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A Rhetorical Analysis Of The Cartoon 'Donald Trump' By Lisa Benson

592 Words3 Pages

Many forms of persuasion are actually conveyed through the medium of art. Lisa Benson made one such cartoon that displayed her opinion of Donald Trump and his relations with the Republican party. From design to the three tools of rhetoric, this piece has a multitude of persuasive aspects. Lisa Benson, the artist of the cartoon illustrated her audience, the Americans who read her editorial, her opinion on the controversy between Trump and the GOP. Trump had differing views from those belonging to the Republican party, and politically waged war on them. She made the comic to show that she believed that there is a growing divide between the establishment Republicans and the Republican front-runner Donald Trump, and that Trump is winning. In the drawing, she shows an elephant, representative of the Grand Old Party, exiting a train labeled “Trump”. The …show more content…

For instance, she utilizes exaggeration when depicting the elephant jumping out of a train. The Republican party may be abandoning the figurative “Trump train”, but they are not leaping out of any real locomotive. This rhetorical tool was used to demonstrate the extent to which the GOP members are willing to abandon their parties presidential candidate and risk political suicide, rather than continuing on the Trump train. Using another tactic, Benson adds various symbols, including the elephant and the train. The elephant is the symbol of the Republican party, which is why it is an excellent representation of the GOP in a cartoon. The train is referring to a common comparison between Donald Trump’s campaign and a train, making it obvious to the reader its meaning. Ethos is also a key component of the comic. Benson is a popular political cartoonist and has created an immense number of drawings. Following the lines of rhetorical appeals, Benson uses pathos, mainly satirical humor, to capture her audience as well. But Benson does not only use rhetoric in her

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