The Essay Notes

Model Answer: 20/20 IB English HL Essay (HLE)

LOI: How does P.J. Griffiths use photographic techniques to expose the realities of war and challenge its glorification in Vietnam Inc.?

Essay Outline

1. Introduction (150 to 200 words)
   1. Purpose: Set up your argument and establish your anti-war perspective.
   2. Include:
   3. Text, author, and context (Vietnam Inc. by Griffiths, Vietnam War)
   4. Thesis: Griffiths critiques the glorification of war by showing its brutal, dehumanizing realities.
   5. Line of Inquiry: How does Griffiths use visual techniques to challenge war propaganda and expose its human cost?
   6. Roadmap: Explore vulnerable children, traumatized soldiers, dehumanization, and moments of compassion.
2. Body Paragraph 1: The Vulnerability of Children
   1. P (Point): Griffiths undermines the heroic narrative of war by portraying children as its most innocent victims.
   2. E (Evidence): Image of a young boy fleeing a combat zone, his face filled with fear.
   3. E (Explanation): The eye-level angle and isolation in the frame create empathy and highlight the inescapable reach of war. The presence of a cropped rifle deepens the sense of danger.
   4. L (Link): By focusing on children, Griffiths presents war not as noble, but as unjust and indiscriminate.
3. Body Paragraph 2: Psychological Trauma of Soldiers
   1. P (Point): Griffiths humanizes American soldiers by exposing their emotional and physical suffering.
   2. E (Evidence): A wounded marine is supported by comrades while a second soldier stares blankly into the distance.
   3. E (Explanation): The lighting and body language contrast physical agony with emotional numbness, rejecting the image of the fearless warrior.
   4. L (Link): War leaves soldiers broken, physically and psychologically, challenging myths of heroism.
4. Body Paragraph 3: Dehumanization of Both Sides
   1. P (Point): Griffiths critiques how war strips both American and Vietnamese forces of identity.
   2. E (Evidence): Photo of “Little Tiger,” a Vietnamese child soldier surrounded by armed adults.
   3. E (Explanation): The boy’s uniformed body and the facelessness of nearby soldiers show how war recruits and erases individuals. Childhood innocence is replaced by weaponized identity.
   4. L (Link): War corrupts all sides, blurring lines between victim and perpetrator and reinforcing the dehumanizing nature of conflict.
5. Body Paragraph 4: Violence and Compassion Coexisting
   1. P (Point): Despite the brutality, Griffiths captures rare moments of empathy that challenge the war narrative.
   2. E (Evidence): An American soldier tending to a wounded Vietcong fighter.
   3. E (Explanation): Triangular composition and gentle lighting suggest human connection. The enemy is reframed as another victim of war.
   4. L (Link): Griffiths reminds us that compassion can persist, but it’s the war system, not individuals, that drives violence.
6. Conclusion (150 to 200 words)
   1. Restate Thesis: Griffiths uses his camera to dismantle myths of glory and show war’s human cost.
   2. Reflect on LOI: His visual techniques challenge media portrayals and expose the deep psychological and moral toll of conflict.
   3. Final Insight: Vietnam Inc. is a lasting critique of militarism and propaganda, urging viewers to rethink how war is seen and sold.