How to Analyze a Political Cartoon

1. Explain and express the primary political concerns of a society. 2. Tell the history of a particular period. 3. They convey American political issues by using humor as an educational strategy for learning. 4. Political cartoons influence the American Public concerning political topics both foreign and domestic. * In other words, they can effect elections and legislation.
1992 President

Why are Political Cartoons Important?

X
No Way!

***What impact do political cartoons really have in the American Political System?

What You Need to Know!

Content knowledge of the subject and the historical period.
Knowledge of persuasive techniques that are used by cartoonists.

Getting Started!!!!

Answer the Questions!

Winston Churchill issued warnings about the Soviet Union as early as 1946 when he claimed that an Iron Curtain had fallen across Eastern Europe to describe the Soviet Unions and its leader Joseph Stalins grasp for power in the region. The term was used throughout the Cold War.

Content Knowledge

The first major event of the Cold War involved the amazing effort of British and American pilots to keep West Berlin supplied after the Soviet government closed all outside ground traffic. Between June 1948 and September 1949, pilots made 277,000 flights into West Berlin, carrying more than two million tons of products including coal for fuel.
The end of the Cold War also saw the fall of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, which had united the countries of eastern and central Europe and much of northern Asia under communist rule. The breakup of the union changed the face of Europe and kept mapmakers busy as over twenty new countries emerged or reemerged over the next several years.

In the late 1980s, the beginning of the end of the Soviet Union occurred with the defeat of the Communist party in Poland by the Solidarity Movement, a labor union led by Lech Walesa. Walesa risked his life and spent time in prison to found the Union.
* The Cold War was incredibly expensive over its four decades, costing the U.S. eight trillion dollars in military expenditures and over 100,000 lives in Korea and Vietnam. Although the exact figures for the Soviet Union are unknown, they spent a larger percentage of their gross national product on the war, maybe as much as 60 percent.

Political Cartoonist Techniques

Labeling

Symbolism
Cartoonists use simple objects, or symbols, to stand for larger concepts or ideas.

Hint: After you identify the symbols in a cartoon, think about what the cartoonist intends each symbol to stand for.

Symbolism: The Statue of

Liberty stands as a symbol for freedom in the United States.

Exaggeration
Sometimes cartoonists overdo, or exaggerate, the physical characteristics of people or things in order to make a point.
Hint: When you study a cartoon, look for any characteristics that seem overdone or overblown. Then, try to decide what point the cartoonist was trying to make through exaggeration.

Exaggeration The iron curtain is depicted as

a reality instead of a fictitious influence of communism and stretches the entire European continent.

Labeling
Cartoonists often label objects or people to make clear the specific belief or position they represent.

Hint: 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 clarify the meaning for you?

Labeling: The plane is represented as the

complacent nature of America in the early space exploration period. Therefore, Americas complacency gave the Soviets an opportunity to move ahead of the United States in the Race for Space.

Analogy
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.
Hint: After youve studied a cartoon for a while, try to decide what is the primary analogy of the cartoon. What two situations or elements of cartooning does the cartoon compare?

Analogy: The world is analogized with a

large fruit or vegetable that is being split between the 3 Axis Powers.

Irony
Irony is the difference between the ways things are and the way things should be, or the way things are expected to be. * Cartoonists often use irony to express their opinion on an issue.
Hint: If you can, think about what point the irony might be intended to emphasize?

Irony: It is ironic the Cold War was fought very differently (I.e. indirectly)
than traditional wars and therefore issue medals that represent the nature of the weapons in that war.

Mr. Patten, I have identified the content knowledge and the persuasive techniques, now what do I do?????

ASK THESE QUESTIONS Daffy!

Mr. Patten NHS

* What political event or idea is the cartoon referring to? * What key people or groups are part of the cartoons message?

* How has the cartoonist depicted these people? Explain any symbols used by the cartoonist to portray people, countries or organizations.
*How do the labels, captions, speech bubbles or titles (If present) contribute to the cartoons message? *What is the message of the cartoon and how is the cartoonist trying to sway the reader?

Now, Put It All Together