The picture taken of "Tank Man" in Tiananmen Square Garden shows the courage of an average person.On June 5, 1989, several Chinese people were gathered around Tinanamen Square garden for a non-violent protest. Still, the Chinese government warned protestors to leave the area, if not they would all be shot. Although several people left Tiananmen Sqare many stayed behind, wanting to stand up for what they believed in. The people just wanted a chance to make a point to the government that they were unhappy. The government did not get the message and sent in tanks to kill the rest of the rebellious protestors.
The "Tank Man" was an iconic figure. He holds two grocery bags in his hands and stops the line of ominous looking tanks right before him. When tanks try to maneuver around him, he moves in the same direction showing he is not afraid to fight. He even gets up on the tank at one point and knocks on the tank, wanting to talk to the soldier inside. He flails his arms around and yells and the soldiers, probably defaming his government.
The "Tank Man" is an iconic figure because he was courageous and reckless. Obviously, a tank is bigger than any man and can flatten any human body in its way. The man does not seem to care though because he wants to show how disgusted he is with his government. Even though the "Tank Man" instantly became a hot topic all around the world, he is still very elusive. Nobody knows what happened to him, if he was murdered amongst the many other citizens in Tiananmen Sqare that day, if he managed to escape, or if he was killed secretly later on by the Chinses government. Maybe the joy of mystery helps audiences around the world create their own story.
