How Do You Analyze a Political Cartoon

When I am trying to analyze a political cartoon the first thing I do is look at the drawings and try and figure out the little hints and add ins used to portray the political situation.

Teachers Guide: Analyzing Political Cartoons
        -observe
        -reflect
        -question
These are the three steps that the guide told me to do when analyzing a political cartoon. I had the observing part correct but missed the refection and question asking section of the analyzation process. Now when I analyze a political cartoon I will not only observe what I see why question the importance and why it was but into the cartoon.

1.

Clifford Berryman Political Cartoon Collection
On first glance of this political cartoon my eyes went straight to the boot crushing the Philippines. Your mind then wanders over to the sign that says, "Notice. The US has requested to withdraw P.D.Q" and the little man next to the boot. After the observance I started to think about the meaning of all of these things and why they were placed into the cartoon. The boot is representing America because of the flag pattern on the pants and its overpowering hold that it has over the island. The small man next to the boot is used to show the Philippians are putting up for their country. This political cartoon causes the viewer to question the intrusion of the Philippians and to show the power that America had over them.

2.    Uncle Sam Political Cartoon WhiteBurden

  When observing this political cartoon the first obvious thing that is seen is Uncle Sam, Americas mascot spanking a Filipino with what looks like straw. The Filipino is drawn as a child being punished and Uncle Sam drawn as the father figure having to do the punishing. After I observed everything in the political cartoon, I then start to think of the importance of the parts of the cartoon. I think that Uncle Sam is spanking a Filipino because he is scolding him for not listening to him and being unfit to run his own country. This political cartoon causes the viewer to question the intenseness of the hold that America has over the Filipino community.








3. American Propaganda and War in the Philippines
This political cartoon is depicting three men one Filipino, one Hawaiian, and one Cuban joining together in celebration over the Independence of America. You can tell this by the American flags that are being waved and the caption of the cartoon itself. This cartoon is important because it shows the coming together of all the countries. The political cartoon makes you question why they didn't come together earlier because of the happiness that is seen on their faces.