Couple In Racoon Coats

3 Pages 735 Words

Van Der Zee uses line in Couple in Raccoon Coats to create a portrait of African American dignity and prosperity. Thesis statement that names the author and the work and incorporates all the questions asked: line and how it’s used to create meaning. Horizontal and vertical lines predominate.Immediate narrowing of focus: tells the basic format of the lines in the work The central car provides the strongest horizontal statement. The implied lines of the car’s roof and running board echo the strong horizontal line of the chassis. The line of the man’s hat brim mimics that of the convertible top above it, as the line of the hem of the woman’s coat parallels that of the running board. This horizontal line repeats itself in the stairs, doors, and windows of the building behind the car. Several clear, focused observations about the horizontal lines, the first of the two types of line direction. Yet equally strong straight vertical lines balance this horizontality; the lines of the building’s windows, doors, and banisters lead the eye up and down, as well as sideways. A transition sentence that moves smoothly from the last subject of discussion (horizontal lines) to the new subject of vertical lines. The car’s convertible top and windshield also project verticality, as does the edge of the open door. However, perhaps the strongest vertical lines can be located in the central figures, where the woman’s regal, upright posture is reflected in the confident lines of the seated man’s back. The heavy stripes of the raccoon coats also emphasize vertical line. Clear, focused observations about the vertical lines. Also, toward the end of the discussion, attention is drawn to the human figures, setting the stage for the narrowed focus of the next paragraph.
Van Der Zee employs forceful lines to make the two figures the focal area; their placement in the intersection of the tranquil horizontal lines of the car and the dynamic vertical ...