Public Order: After the Deluge

In times of tragedy and disorder, where public order is completely lost, powerful individuals usually take it open themselves to step into authoritative rolls and attempt to lead civilians into order. In the graphic text, A.D. New Orleans After the Deluge by Josh Nuefeld, two authoritative figures form after the mess that hurricane Katrina left. The traditional form of authority, or the police and an untraditional form the "thugs" both break public order as they attempt to follow orders or save the civilians. Both authoritative figures change the dynamics of public order by taking things that are public and turning them private and vice versa, in an attempt to fulfill their roles in society.

The loss of order is clearly displayed through the use of art in this graphic text. Very early on there is a depiction of a public bathroom, a room that is usually kept neat and clean by society, is left in complete mess. The results of Katrina paired with the inability for people to work and clean the bathroom has left the place in such a disarray that it cannot be used as it is intended, the stalls are so untouchable that another women in the picture has decided to use the floor outside the stall instead. There are two women in the picture, each representing a different social class. One woman in the drawing takes up a third of the frame, she is well put together and her body language shows that she is shocked by such disorder in the bathroom. While in the bottom left corner stands a woman hidden in the frame, she looks more disheveled, she has messy hair and is seems used to such mess because she doesn't mind using the floor as her bathroom. (Neufeld356) These two women are put in this frame to show that loss of public order effects people of all walks of life, the wealthy as well as the homeless. This loss of public order has left the civilians desperate and confused, public spaces are not being used how they are intended. Every social class and every roll in society cannot be met as originally intended in normal everyday life. The usual order kept in this public bathroom is not being met, it is intended to be kept clean, and to be used in a private manor, yet it is kept in an utter mess, and the is being used publically due to the desperation of the people.

Within the United States, any citizen has the ability to enter or leave a city as they desire. But in this text, the citizens are being forced to stay within the city with no food, shelter or water. (366) "They fired their rifles at us and were like, "Get the hell back where you came from!" (373) The traditional authoritative figures are using weapons and threats to keep the civilians trapped in the city. This forms confusion for the civilians because they are used to being able to enter and leave a city at their own discretion, but in these times of desperation they are being forced to stay in a city that is essentially killing them. Although it was given as an order by higher rankings for the police to keep the civilians kept in the city, they are taking something that is usually considered a public place and making it private. A public space can essentially be entered and exited as one pleases while a private place can make limits on when such actions occur.