Santa Claus is typically thought of
as a figure used to represent youth and spirit. He represents times of
happiness and liveliness and wealth, bringing to mind pictures of elegantly decorated
Christmas trees surrounded by presents, a welcoming fireplace, and a happy
family. This photograph from CNN, however, shows Santa in a completely
different, darker light. It is showing how the hurting economy is taking its
toll on everyone, even the always jolly Santa Claus
The image
of Santa sitting on a graffiti covered train, next to worried looking business
man, makes on think of the recession and the effects it has on people. Santa
should be a symbol of prosperity and good times, yet in this picture he appears
to be struggling. He is not riding on reindeer pulled sleigh with a friendly
smile on his face, nor is he carrying a bag of presents to give out to the
world. Instead, he is sitting on a worn down piece of public transportation,
sleeping with a weary and tired expression on his face. The train he is on
represents the common man, saying that even the father of Christmas himself
cannot escape the troubles of the economy. If someone with as high standards as
the man who usually rides around on a magical sleigh pulled by flying deer must
now resort to traveling by vandalized, beat up public transportation, then the
recession must really be having a great effect on the nation.
The
old, worn out looking business man sitting next to Santa on the bus is another
symbol meant to represent the hurting economy. An old, sad looking business
man, wearing his professional attire underneath an outdated coat, is the
stereotypical face of recession. He is meant to be seen as a man who was once
successful, once managing a large firm and bringing home lots of money and
benefits, now left mercilessly in the dust to struggle and suffer along with
the rest of the common people. This can be directly applied to Santa Claus, who
is sitting next to him. He was once the figure of one of the most celebrated
holidays, leading an entire workshop, supplying for the entire world, and now
he is nothing but a tired old man sitting on a train along with a fellow victim
of plummeting stocks and failing markets. Overall, this powerful picture shows the
harrowing effects that the recession has had on everybody, from the common man
to the uncommon idol of prosperity and wealth.
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