Rhetorical Analysis of Editorial Cartoon

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Rhetorical Analysis of an Editorial Cartoon
Benjamin Franklin’s “Join or Die” cartoon, which depicts a severed snake whose parts represent the thirteen colonies is considered the first political cartoon in the United States. Franklin’s image had a purpose that was eminently political from the start, as he used it to support his plan for an association between the colonies. (Becker) The cartoon is quite significant in the development of cartoons as it is seen through the history as a symbol of colonial unity and the revolutionary spirit against the British. The purpose of “Join or Die” was to elicit the Americans to join against the bigger threat to the British, and the Indians. This editorial cartoon turned into a cultural symbol, and a rally flag where all Americans could relate, and become part of something bigger. Editorial cartoons have accompanied the U.S. in his modern history, being a window where the reader can reflect on the actual situation without having to read a complicated article. However, editorial cartoons are not done to insult people’s intelligence, on the contrary, their use of humor as a tool to convey deeper meanings is sometimes more important than a heartfelt story on the television. That is the role of humor in our lives. Showing situations that are hard to digest in a way that they do not appear as such, offering criticism veiled with humor, to make us thing regardless of…