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Juniors ~ Political Cartoon Analysis

Overview & Format
Your assignment is to write an analysis of at least three political cartoons, focusing on their treatment of a central contemporary issue -- i.e. the tragedy in Haiti, or the controversy surrounding full body scanners at airports. The essay should be at least 500 words and can include images of the cartoons themselves. All images and text should cite sources (the artists' names can be found on Cagle's page), and we will create "works cited" pages in class.

Content & Organization
As discussed in class, the best way to begin is with your thesis. Your subject is satire in political cartoons, but your topic is based on your own interest. Your thesis should be directly related to the methods the cartoons utilize to get their points across.

Once you've decided on a thesis, move to the "main idea" for each cartoon. Then, focus your analysis on the cartoons' various rhetorical strategies (i.e. their tone, or use of juxtaposition or sensory imagery). In other words, what methods do the artists use to communicate their message? Remember to comment on both the images and the text in the cartoons, and you should also be aware of the artists' appeals to logic and/or emotion.

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