view. The cartoonist frames the image as though the President Obama, who is of the Democratic Party (Soylent Communications, 2014), is being the responsible one in being safe and pulling the parachute to stop from falling while the Republican elephant is being obstinate and does not wish for it to happen “that” way and making it seem it has to be their way or the highway.
What evidence can you give that shows the cartoonist supports one side or the other?
The evidence that shows the cartoonist supports the Democratic view is in his usage of exaggeration, and analogy. The exaggeration element is that of President Obama’s and the elephant’s facial and body features. President Obama’s face is exaggerated in the way that he looks tired with his eyes sagging down. This puts off the essence that readers can infer President is ready to end the shutdown and are tired of it. The elephant on the other hand has his eyes closed and his arms crossed in such a way that says stubbornness. The analogy is the two parties are strapped back to back while falling through the sky with a parachute. Free falling is a fast action in which you must decide to pull the parachute and save yourself, or hold off until you hit the ground. The cartoon gives a comparison of free falling with the government shutdown. Putting it all together the cartoonist uses the exaggeration of the faces to show that the President and Democrats are ready to pull the chute and stop the dangerous fall to the bottom and the analogy of the “free fall” that the President and Democrats are trying to put an end to the shutdown. The elephant/Republicans on the other hand are too stubborn to help save each other for the sake of their selfish attitude of “I want it my way.”
government shutdown. Putting it all together the cartoonist uses the exaggeration of the faces to show that the President and Democrats are ready to pull the chute and stop the dangerous fall to the bottom and the analogy of the “free fall” that the President and Democrats are trying to put an end to the shutdown. The elephant/Republicans on the other hand are too stubborn to help save each other for the sake of their selfish attitude of “I want it my way.”
What “reality” is constructed/framed about your issue?
The reality constructed is just as it is relayed above. President Obama is trying to help and save the people from the “free fall” of the shutdown by pulling the chute. The Republicans are put in bad light for only wanting their way or nothing which entails more harm if the shutdown continues and the “chute” is not pulled.
ANALYSIS:
When this cartoon was published, leaders in the Senate were working hard to come to an agreement for a solution to reopen the government (Boyer, D., & Dinan, S., 2013). However, at that point in time on October 14, 2013, it was not clearly stated that the Republicans were going to continue in being immovable and not change their minds. In that sense it shows the cartoonists bias.