Name: __________________________ Block: ___ Date: ___________________________

Confederation: Image Analysis Guide

Before selfies and the ease of social media, “influencers” often came in the form of cartoons. Political cartoons and propaganda posters were made to criticize politicians and policies, and persuade the public.

Here is a list of 5 techniques often used in propagandist images and some questions to reflect upon:Technique Description

StereotypesImages will represent a particular group of people (usually in a very racist way) using stereotypes. A stereotype is an over-simplification of what a particular racial group looks like. 

Q: Who are being targeted as an audience through the use of stereotypes?

SymbolismCartoonists use simple objects, or symbols, to stand for larger ideas or concepts.

Q: What do the symbols stand for?

TextImages will often include short sections of information: either statistics or statements. This information is meant to provide the audience with just enough data for them to draw the conclusion the creator wanted them to make. Q: Is this information accurate or not? How does this text help persuade the audience?

Connect with

Audience

Images will try to connect directly with their audiences though a number of techniques. They will either use the second person pronoun "you" in the text, ask a rhetorical question that the audience is meant to think about, or it will have people in the poster looking directly at the viewer.

Q: Is this connection effective?

Appeal to Emotion

Images will try to play on a person's emotions to prompt them to respond. The most frequent emotional responses posters try to generate are: guilt (e.g. making the audience feel like they have failed), patriotism (e.g. appealing to the love of their country), fear (e.g. that if they don't act, something bad will happen), or shame (e.g. that they are weak, cowardly or selfish).

Q: Which emotions come up with the image? Is it effective?

Call to Action

Almost every propaganda poster has a statement about what their audience should do after seeing the image.Q: What is the purpose of the image?

When asked to analyze political cartoons, please use the PAID model .

P = Point of View What is the point of view in the cartoon? What message is being communicated?

A = Assumption What assumptions does the artist make about their subject? Are they clearly expressing any

values or judgements?I = Information

What information do you know about the topic? Does this information support the artist’s POV?

D = Device What cartooning devices does the artist use? (For example: light and dark, lines, size,

caricatures, symbols, exaggeration, composition, and stereotyping)Practice: “The Question”

Pub. 1865(Translated from French)

Name: __________________________ Block: ___ Date: ___________________________

Confederation: Image Analysis Guide

Analyze this Confederation-era political cartoon, be ready to share your answers with the class!

P:___________________________________________________________________________________

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A:___________________________________________________________________________________

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I:____________________________________________________________________________________

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D:___________________________________________________________________________________

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Instructions: Analyse the following political cartoons using the PAID model on a separate sheet of paper.

“The Question” Pub. 1865(Translated from French)

Name: __________________________ Block: ___ Date: ___________________________

Confederation: Image Analysis Guide

1.

2.

“Dropping a Hint”Pub. May 1860s

Boy: Hello Mister! Ye’ve dropped yer hankerchief

Cln. Gugy: Ha! My good boy, yes! – I mean no, my blessed little kid, no not mine, my excellent little gentleman, not mine – Oh no, no , no, not mine!

Boy: Well, some o’yis dropped it anyhow, and none none o’yis’ll own to it!

“The Situation”

Context: Man on left is Uncle Sam, who represents USA

Name: __________________________ Block: ___ Date: ___________________________

Confederation: Image Analysis Guide

3.

4.

“ It Will be a Clean Sweep”Pub. 1860s Newfoundland

Text written on paper:- Responsible Govt- Current duties- Disease- Hunger

No title.

Text:

Mother Britannia is saying “See! Why, the dear child can stand alone!”.

Uncle Sam replies by saying “Of course he can! Let go of him Granny; if he falls I’ll catch him!”

Baby’s top says: CanadaMother Britannia=BritainUncle Sam= USA