Kevin Sung

Period 1

AP English 3

2/24/11

REHUGO- Political Cartoon

A. Attached. The cartoon was produced by Edgar Argo.

B. The cartoon portrays a societal trend, within the entity of a family, that children want their independence and “freedom,” but at the same time are extremely dependent on their parents.

C. The cartoonist makes the cartoon effective by incorporating the rhetorical device of verbal irony as he portrays an apparent contradiction between desire and reality. In the cartoon, the little girl, who is the daughter of the parents, wants to leave the household. Usually, when a child leaves the house, he or she is of age to be able to live by his or herself and become independent. So the girl leaving the house symbolizes her desire for independence. However, she goes on to say “ who’s going to drive me?” This implies the dependence she has on her parents since shes depending on them to drive her. This is an example of a verbal irony since the dialogue in itself is a contradiction. She says she wants to leave the house and be independent, but at the same time is depending on her parents. The message is clear and effective because of this use of verbal irony.

D. People in present day society are becoming aware of the fact that children are wanting to become more independent. For example, many children are getting jobs at a young age, and teens start driving at the age of fifteen. A study from Stanford University by Professor Chancer shows the statistics within a survey. Teens across America were asked what they were most excited about after highschool. About 65% answered along the lines of: “ To leave the house and live by myself.” However, many kids do not realize how dependent they really are on their parents. For example, I used to always cry to my dad, begging him for more privacy so I can “do my own thing.” He finally told me that he will give me privacy, as long as I do my own laundry, make my own food, and buy my own stuff. I went about half a day or so. I realized then how dependent I really am on my family.

E. References

Family Cartoon Illustration Blowup." CartoonStock - Cartoon Pictures, Political Cartoons, Animations. Web. 25 Feb. 2011. .