Study the cartoon Creating Entitlement Minded Winners by Ed Wilson. How does exaggeration create irony in this cartoon? The larg
e speech balloons create irony because readers expect the son to be an accomplished athlete. The large font size of "wow" creates irony because the reader does not expect anyone to be impressed. The oversized trophies create irony because readers expect that they are for winning, not participation. The colored shirts create irony because the reader does not expect color in the cartoon.
Answer: I would contend that the right answer is the C) The oversized trophies create irony because readers expect that they are for winning, not participation.
Explanation: Just to elaborate a little on the answer, it can be added that irony, which reflects an incongruity (an inconsistency) between what is expected and the actual result, is more clearly created here by representing huge trophies. A trophy is something that someone wins or receives in recognition of a victory, and the reader expects the son to be a true winner, due in part to the fact that the trophies are very ostentatious. However, one of the trophies in the cartoon, in particular, has the shape of a hand with the index finger raised, forming an angle with the thumb, which suggests the letter L (a visual symbol for the word "loser"). This, together with the answer from the father, emphasize the ironic message of the cartoon.
