Political Cartoons
• Symbolism: Cartoonists use simple
objects or symbols to stand for larger
concepts or ideas.
•
After you identify the symbols in a cartoon,
think about what the cartoonist intends
each symbol to stand for
• Exaggeration Sometimes cartoonists overdo or
exaggerate the physical characteristics of
people or things in order to make a point.
•
When you study a cartoon, look for any
characteristics that seem overdone or
overblown. (Facial characteristics and clothing
are some of the most commonly exaggerated
characteristics.) Then, try to decide what point
the cartoonist was trying to make through
exaggeration.
• Cartoonists often label objects or people to
make it clear exactly what they stand for.
•
Watch out for the different labels that appear in a
cartoon and ask yourself why the cartoonist
chose to label that particular person or object.
Does the label make the meaning of the object
more clear?
• Juxtaposition-the state of being side by side or close
together, in a figurative case.
• Juxtaposition Sometimes cartoonists make their points
by putting together two people, two situations or two
ideas that don’t belong together.
• For example, in the Oct. 16, 2000 issue of Newsweek, a
cartoon shows Al Gore making campaign promises to a
child who is trick-or-treating at his house. The source of
the humor is that a campaign speech and Halloween are
not two ideas that go together.
•
• An analogy is a comparison between two unlike things
that share some characteristics. By comparing a
complex issue or situation with a more familiar one,
cartoonists can help their readers see it in a different
light.
•
After you’ve studied a cartoon for a while, try to decide
what the cartoon’s main analogy is. What two situations
does the cartoon compare? Once you understand the
main analogy, decide if this comparison makes the
cartoonist’s point more clear to you.
• Irony is the difference between the ways things
are, the way things should be, or the way things
are expected to be. Cartoonists often use irony
to express their opinion on an issue.
•
When you look at a cartoon, see if you can find
any irony in the situation the cartoon depicts. If
you can, think about what point the irony might
be intended to emphasize. Does the irony help
the cartoonist express his or her opinion more
effectively?
Points to include in your paper
• Once you’ve identified the persuasive
techniques that the cartoonist used,
ask yourself:
• What issue is this political cartoon about?
(use specific example from cartoon to
support your answer)
• What is the cartoonist’s opinion on this
issue? (use specific example from cartoon
to support your answer)
Due Monday
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1 page paper ( at least) in MLA format
I inch margins
Times New Roman
12 font
Paper should have an introduction with thesis statement, 3 body
paragraphs, and a conclusion
What is your interpretation of this cartoon-what techniques does the author
use to make this cartoon persuasive? Is this cartoon persuasive? Why or
why not?
You must use 3 specific examples from the cartoon to back up the
information in the body paragraphs-THEY MUST HAVE PARENTHETICAL
CITATIONS!!!!
PAPER MUST CONTAIN A WORKS CITED PAGE!
• See the Owl at Purdue website for heading
information.
In-Text citations
• In-text Citations for Print Sources with Known
Author
• For Print sources like books, magazines, scholarly
journal articles, and newspapers, provide a signal word
or phrase (usually the author’s last name) and a page
number. If you provide the signal word/phrase in the
sentence, you do not need to include it in the
parenthetical citation.
• Human beings have been described by Kenneth Burke
as "symbol-using animals" (3). Human beings have been
described as "symbol-using animals" (Burke 3).
In-Text citations
• In-text Citations for Print Sources with No Known
Author
• When a source has no known author, use a shortened
title of the work instead of an author name. Place the title
in quotation marks if it's a short work (e.g. articles) or
italicize it if it's a longer work (e.g. plays, books,
television shows, entire websites) and provide a page
number.
• We see so many global warming hotspots in North
America likely because this region has "more readily
accessible climatic data and more comprehensive
programs to monitor and study environmental change . .
." ("Impact of Global Warming" 6).
• Internet sources will not include page
numbers unless they are in PDF format!!!
Cartoon or Comic Strip
Works Cited entry (print)
• Cheney, Tom. Cartoon. New Yorker 9
June 2003: 93. Print.
After the creator’s name, place the title of the
work (if given) in quotation marks and include
the descriptor Cartoon or Comic Strip.
Online cartoon or comic strip (Web)
• Cagle, Caryl. “Social Security Pays 3 to
2.” Cartoon. Slate.com. Newsweek
Interactive, 4 Feb. 2005. Web. 5 Feb.
2005.