Somewhere along the curve. Logan during the lockdown. Boston— Massachusetts—United States, 2021-06-30. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2023696419/
The photograph Somewhere along the curve. Logan during the lockdown provides a visual lens to examine societal disruption and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its emphasis on an empty airport counter offers a poignant reminder of how crises reshape public and private spaces.
Paired with texts such as The Wanderer, The Plague, and Station Eleven, this photograph facilitates interdisciplinary connections across history, literature, and ethics. These pairings also align with Catholic teachings on dignity, solidarity, and care for the vulnerable, fostering rich discussions about how individuals and communities respond to global crises.
The photograph Somewhere along the curve. Logan during the lockdown provides a visual lens to examine societal disruption and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its emphasis on an empty airport counter offers a poignant reminder of how crises reshape public and private spaces.
Paired with texts such as The Wanderer, The Plague, and Station Eleven, this photograph facilitates interdisciplinary connections across history, literature, and ethics. These pairings also align with Catholic teachings on dignity, solidarity, and care for the vulnerable, fostering rich discussions about how individuals and communities respond to global crises.
This photograph, taken during the COVID-19 pandemic, captures an empty Delta Airlines counter at Logan International Airport. The stark emptiness reflects societal disruption caused by the pandemic, including travel restrictions, economic instability, and the pervasive sense of uncertainty and isolation. The image encapsulates the shared global experience of a pandemic, where once-bustling public spaces became symbols of stillness and resilience.
Paired with elegiac texts such as The Wanderer, modern works like The Plague by Albert Camus and Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, and Catholic teachings, this resource fosters discussions on human responses to crises. Students analyze how storytelling, whether visual or literary, provides a framework for understanding societal and individual resilience during challenging times.
- How does this photograph of an empty airport during the COVID-19 pandemic reflect societal disruption and human resilience?
- What connections can be made between the isolation and loss depicted in the photograph and the themes in The Wanderer, The Plague, and Station Eleven?
- How do public spaces like airports symbolize broader societal changes during global emergencies?
- How can literary and visual narratives deepen our understanding of the human experience during crises?
UCLA-Historical Thinking Standards, ELA Common Core State Standards, and USCCB Standards for Catholic Schools
Standard 4: Historical Research Capabilities: Students will analyze visual and narrative primary sources to understand historical events and their implications.
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Connection to Teaching Approaches: During Photographic Analysis, students explore how the empty airport reflects broader societal and emotional disruptions caused by the pandemic.
RL.11-12.1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
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Connection to Teaching Approaches: In Comparative Literature Analysis, students use evidence from The Wanderer, The Plague, and Station Eleven to analyze recurring themes of isolation and resilience across different mediums.
RL.11-12.2: Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text.
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Connection to Teaching Approaches: During Socratic Seminars, students discuss how themes of solitude, perseverance, and hope are developed in The Wanderer and mirrored in the photograph and modern pandemic literature.
RI.11-12.7: Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats.
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Connection to Teaching Approaches: Through Photographic Analysis, students evaluate the photograph alongside literary and historical accounts to understand the emotional and societal implications of isolation during the pandemic.
Domain: Faith and Social Justice, Standard 4: Reflect on Catholic teachings about dignity, compassion, and service to the marginalized.
- Connection to Teaching Approaches: During Faith-Based Reflections, students analyze how the themes in the photograph and The Wanderer align with the Catholic emphasis on solidarity and resilience.
Domain: Literature and Theology, Standard 7: Analyze how literary works reflect the human search for God and understanding of suffering.
- Connection to Teaching Approaches: In Comparative Literature Analysis, students explore how The Wanderer and The Plague reflect the existential and spiritual challenges of isolation, drawing parallels to the experiences depicted in the photograph.
Domain: Historical and Cultural Literacy, Standard 5: Evaluate how historical events and cultural artifacts shape societal values.
- Connection to Teaching Approaches: During Creative Projects, students create their own visual or written artifacts inspired by the photograph and The Wanderer, exploring how pandemics influence personal and cultural value
- Photographic Analysis: Guide students in analyzing the photograph’s visual elements to explore its themes of isolation and societal disruption during the pandemic.
- Comparative Literature Analysis: Pair the photograph with excerpts from The Wanderer, The Plague, and Station Eleven to discuss literary and visual representations of crises.
- Socratic Seminars: Facilitate discussions on how public spaces like airports symbolize broader societal changes during global emergencies.
- Faith-Based Reflections: Encourage students to analyze how Catholic teachings on solidarity and care for the vulnerable align with the themes depicted in the photograph.
- Creative Projects: Assign students to create visual or written narratives inspired by the photograph, reflecting on personal or communal experiences during the pandemic.
- Interdisciplinary Seminars: Connect the photograph to historical and literary discussions on past pandemics and societal resilience, emphasizing parallels between visual storytelling and textual narratives.
- The photographer's focus on the emptiness of a public space may evoke feelings of anxiety or sadness in students who experienced significant loss or disruption during the pandemic. Teachers should approach the topic with sensitivity and create a supportive environment for reflection.
- Additionally, discussions about the pandemic’s societal impacts may lead to differing perspectives or interpretations. Encourage open dialogue and provide a balanced view, emphasizing resilience and the lessons learned from past and present crises.
- MBTA Orange Line, Boston, MA. Boston—Massachusetts—United States, 2020-05-31. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2023696401/.
- This is a similar photograph but from another perspective of mass transit emptiness during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Family at home during COVID-19 pandemic. United States, 2020-03-17. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2023696223/
- This resource gives a more human side to the pandemic and allows students to see the human cost during this time.
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The Wanderer (Anonymous)
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This Old English elegy reflects themes of isolation, loss, and resilience, providing historical parallels to the experiences depicted in the photograph.
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"Pandemic Perspectives: Stories from the 1918 Influenza Pandemic" (Library of Congress)
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Firsthand accounts and reflections from the 1918 pandemic, offering a historical comparison to the COVID-19 experience.
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The Plague by Albert Camus
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A modern classic exploring existential themes during a fictional pandemic, perfect for connecting literary and visual narratives.
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Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
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A dystopian novel examining societal collapse and resilience in the aftermath of a global pandemic.
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Library of Congress Online Exhibit: "Voices of the Great Pandemic: COVID-19 Oral Histories"
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A complementary resource featuring oral histories that capture diverse perspectives during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Tweed, Anna, ed. The Arabian Nights. New York, The Baker & Taylor company, 1910. PDF. https://www.loc.gov/item/10024207/.
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The Arabian Nights (One Thousand and One Nights): A collection of Middle Eastern and South Asian folk tales exploring human creativity, resilience, and morality in times of personal and societal challenges.
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