How do you Analyze a Political Cartoon

Me: When I look at a political cartoon I first read the title of the cartoon. That gives me an idea of what is going on. I then read all the words that are given. I think that the words kind of tell what is going on and what the standpoint and views of are the cartoonist. After reading the title and the words I then go look at the cartoon. I look at what is drawn, what is most exaggerated, what takes up the most space, what has the biggest size, what has the smallest size, what has the most color, and what is black and white. This shows readers what is the most important, less important, and what has the most attention in the cartoon.

Library of Congress:
Symbolism: Cartoonists use symbols or objects, in order to show big concepts and ideas. After you identify the symbols, think about what each symbol means.
Exaggeration: Cartoonist overdo or exaggerate physical characteristics of things and people.
Labeling: Cartoonist usually label objects and people to show what they stand for.
Analogy: Cartoonist compare two different things that have a few of the same characteristics.
Irony: Cartoonist like to compare the way things should be to the way things are.

Comparing: It looks like most of the guide's ways of doing things and mine are very similar. My ways of analyzing are very similar to the Library of Congress. To really read all the words, and to look deep into the images.

I plan on looking at political cartoons pretty much the way I always have. I have always looked at the images in the cartoon, what they are, which ones are the biggest, smallest, most bland, and most exaggerated. Then I will read the words and the titles and figure out what it is about and what the cartoonist believes. Then I will look for things I never have, such as irony, and analogies, and the comparison between many things. I really enjoy looking at cartoon and trying to figure out what they are trying to convey. I think it is fun, and usually the meanings are really funny and interesting. It is a fun way to express political views.

Spanish American War:

I really like this cartoon because it shows a lot. The first thing you are drawn to is Uncle Sam standing in the middle of the ocean. He is very exaggerated, meaning his size. He is towering over the ocean. If you continue to look you see he is pulling a ship with his fist. Meaning Uncle Sam, or America is extremely strong in the War, and that they are powerful, and mighty. You see Uncle Sam walking towards tiny little Cuba. This shows that even the biggest most powerful nations seek to help small places in need, such as Cuba. This cartoon shows that America declared war on Spain, in order to help and save Cuba. 

Philippine Conflict: 

This is a political cartoon of the Philippine invasion. The biggest most exaggerated object here is a huge clean and shiny shoe. The shoe is a fancy, up town king of shoe, and is very large in size. My attention is drawn to it almost imeadietely. You see the shoe to be stepping onto the Philippines with a small Filipino man trying to pry the shoe off of the land with a single tiny stick. This shows the big and wealthy Americans trying to invade the Filippinos and their land. It also shows how weak they were compared to America at the time.

American Imperialism:

This cartoon is a picture of Uncle Sam holding the entire globe or the World. The only two objects in this image are Uncle Sam himself, very long and lengthy, and the very big and wide globe. He is almost hugging it and the only places shown are The United States, the Philippines, Hawaii, Guam, with a few others. This shows that these places were eventually important to Uncle Sam, or America, and that these were the places America planned and already did take under control. Down at the bottom you see the words, "Now, Will he let go? If you think he will let go, you don't know him." This shows that every other nation thought awfully of America. It tells the reader that if you think America is going to stop trying to acquire land, then you are wrong, and you do not know America, who they are, and what they do. This cartoon is very against America, and shows bad views that were seen of our country from others.