Multimedia Me: The Use of Multimedia in an Autobiography
We all know the phrase that “a picture is worth 1,000 words”. Another popular phrase reads, “seeing is believing”. As we have just finished reading “Beyond Katrina” by Natasha Trethewey and “The Names” by N. Scott Momaday we noticed an element that was not previously observed in the past autobiographies that we have read. This element is the use of multimedia in addition to the words that were used by both of the authors. Pictures are a way to preserve the past and freeze a moment in time, which is what essentially an autobiography is attempting to recreate. I feel that the use of multimedia in Trethewey’s autobiography is an effective way to retell the past and allow the reader to get a better understanding of what is being retold to them, while Momaday is only effective with his pictures and not his poetry and italics.
“Beyond Katrina” is a recount of the events of Natasha Tretheway’s life leading up to and after Hurricane Katrina, which completely ravaged the Gulf Coast. As soon as we pick up the book we’re greeted with a picture of a dilapidated house, which had been washed over by the storm and floods. This gives us a dismal warning of what’s to come in the following pages and that it will most likely be filled with the loss of something that once was great. After reading the prologue we discover one of Trethewey’s other talents, her poetry. There sitting in front of us is a poem titled, “Theories of Time and Space” which seems to capture the feelings of the evacuees from the Gulf when they left before the impending doom of the storm reached their shores. The line that stood out most to me was, “The Photograph-who you were- will be waiting for you when you return”. (Trethewey 5) Before Katrina I could imagine that a majority of the residents were happy but after evacuating and returning home to see the destruction they were never the same again.
I feel that poetry has more meaning and invokes more emotion than regular writing. This is an effective way of allowing your reader to experience the feelings that you are feeling in your autobiography. If a poem is well written I will most likely get the same mood that the author is attempting to convey in their work. Trethewey was able to do this in various poems in her book.
On page 10 of “Beyond Katrina” we encounter a photo of Natasha’s grandmother who she feels was one of the most affected by the devastation of the Hurricane. This use of old family photos indicates to me that Trethewey had strong family ties, and cared deeply for her close relatives. Using pictures while you’re talking about an individual also allows the reader to see who the author is talking about and essentially have that picture etched in the mind for the rest of the book. One chilling reminder of the events of Hurricane Katrina is when Trethewey talks about the number listed under the X’s marked on the homes that were ravaged by the storm. The number listed under the X indicated the number of dead that were found in the home. I’m curious to know if the picture on the cover is an indicator that no one from her family was killed in the storm but their dreams were destroyed just like the house was.
One photo I think Trethewey should have included despite losing the original was the picture of the “High-Rollers” sign. After devoting an entire chapter to the significance to the sign she could have done of better job of leaving us with a picture of it in our minds. I feel that taking a picture under the sign could have been a reminder to those that once had it good, and took a gamble in living in one of the most active areas weather wise. Living in the Gulf could lead to beautiful weather and good times but essentially it’s a gamble with the risk of Hurricanes and other dangerous elements such as the animals located in the area.
All in all I believe Trethewey was effective in using multimedia in her autobiography. The poems seemed to create similar emotions in the readers that were felt in the residents of the Gulf during the storm. The pictures also allowed us to visualize the individuals or places she was talking about in her story, and get a better idea of what she’s talking about and trying to explain.
Another book that used various examples of multimedia was “The Names” by N. Scott Momaday. He also uses various poems and pictures to help instill the reader with a more visual and emotional feeling for his story. While it does this, some forms of his multimedia seem to work more than others.
Upon opening the book we’re greeted with a genealogical chart, which clearly outlines the past generations of Momaday’s ancestors. This makes me think that family is a huge part of Native American life as I personally don’t know or care that much about my great-great grandparents and who they were. I mean I may want to discover more about them later in life but I’m not that curious about their personalities and exactly who they were. Momaday seems to know everything about them, and even more specific what they were thinking at the exact moment the picture was taken.
One picture that stands out to me personally is the picture of him riding his toy horse on page 62. I feel that all of us can relate to this and look back to our childhood and remember that one toy that we played with and imagined that we were really part of what was going on. Looking back at the picture Momaday can see that he was pretending that someone else was pursuing him on a horse. This is an effective example of a moment that is frozen in time. Looking back on your past and knowing what you’re thinking is a truly incredible experience.
Another picture that stands out is the picture of Tsoai-talee on page 69. Being named after something in nature instantly allows you to have a personal connection to that particular item. This rock was the origin of his name, thus a very important part of his life. He allows us to experience its importance by putting a hand drawn picture of it in his autobiography. Finally the pictures of his ancestors reverberates that his family is a huge part of his life and ultimately who he is today.
Like Trethewey, Momaday attempted to incorporate poetry into his autobiography. Personally, it annoyed me and confused me from the original text. If he was trying to instill emotions in me he was unsuccessful and unfortunately turned me away from his book. He seemed to throw it in at random times when it was not needed. Trethewey used her poetry at effective times and was able to add more to her work and not do anything to take away from it like Momaday.
Overall, I believe the use of multimedia in these two autobiographies was a successful attempt to add more to their life stories. We were able to visualize what was going on and see what they were talking about at a certain point in time. These pictures also allowed them to look back on their own lives and essentially allow them to learn more about themselves. I’m actually quite curious to go back and look at pictures of my family and myself and see what I think about them now and if I can remember anything or attempt to relive those moments. For my personal autobiography I would definitely include pictures of important events in my life to give my readers a better understanding of what has happened in my life.
Works Cited
Momaday, N. Scott. The Names. A Memoir. New York: Harper and Row, 1976. N. pag. Print.
Trethewey, Natasha. Beyond Katrina. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2010. N. pag. Print.
