Abstract
Alan and Galip Kurdi, aged three and five years respectively, drowned in the Mediterranean in 2015. The name of one of these brothers became profoundly imprinted in people’s minds as a symbol of the refugee crisis, while the other’s name barely was noticed at all and now seems totally forgotten. After being washed ashore at a Turkish tourist resort, the bodies were documented by the photojournalist Nilüfer Demir. The images went viral, and mainstream news media broke a long-lasting social taboo by publishing some of them to evoke people’s emotions. Despite quite similar circumstances, why did the images of Alan Kurdi become iconic, while the images of Galip did not attract public attention in the same way? This study focuses on four images of the brothers, which are examined using a semiotic framework derived from Barthes and Mitchell. The results suggest that there is a fine line between generating a deeper understanding of the plight of migrant children in Europe and causing even more distance to the objects. Obviously Galip was not worthy of the same degree of compassion as his younger brother, for instance, because his images were more gloomy, lacking any glimmer of hope; Galip seemed ‘too’ dead.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
