Abstract:
As readers of media, narratives allow us to formulate our conceptions of the world. There has been much investigation into how we can and how we do read narratives. Narratives are tools to utilise for memory, to foster certain emotions, to allow us to witness events we are not present for, and for entertainment. A focus on the written narratives, film and photography will allow us to have a broader understanding of the events which took place at Abu Ghraib prison in 2003. The photographic proof of the torture and abuse led to the conviction of nine U.S. military personnel. There was an intensive focus on the 'bad apples' rather than an investigation into the systemic problems which facilitated the abuses. An examination of the photographs released to the public, the detainee statements and the documentary films which were made in direct response to the events as well as the commentary which surrounded the narratives led us to a deeper understanding of the event. The silences which surrounded the event, such as from the female detainees, are telling because of the areas which we do not gain access to. Similarly, the realisation that without narratives, we would never have known of this event leads us to our dependency on having spectacles within our media. Dissonance dependency, which is a need or compulsion for people in social settings to constantly expect to have ‘spectacles’ in the media, and the need to move onto newer and more shocking spectacles is demonstrated by the speed with which readers moved onto other scandals. Abu Ghraib moved from being one of the greatest military scandals of our time, to an event which is used in almost a ‘never again’ fashion, a reference point which can be used comparatively for any future administration scandals.