Teacher's Guide
Suggestions for educators
This Web site may be used to teach students
about Thomas Nast, the nineteenth
century’s most influential cartoonist. Biographical information about
Nast is available
as well as information about cartoon symbols he popularized and selections
of his
work accompanied by brief explanations of their historical context.
In a democracy, the role of journalists
to inform, persuade and advocate is critical
to having an informed electorate. To inform, to persuade and to advocate
might be the
job description of an editorial cartoonist.
Editorial cartoons are the signed personal
opinions of their creators, similar to a
text editorial. They are not illustrations of the news.
Editorial cartoons are created to make a
comment about a current event. Their
purpose is not entertainment or humor.
Editorial cartoons are printed to encourage
readers think about whatever the topic
of the cartoon is (the national debt or environmental issues, for example)
as part of the
process of informing voters and raising their awareness of issues that
confront them as
they consider current events, political candidates, ballot issues, and
other concerns.
The best editorial cartoonists study current
events thoughtfully, are passionate about
their personal values, and are able to express their social and political
ideals with visual
metaphors.
Editorial cartoonists must rely on visual
shorthand to communicate with readers.
Symbols are an important component of this shorthand because they communicate
complicated ideas efficiently.
The standard definition of symbol is something
that represents another thing by
association, resemblance, or convention. Different cultures have different
symbols.
In order for an editorial cartoonist to use a symbol effectively, he or
she must be
sure that image used as a symbol is clearly understood by readers to stand
for the
person, place or thing he or she intended.
The earliest graphic symbol for the colonies
in America was a young Native
American woman. During the American Revolution, the use of this symbol
continued, but occasionally a Greek goddess was used instead, following
the
pattern of the French symbol Marianne and the British, Britannia. The
draped
female figure known as Columbia was popular until the War of 1812. Thomas
Nast revived Columbia as a symbol for America with his drawings of an
attractive,
vigorous young woman.
Brother Jonathan, a rustic rural character,
and Yankee Doodle, a jaunty fellow
decked in stars and stripes, were precursors to Uncle Sam. Legend links
the name
Uncle Sam to Sam Wilson, a meat supplier who sold barrels of beef stamped
“U.S.”
to the government during the War of 1812. Nast added a goatee to the Civil
War
era version of Uncle Sam that was based loosely on Abraham Lincoln’s
lanky
appearance, and this is the image of Uncle Sam now known around the world.
Thomas Nast is responsible for popularizing
two more symbols still used by
cartoonists today today. He popularized the donkey
as the symbol for the
Democratic Party and the elephant
as a symbol for the Republican Party.
Caricature is the best known device used
by editorial cartoonists to make political
statements. Some cartoonists create realistic, portrait-like images while
others only hint at
the true appearance of the person.
Caricature is based on deliberate exaggeration
of a famous person’s distinctive
features. The cartoonist must be careful not to overdo this exaggeration
or the person will
not be recognized by readers.
Within caricature, the question of what
is a “fair” likeness has no answer. The
cartoonist is not concerned about fairness, but about expressing an opinion.
Thomas Nast’s caricatures of William
Magear Tweed were a very important part
of the reason Tweed lost political power and was convicted of corruption.
Nast’s hatred
of Tweed is clear in his caricature of the Boss in “What
Are You Laughing At? To the
Victor Belong the Spoils.” The image of Tweed created by Nast
was so memorable and
so widely known that after Tweed escaped from prison and was traveling
in Europe, a
Spanish official familiar with Nast’s work recognized the Boss and
arrested him, and
Tweed was returned to prison in New York City.
Stereotypes are a type of symbol used by
cartoonists. Just as a
light bulb above an American comic strip character's head is
understood to mean an inspiration, stereotypes symbolize complex
ideas that are quickly and easily interpreted by readers.
The term stereotype is derived from a type
of metal printing
plate cast from a matrix or mold formed by a raised printing surface,
such as type.
Cartoon art depicting racial and ethnic
characteristics may be
based on assumed physical characteristics or alleged religious
practices that have a kernel of legitimacy in real physical traits or
actual ritual. This trace of reality makes negative stereotypes
particularly effective and difficult to combat, since they appear to
be accurate in the opinion of those who hold them.
Throughout the latter half of the nineteenth
century, ethnicity
was the topic of many magazine cartoons. Most of these cartoons
are not understood by today's readers as humorous. Their crude
wit provides a revealing glimpse of the history of race relations and
religious tolerance in the United States. For example, Thomas
Nast had prejudices against Irish immigrants and Roman Catholics
that were common in the late nineteenth century.
Stereotypes may represent ideas, nations,
groups of people or
individuals. In addition to racial and ethnic characteristics, indicators
of economic status such as clothing may be used as stereotypes.
Without easily interpreted symbols and stereotypes,
cartoons
would require paragraphs of text and much more detailed drawings
to transmit information. The cartoonist's challenge is to portray
physical traits and cultural practices accurately.
For ideas on using current editorial cartoons in the classroom, see:
http://cagle.slate.msn.com/teacher