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 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 Web. 5 Feb