A Rhetorical Analysis Of A Political Cartoon Make By Bill Bramhall

Questioning the Powerful

INTRODUCTION

In early 2020, police brutality seemed to be happening every week. These police officers have been abusing their powers affecting American citizens. As the years have gone by, police brutality and other government power misuses have been rampant in the United States. This cartoon above describes the relationship between the American people and those in power. Bill Bramhall successfully conveys his message of how the people in power, such as the U.S. Government and police, abuse their power and cause unjust violence to the American people by creating pathos through the use of symbolism and irony paired with incongruity.

RHETORICAL SITUATION

This image is a political cartoon made by Bill Bramhall who works

This first noticeable aspect of the cartoon is seeing the two massive fighter jets engaging with cupid. Additionally, Bill Bramhall does a great job of creating exaggeration as they exaggerate the dangerous capabilities that cupid has. In this cartoon, he is portrayed as a threat to society, but as the audience knows, cupid only spreads love. The irony in the text from the jets, “OBJECT APPEARS ARMED '' is that cupid is technically armed. Yet he is armed with his bow and arrow that when shot influences love onto others. Bramhall creates a powerful pathos appeal in this cartoon by making it seem like cupid is being prosecuted for nothing. Cupid is unbothered in this cartoon and has no idea what the jets behind him are thinking. These elements together create the strong claim that the American people who have done nothing wrong, end up being affected by the mistakes made by the U.S.

What makes this cartoon so intriguing is the complete opposites being represented. The evil and heartless side of the cartoon, as the peaceful and loving side of the cartoon, is cupid. This cartoon perfectly reveals the faults of the U.S. Government and Police institutions from this ridiculous and exaggerated cartoon. The humor in this cartoon connects with the incongruity to express Bramhall’s claim of the misuse of power within the United States. This cartoon successfully convinces the audience to understand the problem of the misuse of power around the United States through the use of incongruity and