Answer:
Time: When was the cartoon created? Look for the date. What else
was happening historically at this time?
Action: What is going on in the cartoon? For example, are the people
asleep, marching, fighting, angry, or laughing?
Caption: What does the cartoon label say? What do you think it
means? Does the caption support the action in the cartoon? Is it critical
of the action?
Objects: What familiar objects or people do you recognize in the
cartoon? (Identify two or three.) Are any of the people or objects
exaggerated in size or action? Do any of the objects/people lead you to
recognize a point of view and/or stereotypes? Do you see objects/people
that you cannot recognize? How could you find out about them?
S ummary: Based on the time, action, caption, and objects, what do
you think the author of the cartoon was trying to say? Try to identify the
tone of the cartoon—satirical, negative, supportive, partisan, proAmerican, pro-British, etc.).
Step-by-step explanation:
Political cartoons present concise opinions or pointed criticism about issues and events that
are provocative and hard hitting. Your job is to identify, defend, and challenge the drawing’s
main argument. Be aware that political cartoons are deceptively simple. They are not the
“funnies” in the Sunday paper. They are one sided and contain slant and bias. Further, they
often require certain prior knowledge and life experiences in order to be fully understood.
They also rely heavily upon symbols and images, and the lack of text creates an additional
challenge. This is where having a structured plan for analysis will be incredibly helpful. One
such plan is the TACOS strategy.