As a comic strip, there is very little credibility for the artist to begin with. Cartoons are known for skewing facts, using hyperbole to gain the support of an audience. Despite this, the artist uses Uncle Sam, the personification of America, in his comic in order to create a sense of credibility in the comic alone. Uncle Sam is known for the best parts of America, particularly freedom, so using him as the poster-child of this comic is gold. The argument against communism is deeply rooted in the lack of freedom that is associated with the governmental policies. By using Uncle Sam, that argument means much more, as it represents freedom being halted to a complete stop by the "iceberg" that is communism. While seeming trivial at first glance, the comic 'The Red Iceberg' has a fantastic story playing out in the illustration
-Peter
The fact that communism is represented as an iceberg might show the belief of the author that communism is very similar to a sinking ship. Theres no where else to go once your on the "communist iceberg", where as Uncle Sam, the representation of America, is free to go wherever he wants.
ReplyDeleteUncle Sam also seems to have a smirk on his face possibly symbolizing America feeling proud about not following the political theory of communism.
ReplyDeleteI agree that using Uncle Sam in the cartoon adds to its ethos. He is an iconic figure in American history, and it makes it more relatable to the general public. It also allows most Americans to understand the message that the comic is trying to portray because they know about him.
ReplyDeleteUncle Sam's credibility is second to none. He has inspired the American people and has been a symbol to us from the beginning. including him in the strip definitely adds to the ethos of the text
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