6. What is the function of the photography motif that appears throughout Zeitoun?

Images of cameras appear over and over in the book. The most prominent uses of cameras are, of course, by the media, who often photograph problems without trying to help. Zeitoun is disgusted by this, but he and his friends use cameras themselves--Todd photographs the damage to his home, and Zeitoun hopes that his television interview will be seen by his family. The act of bearing witness, it seems, is a good one, but it can easily be corrupted when it is done excessively. Photographs also trigger memories, which trigger flashbacks within the narrative to Zeitoun's childhood in Syria. These flashbacks aid in creating a complete picture of Zeitoun - something that pictures, without context, are unable to convey on their own. This limitation also refers to the media's sensationalistic reportage of rumors during Katrina.