Political Cartoons

Do Now In 2-3 sentences, write down the purpose of this cartoon.

How about the purpose of this cartoon?

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Purpose of Political Cartoons Provide a strong opinion Show unique perspective Persuade the reader To amuse or entertain Remember the political cartoons we looked at from Dr. Seuss Goes To War? What was Dr. Seuss trying to persuade his readers to think and/or do?

5 Techniques of Political Cartoonists Things to Consider 1.Purpose and perspective of political cartoonist 2.All techniques might not be used in every cartoon 3.Historical context when cartoon published 1.Symbolism 2.Labeling 3.Exaggeration 4. Irony 5. Analogy Discussed last week New today

Take a look at this cartoon… What do we need to know first? Cartoon was published in Supreme Court case of Brown vs. The Board of Education declared state laws establishing segregated schools to be unconstitutional. Many public schools were still segregated in the 1960’s. The cartoon was published by Herbert Lawrence Block, commonly known as Herblock.

Technique #1 - Symbolism Cartoonists use objects, or symbols, to stand for larger concepts or ideas. Example: Here, the cartoonist uses a birthday cake to represent all the time that has passed since the Supreme Court’s school desegregation decision.

Technique #2 - Labeling Cartoonists will label things to make it clear exactly what they are showing the reader. Example: The cartoonist has labeled the school building to show it represents ALL Jim Crow Public Schools.

Technique #3 - Exaggeration Cartoonists often use exaggeration of physical characteristics of people or the size of physical objects to make their point. Example: The height of the fence has been exaggerated to show how completely African American students are being excluded from public schools.

Enough Review, Mr. Scordato! What are the New Techniques? Analogy Irony You probably have at least heard of these words before, but how do political cartoonists use them?

Technique #4 - Irony Irony is a form of humor in which something is said in a way that mocks its own meaning. In other words, what is said seems to mean one thing, but it actually means the opposite. Irony is suited to political cartoons which reveal unfairness and injustice that exists in the world at large. Irony always entails a contradiction. An amusing image and/or caption will often reverse the meaning of words within a cartoon.

Too Many Words! Um, Mr. Scordato… I think I get it, but you may want to give us a few examples. Or maybe you can play that Alanis Morissette song my mom is always singing? Ok kid, but first a picture of kittens. Be patient and don’t ask any questions…yet!

Who Doesn’t Love Cute Kittens?

WHO Doesn’t Love Cute Kittens?!?!

Feel Differently About The Kittens? i·ro·ny (īrənē, ˈ iərnē), noun 1. The expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for comedic or emphatic effect. That’s not exactly what irony is, so let’s go to the dictionary for more help…

Which object in cartoon changes the intended meaning of dialogue? How did the cartoonist use Irony to relay his message? Isn’t It Ironic, Don’t You Think?

Let’s Go Back To Our Sample Cartoon from Herblock…

Technique #4 - Irony Irony is the difference between the way things are and the way they should or are expected to be. This is often used by the cartoonist to express their opinion. Example: It is ironic that Public Schools are still segregated years after the Supreme Court’s desegregation decision – it’s not the way things are supposed to be.

Technique #5 - Analogy An analogy is a comparison between two unlike things. By comparing a complex issue or situation with a more familiar one, cartoonists can help their readers see it in a different light. Hmmmmmm… sound familiar?

Technique #5 - Analogy An analogy is a comparison of two unlike things. Authors and cartoonists use analogies to help their readers see things more clearly or in a different light. Example: In this cartoon, the slow pace of school desegregation is compared with a young student waiting to be let into a public school.

How Many Techniques Do You See? 1.Symbolism 2.Labeling 3.Exaggeration 4. Irony 5. Analogy Should we try this with even more political cartoons?

How to Find Cartoons For Your National History Day Topics Look at newspapers during the historical time period. Use “political cartoon” with other relevant online search terms. Try Dr. Seuss Goes To War and other similar books in our library. Ask your parents or teachers for assistance.

Learn More About Herblock and Other Political Cartoonists Career at The Washington Post spanned 55 years Won three Pulitzer Prizes and the Medal of Freedom Coined the term McCarthyism Click All-Stars to learn more about other political cartoonists including:All-Stars –Art Young, who was arrested for his cartoons on corruption –Ollie Harrington Jr., who fled the country to escape persecution over his cartoons advocating civil rights. There is a documentary about Herblock’s life in theatres now. Click Herb Block Movie Trailer to learn more.Herb Block Movie Trailer