How do effectively use distinctively visual techniques to convey meaning to audiences?

(Refer to prescribed text and related text)

War is a thematic concern in the bulk of classic and modern literature. Composers utilise visuals to
recreate wartime experiences, which in turn allows them to effectively elicit a powerful response.
This is because the distinctively quality of the visual lies in its capacity to propagate and shape
meaning. Close examination of John Mistos play The Shoe Horn Sonata and Mary Ducharmes
painting 911 shows a conspicuous didacticism, providing strong comments on the nature of war.
Fittingly these texts establish a clear stance on the subject; their cynical perceptions of war being
strongly asserted and communicated.
Set in the present day, The Shoe Horn Sonata examines the wartime and postwar experiences of
female captives during World War 2. Misto takes his audience from the familiar and stereotypical
visuals of war to ones which are more resonant with the genuine concept. From the recurring sound
of crickets and emphasis on the shoe horn in Sheila stares sadly at the shoe horn as she
remembers, to the evocative imagery in And I crept to the door but they saw me, Bridie. They
saw me and they dragged me back., we are effectively induced into a metaphysical state. The lack
of insulation coupled with our transfixation exposes us to the raw and poignant depiction of Sheilas
predicament in selling herself to the Japanese soldiers. This positions us to feel sympathetic for
Sheila and to recognise her endurance of the pain and suffering that war brought upon her. The
mere window into the experiences of Sheila therefore allows us to fathom that war is neither an
exclusively male domain nor the subject of male heroics and exploits.
Comparatively, 911 examines the experiences of the individual during the War on Terror. Like
Misto, De Charme utilises visuals which she finds to be illustrative of the nature of war. Particularly
salient are the twin towers, which is undeniably the paintings nexus linking the other visuals
together. The crudely painted fires coupled with the paintings predominant red hue effectively
compels us to undergo a transcendent experience. We are made acutely aware of the volatile and
explosive nature of war and its impact on American society, as represented by the distinguishable
visuals such as the Bald Eagle and American flag. This provokes a strong sense of sorrow for the
victims of the terrorist attacks and allows us to recognise that war has no boundaries. By immersing
us in a visually sensory experience, we are therefore enhanced with the understanding that war
permeates all areas of society and disturbs the state of equilibrium within society.
War is a notion with a degree of complexity. It is a dynamic mechanism that encompasses a
spectrum of negative and positive aspects, regardless of how paradoxical it may seem. Ultimately
Mistos play and Ducharmes painting are unquestionably critical of war, subjectifying it as a maledominated and destructive force on society and the individual. The transformation of our
understanding of war is achieved using distinctively visuals, the significance of which can be
summarised by Paul Lesters remark Understanding of the world is being accomplished, not through
words but by reading images.