Baylen 1

Kevin Baylen
Mrs. Griffin
AP Language
19 September 2013
Acceptance Image
A photograph, depicting an occurrence of acceptance, frames a dove who is held,
willingly, in the embrace of a small monkey on a shadowy pavement with several browned
leaves fallen around. Though having an unknown photographer, the image easily transcribes their
message of accepting differences between individuals.
The purpose of the photograph is to display the voluntary embrace of two differing
animals. The small monkey, with a shy hug around the dove, has its gaze away and into the
distance, seeming as if thoughts be in mind rather than focusing in the physical world. The fact
that the monkey seems lost in thought is intriguing in the fact that it seems as though one could
see the emotion of sadness as well as approval in its eyes. The dove's otherwise white feathers
are clumped together with a brown hue of dirt, from preceding events of struggle or hardship. A
unique part of this image is that it showcases on animals, without any human interaction, which
shows that the basis of acceptance is common to all living things with emotion.
The mood of the image is tranquil and peaceful, though the setting of a non-natural
concrete shifts this peace into faint sorrow. Behind the monkey and dove, clouds of shadow are
cast onto the pavement. One can infer that this shadow was cast by a tree because there are many
dead leaves that have all reached the ground around the dove and monkey. The primary colors of
the picture are grey, brown, white. This muted color evokes subtle emotion which helps create
the overall mood.
An embrace of the monkey and the dove represents the acceptance of differentness no
matter the circumstance. The expression of the monkey's visage as it looks into vague space
represents the monkey's willingness of surrender. This surrender is the acceptance the monkey
has for its circumstance. As well, the dove, in the monkey's embrace, shows a willingness

Baylen 2
because of its dirty wings, and voluntary presence. The picture reveals the embrace that one
should have in the differences of another, and the dependence towards these differences.

Work Cited
"Embrace Your Differentness." Your Highest Self. Elizabeth McKenzie, 31 Jan. 2013. Web. 19
Sept. 2013