background image for my website is the first black and white image featuring onlookers of the towers. I think this image has a more emotional connotation, and is more relatable to my topic. It features a diverse crowd that is representable by the population of New York City, and their expressions convey such powerful meaning. In addition to this I have seen this image many times in 9/11 memorial museums I visited as a young adult living in the city.