The man enjoying the sunshine in this photograph is Michael Morton and in 1986 he was wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife. Twenty-five years later he leaves the courthouse a free man as his name was cleared thanks to DNA testing and a team of lawyers who never doubted his innocence.
The full story of Michael Morton is available here.
The reason I choose this specific image is because I believe it is truly representative of what we define as freedom. This is the first time Michael Morton experienced sunlight outside of the prison yard in a quarter of a century and his body language and facial expression convey just how truly appreciative he is.
His situation is certainly not a normal one but if it could happen to him, an innocent man, than it is just as likely that it could happen to one of us, a scary thought but none the less true. Therefore I think this image also acts as a reminder to enjoy the little things in life such as sunshine, because something we take for granted the one day could be taken away without warning the next.
The people walking behind Morton in this image also add to its rhetoric. By having an entourage follow him out of the court house it is symbolic of the support that he has sustained over the years. The man beside him in this image is his attorney, and with his large figure next to Morton he symbolizes someone who can protect him which is essentially what he has done by clearing Michael Morton's name.
By using this image in a news report, such as the 60 minutes interview where I first saw it, it emphasizes the point that this man has had so much taken away from him but he is so happy with something so little (sunshine). When one knows of the background story behind this image it is hard to not have an emotional response to it. By using this image to illustrate his story of becoming a free man I believe it successfully plays on the pathos of the audience to really feel compelled by the story being told.
This is such a powerful photo when you know the story. It's heartbreaking that this innocent man had to spend so much time being wrongly convicted. It is interesting to think about how someone would view this image if they didn't know the story behind it. One might almost mistake it for a simple photo of two men bumping into each other. I agree with your analysis of what the sun can represent to someone. I can symbolize freedom, happiness, love and progress in my opinion.
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