As the Pope entered The States for his first time, it seemed as though everyone from New York to D.C was impacted by his prodigious trip. In the cartoon above, cartoonist Scott Stantis depicts how amidst the Pope's friendly visit, US politics are still at full fledge battle with each other. This cartoon was published in US News, and Stantis's clever cartoons are also published in several of his books, as well as several of the most popular news companies in The United States. His audience consisted of anyone who reads US News, and was intended to show how US politics are so filled with egotistical politicians, that they do not take time to think about the positive messages that are spread throughout the US. One very effective device of rhetoric that Stantis uses in this cartoon was ambiguity. His indirect, yet intentional use of of color highlights the differences between the Pope, and US politicians. His use of a dark color scheme to make the US seem darker and evil, makes the bright white Pope seem like the good guy in this cartoon. The multiple meanings behind his use of color contribute to his purpose of illuminating the egotistical, self-centered politicians that fight more than actually coming to productive agreements. Along with that purpose, the words in the bubble above the Popes head bring along another effective use of rhetoric, which is colloquialism. The short sentence which has the complexity of a third grader, gives the cartoon an informal vibe, yet is still as impactful as if he had used SAT words. It adds to his purpose, because it is almost as if the Pope is treating the politicians like elementary schoolers, telling them to "be kind to each other." Through Stantis's use of colloquialism and ambiguity, he accomplished his purpose in this visual.
No comments:
Post a Comment