Analyzing Satire: Political Cartoon Presentation - Denisa Wood

Analyzing Satire: Political Cartoon Presentation

Denisa Wood

Mrs. Kirkland

British Literature

17 October, 2019

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In this image the one that is being satirized is the government officials of the house. The concept illustrated in the cartoon is much related to the US education. The representative of the house is obviously presenting a paper to the senate and this is all about the project they have done to fund the needs of education. As you can see in the picture, the senate is much happy from what he heard from the house. But as he was reading the paper he thinks that the house is just fooling them. They did not funded education as seen in the senate’s reaction.

The satire is funny in the sense that the house is being criticized for not fulfilling their works. One of the elements we can observe in this cartoon is the situational irony. The outcome of the educational fund turns out to be very different from what was the senate expects from the house. Another element is hyperbole. The senate compares the work of the house to the famous “April fool”, the tradition of fooling during the 1st day of April. Lastly, the sarcasm. The subject of this situation is how the senate ridicules the house for being dishonest in doing their jobs. The three elements that is present in the cartoon presentations can be easily identified by analyzing it

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The new and the old president are the ones being satirized in this situation. These three characters in the illustration express their opinions about the comparison between President Barack Obama and Donald Trump. When the horse character, just read the news headline “Repeal and Replace?” he warns these two couple that their country will become unwell again. But then, these couples are already aware that their country by then is sick in the term of Obama. Meaning there is nothing new to them. New of old president, there is still no change at all.

The funny thing about this satire is the author represented a horse to make it more sarcastic. Wit will always be present in creating satire. It helps the reader to be cleaver in analyzing the idea behind the satire. Satire is also present. The three characters criticize both Obama and Trump’s vices. Sarcasm occurs during the two people mock Obama about his “Obama-care” program. The cartoon presentation is interesting because it has a lot of satire element

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This image clearly shows that the oath taking of Donald Trump is being satirized. The people of America gathered together for the special event, but seems unhappy and frustrated as seen in their facial expressions. People crossed their fingers as a sign that they are wishing for luck. When finger crossing it also implies in asking God guidance. In connection, the setting was also heaven like. This cartoon presentation something to do with the mass distraught.

The funny thing about this satire is the halo above Donald Trump’s head and the heaven like setting for America. The dramatic irony is present and the exaggeration. People are too dramatic in the illustration when they all gesture the fingers-crossed. The exaggeration thing is the heaven setting like and putting a halo in Donald Trump’s head is a form of sarcasm. The image shows a lot of elements of satire.

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The right to know of the people and democracy were being satirized in the cartoon presentation. It shows two persons with a label “The People’s right to know” and “Democracy”. The person that has a label “The People’s right to know” is obviously tortured and imprisoned for a long time while the person that has a “Democracy” label is a new prison. The tortured prison warns the new one that he has the feeling he’d be the next. The illustrator is trying to point out that after depriving “The People’s right to know” the next one to follow is the Democracy.

The satire is funny in the sense that the illustration that was presented were two persons imprisoned. The satire element drama irony is observed in the illustration because audience can easily understood what does the character is trying to say but the characters was not able to grasp the idea of what will really happen to them or what really are they. The illustrator also put hyperbole and exaggeration in the cartoon presentation.

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Election is the one being satirized in this illustration. Darth Vader represents the “Dark Money” and “Election” is represented by a man wearing the American Flag. In the illustration, it shows that the man bow down to dark money. Darth Vader represents the dark money because he is powerful and during the time of election money also powerful because it is used in any affair. This implicates that money is dark in times of election because people worshiped it.

The satire is funny because the illustrator used Darth Vader to represent the money, where in fact there are other examples that can be use in representing. Drama irony is best described in this illustration. The audience can easily get what does the illustrator is trying to convey. The underestimation is also observable in the illustration. U.S was underestimated because of bowing down to the money. The illustration has a great impact in the whole nation, not just even in U.S but to other countries.

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The different Political Cartoons has something to do with an illustration that draws attention to the different ills in the society using different kind of satire elements. Swift, in his A Modest Proposal also used the elements of satire in order to get the attention of his readers and become aware of the arising problem in their society. In the political cartoons the elements that are mostly present are the following; verbal irony, situational irony, dramatic irony, sarcasm, exaggeration. It is sarcastic in a way that illustrators mock a group or a person that has not contributed much in the society or being hate by many. In Swift’s satire, he uses a lot of sarcasm in pointing out the big problem in his society. Political cartoon was being exaggerated in the form of using animal and other characters that is worse than it really is. The different types of irony is also present in Political cartoon, from it situational impact in the reader to the dramatic form type. Like in Swift’s also, he did use this in elements in his satire to become more captivating to the readers. Swift’s use of the different satire is also present in any political cartoon.

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Works Cited

The Week - All you need to know about everything that matters. The week's 7 best political cartoon, Date Published: January 08, 2016, October 17, 2019

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