Persuasive language analysis

Cartoons and im

ages

Cartoon analysis

•A

ccompany articles

•D

rawings used to evoke criticism

or comm

ent on an issue

•D

epict a serious issue with hum

ourto expose

human folly

•Identifies ironic or ridiculous aspects of issue

•D

emonstrates strong opinion

•Refers to political or public figures and decisions

Persuasive techniques used in Cartoons

•Exaggeration

•Sym

bolism

•Labeling

•A

nalogy

•Irony

Exaggeration

Who are these figures? Can you tell despite the exaggerated

features?

What are these features?

Exaggeration

•D

epiction of physical characteristics–

Specifically facial features

•H

ow does this position the audience?

–D

epicts the characters as foolish

–D

emeans pow

er and authority

–Take the characters less seriously

–D

oubt their power and authority

•Strengthens argum

ent at hand

Symbolism

W

hat is the main

symbol in this

cartoon?

What does this

symbol represent?

Symbolism

•Takes a sim

ple or a well-know

n object and creates them

to stand as a larger concept or idea

•Illum

inates the foolishness of the ideas surrounding the issue

•U

ncle Sam represents the w

ider idea of Am

erican freedom

and liberation

•Identify these sym

bols in the Cartoon –very im

portant

Labeling

Can you identify the labels?

What is their

purpose?

Labeling

•O

ften Cartoonists label specific elements

•Signifies their im

portance•

Pinpoints an importance aspect of the issue

•Identifies w

hat the cartoonist wants the audience

to understand •

Includes names of people, places objects

•Can include speech bubbles and descriptions

•Full m

essage can only be portrayed often with

the use of words included in the Cartoon

Analogy

What is this

image

portraying a representation of?

What kind of

ideas does that conjure up?

Analogy

•Com

parison between tw

o things that are not alike

•Com

plex issue can be related to a more

familiar concept and the ideas that are related

to that concept

•H

elps the audience understand what values

the Cartoonist may be trying to depict

Irony

Are there any

obvious contradictions depicted in this im

age?

What sort of

idea does this give you about the issue?

Irony

•The difference betw

een the way things are

and the way things are supposed to be or are

expected to be

•D

epicts contradictions surrounding an issue

•Positions the readers to see the w

ay that things actually are, despite w

hat they’re expected to think or how

they’re expected to react

Cartoon analysis steps

1.W

hat is the contention of the Cartoonist?–

What is the m

ain point?

2.W

hat issue is being represented?3.

Who is in the Cartoon?

–H

ow are they being represented?

–N

egative or positive?

4.W

hat visual strategies are being used to persuade the audience?

5.W

as the Cartoon persuasive?

Sample analysis

1.W

hat is the contention of the Cartoonist? W

hat is the main point?

–Schapelle’s captivity has only changed from

one form

to another

2.W

hat issue is being represented?

–Schapelle

being released from Bali prison

3. Who is in the Cartoon? H

ow are they being

represented? Negative or positive?

–Schapelle

Corby (positive)–

Press (negative)

4. What visual strategies are being used to

persuade the audience?

–Exaggeration

–Labeling

–Irony

•Exaggeration–

The press –

Overcrow

ding, eyes boggled–

Dark colours

•Labeling–

Speech bubble

•Irony –

The use of the word ‘freedom

’–

She can’t get out of the door –w

hat makes them

think she is free?

Did it persuade you?

•You tell m

e?

•W

hat reaction do you feel?

•D

o you feel any form of sym

pathy?

•D

o you feel scornful towards the press?

•D

o it change your opinion in any way? In a

negative way or a positive w

ay?

•D

o you agree with the contention of the

cartoon?

Now

try it on your own…