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Wayne State University DigitalCommons@WayneState Wayne State University Dissertations 1-1-2010 The nI tersection Of Image, Rhetoric, And Witnessing: A Rhetorical Analysis Of The Abu Ghraib Prisoner Abuse Scandal Elizabeth Jane Durham Smith Wayne State University, Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/oa_dissertations Recommended Citation Durham Smith, Elizabeth Jane, "The nI tersection Of Image, Rhetoric, And Witnessing: A Rhetorical Analysis Of The Abu Ghraib Prisoner Abuse Scandal" (2010). Wayne State University Dissertations. Paper 85. This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@WayneState. It has been accepted for inclusion in Wayne State University Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@WayneState. THE INTERSECTION OF IMAGE, RHETORIC AND WITNESSING: A RHETORICAL ANALYSIS OF THE ABU GHRAIB PRISONER ABUSE SCANDAL by ELIZABETH J. DURHAM SMITH DISSERTATION Submitted to the Graduate School of Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPY 2010 MAJOR: COMMUNICATION Approved by: ________________________________________ Advisor Date ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ © COPYRIGHT BY ELIZABETH J. DURHAM SMITH 2010 All Rights Reserved DEDICATION Had it not been for these individuals, this journey would never have been undertaken or seen through to fruition. Thus, it is with profound love and inexpressible gratitude that I dedicate this dissertation project to them in equal measure. Ruby Eileen Brotherwood Aside from being my Grandmother, you took the role of mother, sister, friend and confidant as well as being the most honest, courageous and integrity-driven person I have been honored with knowing. Ruby was a lighthouse during the stormiest times of my life—and an unwavering supporter of all of my endeavors—whether I was a waitress, a hairdresser, a housekeeper—or, a PhD. Ruby always told me, “Never let your spirit within you be taken by what you are now enduring” although it was always you, my dear Ruby who fostered and nurtured that spirit—and at critical junctures, it was your love alone that kept me afloat. In the wake of her death on March 13, 2008, it became that self-same spirit that has guided me to see through an opportunity that my Grandmother was never afforded —an advanced education—given the generation she was born into, but more particularly, because she was a woman. In spite of being forced to leave school at the age of eleven, the accomplishment I now enjoy is one that my Grandmother could have easily achieved had she been granted the opportunity as Ruby was—and is—by far the smartest person I have ever met. And although her loss has irrevocably altered my life in ways I continue to grapple with, I am assured and comforted in knowing that she is beaming proudly at my achievement as she knew I could attain this long before I realized that this dream was fully within my reach. ii Jeffrey John Smith It is you who is the true love of my life as you have provided me the privilege to be truly known to another person—to be vulnerable yet not unsafe. It is you who has seen me at my weakest and my most frightened—and loved me in spite of my frailties and inequities. There has never been—and never will be—another person who has meant to me what you embody—and I treasure all that we have shared since March 12, 2005. Dr. Donald Nichols & Mrs. Alice Nichols Doc—On the day I walk across the stage to be awarded my doctorate will be eleven years almost to the day that I stepped into your classroom—and, unbeknownst to me at the time— embarked on the journey I have now completed. At that moment, you told me if I could dream it, I could do it—and, as this dissertation project illustrates, I have brought my dream to fruition—a dream that would have, undoubtedly—failed to have materialized without the catalyst of you. Alice—You have blessed my life with a presence I never knew I lacked until your arrival. You are my confidant, my guidepost, my “voice of reason”—and your unique brand of love has cradled me in a wholly tumultuous year. Doc & Alice—or, Doc & Mama to me—together you have graced me with the inexplicable gift of having engaged parents—and at the mere age of 37, I have a “Mom & Dad” whose unwavering faith and depth of love renders language inept given that the blessing of your presence is both inexplicable and immeasurable. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS From the start, I must express the great difficulty that comes with acknowledging all who have touched my life in ways that have aided in bringing me to this point. The following persons, however, merit distinct mention given the myriad of gifts each has selflessly offered me. First, I would like to acknowledge my Grandfather, who I knew only briefly before his untimely death in September 1975. William Allan Brotherwood, an Oxford University Master’s degree graduate, loved language and loved teaching—two passions I undoubtedly inherited from him. Moreover, however, in being a Conscientious Objector in World War II—my Grandfather resolutely took a stance that unfairly haunted him and my Grandmother throughout their lives— a most principled stand of which I remain in awe. I do believe that he too is beaming proudly as this dissertation project humbly attempts to follow in his very large footsteps. As a gesture of goodwill, I acknowledge my family and extend specific recognition to my father, Dr. Frederick Hambleton and my stepmother, Mrs. Barbara Hambleton. Secondly, I must acknowledge Dr. Mary Garrett, my doctoral advisor. Mary was the very first faculty member I met at my Department of Communication Graduate Orientation in September 2003—and thus, it is fitting that she has been the person who has guided me to the completion of my PhD. Mary—you deftly challenged me in ways that prompted great personal and intellectual growth, thereby paving the way for me to produce this project, of which I am profoundly proud. This is the chief element of why I will be able to join the ranks of rhetorical scholars as without you, I would have undoubtedly never have fulfilled my dream of attaining my doctorate. I am grateful to my dissertation committee members for their many and varied efforts aiding in the completion of this project: Dr. Sandy Pensoneau-Conway for your deep sensitivity and iv empathy as well as your keen eye for detail; Dr. James Cherney for joining the committee during your first year in the department; Dr. Ken Jackson, whose graduate level course I took during the Winter 2005 proved pivotal in relation to the theoretical backing running throughout this project as well as his inordinate efforts on my behalf throughout my graduate studies; and Dr. Philip Abbott, who kindly joined the committee and generously offered his immense knowledge to a project that is thoroughly political, and thus one that necessitated his esteemed expertise, for which I thank him. By extension, I am grateful to Dr. William Trapani, my former advisor, who inspired me to love rhetoric in ways that find articulation throughout this document. Particularly during my first year, not only did I “stick with” graduate school, but I became entranced with the field of rhetoric—especially poststructural rhetorical criticism—given Bill’s infectious love of rhetorical theory as well as his unique brand of teaching unparalleled by any other academic setting to date. Bill believed in my abilities long before I did and his fierce support of my academic pursuits aided in the building of my own self-belief, for which I am inexplicably grateful. In addition, I am grateful to my undergraduate mentor and former professor—a former advisee of Dr. Mary Garrett—Dr. Valerie Palmer, who fully believed in my capabilities at a most crucial juncture and who provided a benchmark of what I aim to achieve in the future. To a similar end, I thank Dr. Kellie Hay who further prompted my application to graduate school in early 2003, which was also during a time of great personal trial. I also extend my warmest thanks to Dr. Loraleigh Keashly—Wayne State University Department of Communication Graduate Studies Director—whose empathetic ear and unwavering support has meant a great deal, particularly given the many obstacles life presented over the last two years. v Lastly, I am greatly indebted to the ardent support of Professor Jack Lessenberry, whose insights on my work and on life have furnished me with a kind of generosity that fail to be adequately detailed given his keen and astute wisdom earned through years of impassioned dedication to revealing that which demanded unveiling. The Wayne State University Graduate School, which generously awarded me a 2009 Summer Dissertation Fellowship and provided me the fortuitous gift of unadulterated time at an especially critical juncture. This served as a catalyst from which this dissertation project was launched and I would specifically like to offer my sincere thanks to Carole Barduca whose enthusiasm and support has particularly touched me. I must also express my gratitude to Cindy Sokol, whose measured guidance aided in navigating through moments of “choppy waters.” Lastly, although certainly not least, I offer my inexpressible thanks to Dean Mark Wardell for his efforts on my behalf. In equal measure, I offer my deepest thanks to the Wayne State University Humanities Center, under the direction of Dr. Walter Edwards, for generously granting me the 2010 Edward M. Wise Dissertation Fellowship. Again, this plenteous award came at a decisive moment in time, allowing me not only the ability to complete the dissertation project, but additional time to continue my research efforts.

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