The lonely woman

I am trying to decipher why I called this photo "the lonely woman". It  obviously has to do with the fact that she is walking all by herself, no family, no husband or boyfriend, no friend or child. Its she and her umbrella; with that look. It is my sensation that she is walking through an unfriendly environment. The old man carrying the white plastic bag, with an awkward twist of hand and an unpleasant gesture, as if he was looking down on her. It reinforces the idea of hostile ground. Is he suspicious of what her intentions are? He could represent the patriarchal idea that women should not be walking all by themselves out on the streets. 

At the same time, the woman does not seem to be altered by these potential threats, she is quite assertive in her step forward, carrying no handbag, with her left arm hanging and her hand almost as if she was holding a gun. That gives her strength. One can approach her as being lonely, but then you take a step backwards and realize she is strong in a strange world. The loneliness of the women who face the outdoors, without the support of the group. When I see her in the photo, I do feel some compassion, almost keen to step in and say "hey, mind if I walk alongside". But that would not be appropriate, because, despite all odds, she is  lonely but strong.