Rosa Parks Political Cartoon Analysis

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The political cartoon of Rosa Parks portrays the significance of her civil rights movement in 1955 by referring to the rhetorical triangle and its appeal to pathos, ethos, and logos. Mr. Toles, the cartoonist, touched on all three critical elements (pathos, ethos, and logos) in a manner which perfectly conveyed his message. He removed any doubt or confusion over the intent of his message. The rhetorical triangle presented in the cartoon involves the speaker, audience, and subject. The importance of this element lies within all three points. The Washington Post takes on the role of the speaker. This widely known, left-leaning newspaper produced the political cartoon in 2005, the same year Rosa Parks sadly passed away. Given the publications, predominantly liberal views, civil rights issues remain paramount to them. Therefore, a civil rights activist such as Rosa Parks receiving the rewards of heaven seems a natural depiction. They very succinctly conveyed that her life’s stance justified nothing less than heaven as a reward. The role of audience points towards the people reading the printed media. The location of the newspaper, residing in the nation’s capital, means that its audience reached global proportions. By sending this message out to the rest of the world, it made a statement about not just civil …show more content…

She became incredibly famous because she took a stand and became a central figure in an issue that developed into one of the most controversial topics in the 1950’s. Also, in the right, bottom corner, another line states, “We’ve been holding it open since 1955.” Her actions and experiences elevated her to celebrity status. Regardless of her fame, she never deviated from a person of impeccable character and integrity. She remained true to her spirit and served as a role model for over fifty years. God knew that from the moment she took a stand that she had earned her total