Question

1. Who is the man in this cartoon as a baby, teenager, young adult, adult, and elderly man? (1 point) 2. Who does this man represent or symbolize? (1 point) 3. What is the message of this cartoon? What is the cartoonist saying about the United States? (2 points) 4. What has been the result of the U.S. growing throughout the years? (2 points) 5. Based upon the message of this cartoonist, is this cartoonist in favor or opposed to U.S. imperialism? Explain how you arrived at this conclusion. (2 points)

Answer 1

1. The man in the cartoon as a baby, teenager, young adult, adult, and elderly man is Uncle Sam. The cartoon refers to the United States of America and its government and how it changed throughout the years. You can deduce who this is by looking at the clothes these people are wearing - red, white, and blue, the same colors as the American national flag.

2. The man represents America, as I said, and its expansionist ideology which started as soon as it got its independence from Britain. America fought for a long time for its freedom from its 'mother' and oppressor, and ever since it got what it wanted, it never stopped growing.

3. I believe the message of the cartoon is that America became corrupted over the years while it was looking to expand its territory. It started off as an innocent child, and ended up being a fat capitalist who only thinks about profit. The artist is showing this decline of values in America.

4. The result is that ironically, while America grew bigger and stronger, it also grew more unemotional and corrupt. You can see the final man's facial expression - he looks fat, content, and evil, having conquered everything that could be conquered and taken it for himself.

5. I would say the artist is definitely opposed to imperialism. Just by taking a look at the progression of these people, from an innocent baby, to a not-so innocent child, to a Napoleonic-looking USA, to the great Lincoln, and finally to a fat, cruel capitalist, you can see that the author believes imperialism and America's expansionist nature led it downwards in regards to values, not money.