Meaning Of Political Cartoons For The Washington Post

Political cartoons are drawings used to show controversial issues in a less serious way. The way in which these images are drawn and viewed can demonstrate several hidden meanings. Different aspects of the cartoons, such as color, word choice, and character portrayal, become the factor of differentiation between the surface and underlying meaning of the cartoon in whole. Cartoon A is a demonstration of what a woman’s $10 bill should look like. This art is done by Tom Toles for The Washington Post. Cartoon B is a representation of how a woman, no matter how educated, will always earn less than a man. The purpose of these cartoons is to inform the public of inequality taking place in today’s world. In Cartoon A, color is utilized as a tool

In Cartoon A, the words used were chosen carefully, with lots of thought going into the decision. The cartoonist chose to spell words incorrectly, indicating that they hold the belief that women are dumb, or not of the same level of intelligence as men. On the dollar, it states “Close Enuf 4U,” meaning that they believe that women are not deserving of equal pay. Not only this, but the cartoonist continues to use these mistake-ridden phrases to show their view of the intelligence of women. The image contains phrases such as “B. Patient” and “Federal Deserve Note,” both of which degrading and restricting women’s right to equal pay as a whole. Cartoon B, however, uses a more straightforward approach to the controversy. Two nearly identical phrases are used, side-by-side, in this cartoon. The difference to the phrases is significant. Cartoon B shows a man saying “Another day… Another dollar,” next to a women repeating the same thing, except excentuating the pay gap between man and woman. She says “Another day… Another 77¢.” This shows significance, as it demonstrates a direct comparison between the two for the same work. Also included in this sketch is a newspaper under the man’s arm. On that newspaper, it writes “Equal Pay Bill,” referring back to the controversial topic that the cartoon is covering. Word choice may not seem like the most obvious

The positioning of the characters says the most about this image than anything else; man in the front, and the woman behind him. This is symbolic of women always being behind men in professional environments. Women do not earn the same amount of money as men, no matter how hard they work, and this is shown through their positioning in the image. Moreover, the depiction of both shows that they are intelligent, as they are both wearing glasses, but still unequal in rights. Not only do they both have glasses, but also identical briefcases. This indicates that they are in upper-level positions and likely in the same position. Symbolism shows that even when everything is equal, job, abilities, and professionalism, women are continuously placed behind men in their payment. The use of character depiction in these political cartoons tell viewers the personal beliefs of the cartoonist and portrays them in an easy-to-understand