Is There a Way Out Without Violence? Dissecting the Symbols in Dread.jpg’s Artwork
This artwork posted by Dread.jpg on Instagram has over 6000 likes, and 60 comments- most of which simply read “No”.
Through the lens of semiotics, signs can be broken down into the ‘signifier’- the form which the sign takes- and the ‘signified’- the concept it represents (Chandler, 2019). There are three prominent signifiers depicted: guns, the underlined word ‘VIOLENCE’, and Cupid.
Cupid, the Roman god of love and affection, holds two types of arrows in myth. One with a sharp golden tip, which fills its victim with desire, the other blunted and made of lead, causing aversion and repulsion.
Audience Reception
We can identify three hypothetical positions from which decodings of a televisual discourse may be constructed (Hall 1991, pp.166-169).
Dominant Reading
Dread.jpg addresses a tension between capitalist and socialist revolutionary ideologies on whether violence is a necessary tool for social change, or in what forms it is acceptable. In Marxist ideology, it’s generally believed that violent revolution is necessary to overthrow the ruling class.“The violent overthrow of the bourgeoisie lays the foundation for the sway of the proletariat.” (Marx & Engels 2020, p. 16)
Capitalism is a system maintained by political violence, utilised by prisons, police, and militaries. Dread.jpg prompts us to consider whether it’s really feasible to escape such violence without resorting to the same tactic. But contrary to Marxists, capitalists often claim to be ‘anti-violent’, while openly advocating for war, and sometimes even genocide. This is particularly noticeable amongst world leaders in the US.
The guns aesthetically and metaphorically juxtapose Cupid. Why is this figure of love wielding weapons that are only used for violence, an act of hatred? The paradox is intentional, there to remind us that actions speak louder than words.
Negotiated Reading
The symbolism of multiple Cupids offers another meaning when contextualised with the 3rd-century poem ‘The Honey Stealer’, in which Aphrodite says, “And thou so little and yet able to make wounds so great?”
Revolutionists understand that overthrowing capitalism requires global revolution, not just a national one. “It follows that the communist revolution will not merely be a national phenomenon but must take place simultaneously in all civilized countries” (Marx, Engels 2012, p.50)
If we subtract the implication of violence from revolutionary theory, perhaps this imagery speaks to our belief in the communal human spirit, simultaneous action, and our potential to revolt as a collective, avoiding violence altogether. These beliefs are fundamentally why we boycott, petition, and protest after all.
Resistant Reading
The question “Is there a way out without violence?” may well be a genuine one. If the answer is yes, I’m sure almost everyone on earth would love to know what that reality looks like and how to forge the path towards it. But few of us, if any, truly believe that violence, in all its forms, can never be justified. Most of humanity supports political violence in the form of its military or police force, or believes their violence in resistance to these forces is justified.
Final Thoughts
Although comforting to believe that there is a ‘way out without violence’, perhaps the point of dread.jpg’s artwork is to force us to confront that belief. If we apply the grim reality of war, politics, and capitalism to a belief that violence is never justified, does it hold steadfast, or does it crumble apart?
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References
Chandler, D 2019, Semiotics for Beginners, viewed 18 March 2026. Available online, <https://www.cs.princeton.edu/~chazelle/courses/BIB/semio2.htm#:~:text=a%20’signifier’%20(signifiant),to%20as%20’the%20bar‘.>
Hall, S, et al. 1991, Culture, Media, Language: Working Papers in Cultural Studies, 1972-79, Taylor & Francis Group, Oxford, pp.166-169, viewed 18 March 2026, available from: ProQuest Ebook Central, <https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uow/reader.action?docID=179321&c=RVBVQg&ppg=169>
Marx, K, & Engels, F 2012, The Communist Manifesto, Yale University Press, New Haven, p.64, viewed 18 March 2026. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central, <https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uow/reader.action?docID=3420865&query=&c=UERG&ppg=79#>
Marx, K, & Engels, F 2020, The Communist Manifesto, Open Road Integrated Media Inc., New York, p. 16, viewed 18 March 2026. Available from ProQuest Ebook Central, <http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uow/detail.action?docID=6275623.>