In the photograph, Weems primarily uses lightning to display a contrast in societal expectations for men and woman. Here, the only source of light is casted upon the man on the kitchen table's head, whilst light does not pour over the woman. This difference in lightning could be a symbolic display of how women are often overlooked and unseen in a marginalized society. He’s in the light, the “visible” world, while she lives in the shaded, emotional space that keeps everything functioning quietly beneath the surface. Her serious look directed towards the man reveals a subtle resentment too, or anger, suggesting how she feels undervalued in the relationship. It tells a story of loneliness for women, expected to sustain relationships from the background without expecting recognition.
