Both of these articles about the last meals before being executed helped define the use of visual rhetoric for me. Sometimes when you are trying to convey an idea, visuals make or break people's interpretations. What i noticed in both articles is that some people want a huge substantial meal before their death, others might pick their favorite food, and some are probably too worried about that fact that their life is ending, and don't even have an appetite.
I think that the second article "Last Meals" is more compelling because the audience gets to see the look on the victim's face and compare it to their meal. I also think that the portraits that are in black and white are very compelling, because when i think colorful i think happy, and death is not happy so the black and white effect carries a message. A thought i had while looking through all these pictures was that maybe people's meal choices say something about their personality. For example if you chose a big hearty meal, you probably cared about yourself and your health a little bit more than they people who just chose to eat an olive, or a cup of coffee, or just a bowl of ice cream.
Also, some people appeared to put a lot of thought into their last meal, for example Ronnie Lee Gardner wanted to read Lord of the Rings while he ate. I know i probably wouldn't be thinking about books when i was awaiting my death sentence. The first article was more colorful and clear, and i didn't really feel as sad looking through it as i felt when i looked at the second article. Just seeing the bad quality pictures of these people, and seeing all the terror in their eyes made me feel depressed. Both articles are compelling visually, and really make you think.
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