AttackorAccidentalNapalmasitisreferredtointhearticletakesbothofthesetraumasinto account.Theimageisofagroupofchildrenrunningtowardsthecamera.Itisdeducedfromcontext thatanapalmbombhasbeendroppedonthevillageandthesechildrenarefleeingtheblast.Onegirl,at thecenteroftheshotisnakedandscreaminginpain.Herburnsarenotvisibletotheviewer,butthe painiswrittenacrossherface.Thereareagroupofsoldiersfollowingthechildren,ambiguousto whethertheyarewalkingcalmlyorrunningaswell.ThisimageisiconicfortheVietnamWar,andinturn hasbecomeadaptedtofitthestrugglesofotherwarsaswellastheplightsofsubjugatedgroups.The forceduniversalityofthisimageiswhyiconicimageshavebecomesoproblematic.Theuseofthis imagehasbeenstretchedtoencompasseventsthathavenorelationtoit,andoftenmisinterpretedin general. Manymisconceptionsaboutthisimageleadtothedeteriorationofitsinitialimpact.Many viewersmisidentifythesoldiersasAmerican.Neitherthesoldiersnorthebombweredroppedby Americantroops.ThesoldiersareSouthVietnamtroops.Inaddition,thewoundedgirlreceived medicaltreatmentminutesafterthisphotographswastaken,andshelivedalonglifeafter.Theseare importantdetails,however,toavieweritshouldntmatter.Theblatanttruthitthatthis,isaphotograph thatshouldnthavebeentaken,ofaneventthatshouldnthavehappened(Hariman/Lucaites).Whether ornotthosesoldierswereAmerican,theyverywellcouldhavebeen.Thisscenewasplayedoutacross VietnammultipletimeswithAmericansoldiers,howevernotinthepresenceofaphotographer. ThisimageservesasapointofruptureintheAmericanconsciousness.Imageslikethisone, showingthetraumaofwar,oftendirectlycontradictthenaturalAmericanbravadothatisassociated withwar.Thephotographs,accordingtoHariman/Lucaites,demandsreciprocityinaway,itforces
youtolookatit,forcesyoutounderstandit,andforcesyoutoacceptit.Thereisnothingrightabout thisphotograph.Itisobviousuponfirstglancethatthereispainineveryinchofit.Thisimageruptures theAmericanWarHeroSaga,astorythattellsofAmericasbraveryinthefaceofwar.NoAmerican canlookatthispictureandjustifywar.ThephotographdevaluesAmericasestablishednarrativesof justifiedmilitaryaction,moralconstraint,andnationalpurpose.(Hariman/Lucaites176)allowingthe photographtoseepitswayintothepsycheoftheAmericancitizen,slowlycausingthetraumaofdoubt, guiltandresentmentofwar.Thefactthattraumaticimagesareadoptedaswarimagesispartlydueto thefactthatwarisinherentlytraumatic,butpartlyduetothecalculatedmoralresponsethatmustbe constructedwhenrespondingtowar.Asocietyatwarhastohaveanoverallpublicresponsetothewar atlarge. AsanimagelikeAccidentalNapalmisadoptedbymanypoliticalcauses,artistsandviewers itbeginstoloseitsintendedpurpose.Theaffectofthisoverconsumptionofanimageultimatelyleadsto aflatteningofitsnarrative,andadecreaseinitseffectivenessatstirringsocialchange.NickUtsimage ofthechildrenfleeingthenapalmattackhasbeengeneralizedtodescribeanyantiwareffort,andinturn lostsignificantmeaningtoitsoriginalcontext. Themosticonicimagesintheworldarebothcaptivatingandupsetting.Animagethatgains popularitymustdisturbtheviewer,eitherwithbeautyorwithcarnage.Oftentimes,photographs possessboth.FleeingNapalmBombAttack(orAccidentalNapalm)causesaruptureintheviewer, andthesocietyitwasadoptedby.ThisrupturecreatesaguiltwithinAmericans,andcreatesaparadox forasocietysosureofitsfreedomanddemocracy.Americasawthisphotographanddeeplysearched formeaning.Ajustificationcouldnottakeplace,becauseoftheblatantviolationofhumandecency
depictedinthisphotograph.Warnolongerenough.Afterthisimage,warwillforeverbequestioned.