Barthes posits that the purpose of myth is to distort, not to hide, and that nothing is hidden in myth. According to Barthes myth purifies things and makes them innocent in order to create an eternal and natural justification. It denies nothing, but isn't the purification of an image or text a denial of the true nature of reality to begin with? Barthes seems to downplay the fact that distortion through myth is obviously a tool of purposeful misrepresentation for the promotion of a certain concept. For example, the photograph of the black french soldier saluting, although the image itself is an honest and real image, definitely intends to misrepresent and downplay certain factors or reality. The racial harmony presented in this photo under the name of France is nothing more than a clever illusion. While this particular soldier gladly served under the name of France he is merely one man. For all the viewer knows he could be the only black man so glad to serve his country. While this was obviously not the case it just goes to show that myth does attempt to hide and deny certain things. In fact the sole purpose of the photograph of the black soldier happily saluting was to deny the reality of racial turmoil in France. Barthes himself points this out. This is not to say that I believe Barthes is wrong about what myth hides and distorts, merely that he over exaggerates the honesty of myth. It is true that myth merely seeks to purify, but in this purification denial of certain things will naturally occur in this process.