Final answer:
A commoner might have used a political cartoon to justify a revolution by interpreting its depiction of oppression and unfairness as reflective of their actual experiences. Such imagery could rally support for change, especially when connected to ideas that highlight the common people's grievances and a government's failure to meet their needs.
Step-by-step explanation:
A commoner may have used a political cartoon to justify a revolution by interpreting the satirical visuals as representations of the oppressive and unfair social, political, or economic institutions of the time. The effectiveness of political cartoons stems from their ability to distill complex ideas into a single, powerful image that can evoke strong emotional responses. During historical periods of upheaval such as the French Revolution or the American movement for independence, cartoons played a role in shaping public opinion and rallying people to the cause of revolution, highlighting the grievances of the common people against an aristocratic or monarchical regime and portraying the potential for a fairer society post-revolution.
For example, in Thomas Paine's Common Sense, ideas are presented in clear, direct language aimed at the average person, arguing against hereditary monarchy and emphasizing a government's duty to the people. Such texts and the associated political cartoons could have inspired those feeling the pressure from economic restrictions and inflated expectations of governance, such as the sans-culottes in France or burgeoning middle classes influenced by Marxist thought, to push for a change in their government and socioeconomic structure. In this way, political cartoons could embolden a revolutionary movement, painting vivid pictures of the frustration and passion of those suffering under existing political structures, and convincing them of the need for radical change or, as with the Davies-J curve, when people's expectations are drastically out of alignment with their reality.