On Photography

Why do you think Sontag presents her essays in the order that she does? What would change if the essays were presented in a different order? Might a different way of arranging the essays be more efficient? If so, why?

Sontag took much inspiration from the quotation collages of Walter Benjamin. What do the literary techniques of collage and montage achieve in “A Brief Anthology of Quotations” that a well-written essay could not? Why does Sontag choose to include this curated collection of quotations?

What is the supertourist in On Photography? How does this figure relate to the act of photography? How does this figure relate to museums?

Why does the author begin with Plato’s allegory of the cave? What is its relevance to her views on photography?

Why does Sontag believe that photography is inherently reactionary? Can a photograph ever convey truth or information by itself? Why or why not?

How does Sontag characterize the relationship between photography and art? What does she believe is the purpose behind the rhetoric that photographers use to justify their art?

Why does the author believe that consumerism requires photographs? How is photography essential to today’s society?

What is the relationship between the surreal and the passage of time? How do photographs shape people’s understanding of time?