Political Cartoon Analysis Essay

Introduction

The artist for this analysis is Patrick Chippotte. The cartoon shows two characters, a man and a woman carrying briefcases. They are about to enter a tent labeled 'The Moscow Circus' with a poster on the door reading 'tickets for the inauguration.' The tent appears to be dark on the inside evident from the window and the gaping space on the door curtains. The top of the tent is Moscow themed with the roofing structured to resemble the famous Saint Basil's Cathedral. Behind the tent is a house of which through casual observation bear a similarity to the Senate building in Washington, DC. This political cartoon tries to point out the discrepancies that surrounded the recent presidential election in America. Chippotte uses symbolism along with labeling and irony to show the possibility of rigging in the United States presidential elections.

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It is symbolism that Chippotte uses extensively in this political cartoon. Each of the objects in this drawing stands for a distinct concept or idea. There is a caricature of two people carrying briefcases. These two symbolize the candidates of the recent United States polls. The two contestants for the presidential seat were a man, Donald Trump, and a woman, Hillary Clinton. It is correct to make this assertion since the two also dawns the signature way of dressing the candidates used. Trump was known to wear suits all through his campaigns. Equally, Hillary Clinton had this signature power look of wearing pantsuits. The two characters are carrying briefcases as well. The briefcase plus the suits worn by the two characters symbolizes power, and vital papers carried showing how important is the job they want.

The tent is also symbolic. It is labeled the 'The Moscow Circus' to make it clear to viewers what it stands for. There were speculations about the involvement of Russia in the recent presidential polls. There were series of hackings on the United States voter's database. All the hackings linked to Russia origins. The tent symbolizes Russian involvement in the elections. This is why the words Moscow appears in its label. Moscow is the capital of Russia and where the Russian government sits. Perhaps Chippotte chose Moscow and not any other Russian town to emphasize the involvement of Russian government. He additionally includes the Saint Basil's cathedral dome on top of the tent. This cathedral is in Moscow as well. Through coloring, the cartoonist makes it clear that this is Saint Basil's Cathedral which is among Moscow landmarks.

It is ironic that inside the tent that is supposed to host circus is rather dark. There is no hint of happiness or thrill that comes with the entertainment. Instead, the place looks dreary, and there is a feeling that sad thing is about to ensue. Also, the poster reads 'tickets for the inauguration' instead of 'tickets for the Moscow circus.' Darkness is a symbol of bad things or dealings. In this case, darkness shows that whatever is about to happen inside the tent is shoddy. The candidate who will manage to go through this dreary circus is one who will get power. It is a risk getting involved with a known enemy to manipulate elections. What will happen once caught? For this reason, the candidate ready to deal with Moscow is the one who will gain power. The Senate building behind the tent symbolizes this power.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the cartoonist uses symbolism, labeling, irony, and coloring to drive this message. Through the figurative elements, the audience understands better the kind of message or values passed across. The election being circus depicts that it was fake or manipulated. The overall message contained in this cartoon is that Russia manipulated the recent USA polls.

Works Cited

Chappatte, P. (n.d.). Political spectacle. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://globecartoon.wordpress.com/tag/chappatte/page/5/