Stereotypes Of Homelessness Cartoon Analysis

People who are living on the streets face many struggles such as lacking necessities, safety and income but also, many people tend to overlook that they are being discriminated. Frequently, they are ignored and neglected by society because of their housing status and stereotypes they are given. The cartoon below directs the attention on both perspectives of homeless people and the public. Editorial cartoonist, Phil Hands illustrated this cartoon for the Wisconsin State Journal and his other publications have shown up in the Newsweek and USA Today articles. Phil was born in Syracuse, New York in 1980 but grew up in Detroit where he found many inspirations for his illustrations. He produces cartoons that challenge extremists and discuss controversies such as politics, race, and conspiracies of the government. It is assumed that the man with the sign is homeless because of his ungroomed hair and the patches appearing on his clothes. The two men in the bottom right corner seem like they are normal people walking along the sidewalk passing a homeless man. One man has a

The man states that the friend should lend out a few quarters to the homeless so he would make himself feel less guilty. The sign the man is holding up is seeking guidance to rejoin back into society but people are avoiding and shielding his needs. There are many stereotypes regarding homeless people, some may believe that they deserve to be on the street for abusing substances and should not be trusted with money. In some cases, this can be true but this should not be the label for everyone living on the streets because homelessness can arise from a numerous of problems such as, unemployment, victim of a natural disaster, escape form abuse, ex- veterans and the list can go on. Overall, homeless people deserve services that support them both physically and mentally so that they can contribute to society