Step 1: Describe What is the topic that the cartoon is commenting on? The topic that the cartoon is commenting on is Paul Kagame’s role in the 2010 elections in Rwanda, including the advantages he had over the other candidates. Describe the action taking place in the cartoon referencing specific parts of the cartoon. First of all, the most noticeable difference between the man winning the race and other runners is their size. The man in the front is very tall, and has very long legs, while the others are much shorter and more proportional. The image depicts the winner looking back at the other five people, and is wearing a shirt that says “KAGAME.” The ground is littered with parts of a corpse, such as a head, a bone, and a hand. These …show more content…
Again, the height and facial structure is very symbolic in the cartoon. Tutsi people of Rwanda have characteristics of thinner noses and they are taller, so this cartoon is demonstrating the fact that Kagame is a Tutsi, and suggesting that others in the race are Hutus, who are shorter with wider noses, according to the Belgians, while European imperialism in Africa was more popular. This may suggest an inherent advantage for Kagame, as Tutsis are widely sympathized with, post-genocide. The littered body parts on the ground are symbolic of the controversy in the election. Kagame was accused of using force to suppress the votes for opposing political parties. In fact, the Vice President of the Democratic Green Party, André Kagwa Rwisereka was beheaded, and a journalist named Jean-Léonard Rugambage was also murdered. These people were considered threats to Kagame’s campaign, and some accuse him to be the cause of their mysterious deaths, which would definitely explain the head on the ground by the candidates’ feet. Step 3: Cartoonist’s Message Explain the message of the cartoon. The artist is trying to convey the idea that Kagame had multiple advantages over the other candidates during the 2010 elections. It has been reported that this president would rip up any ballots that voted against him, and had other ways of getting rid of other political parties in the race. The cartoonist also may be trying to say that Kagame had a substantial advantage as a Tutsi, and that he was already ahead in the race. Step 4: Supportive Evidence Support the cartoonist’s message with specific evidence from the