Sample Analysis, Step by Step. Check the Handout How to Interpret a Cartoon for Further

Sample Analysis, step by step. Check the handout "how to interpret a cartoon" for further information on the single steps. Note: You can make the description part (step 1 + 2) and the analysis part (step 3 - 5) longer! We reduced this to a minimum while we did it in class.

Step 1 The given cartoon "Carbon Footprint" by Jeff Parker was published on caglecartoons.com and is about carbon emissions.

Step 2 In the foreground you can see a car. In the car, you can see a man speaking to a woman. In the background you can see a huge cloud/fume in the form of a footprint which comes out of the car (which is produced by the car). The cloud/fume is seemingly following the car while it is driving. Inside the cloud, the caption says "carbon footprint" in capital letters. The facial expressions of the persons in the car show that they are afraid. The co-driver tells the driver that objects in the mirror are closer than they appear. The car has a label which says "Blindspot EX".

Step 3 The sentence that the co-driver says to the driver has a literal sense. It means that the carbon footprint is a big problem, bigger than it appears to be. However, some people still think that the problem of carbon emissions is something that is far away. Thus, the cartoonist wants to express the urgency of the matter. The label "Blindspot EX" symbolizes that parts of the problems that come with carbon emissions can't be seen by humanity yet, comparable something you can't see in the car's mirror because it is in its blind spot. The irony in the cartoon is that the persons try to escape from the carbon footprint with their car, however they make the cloud even bigger while trying to escape. Also, the cloud seemingly always keeps the close distance to the car, symbolizing that trying to drive away from the problem will only make it worse.

Step 4 In my opinion, the cartoon is supposed to show that you can't run away from the problem of carbon emissions and should be aware of them, because the amount of emissions is still increasing on a worldwide scale. It also shows that you can make a difference by choosing ways of transportation which emit less carbon emissions, thus keeping your carbon footprint as small as possible. The closeness of the carbon footprint to the car shows that the problem is an urgent one and that we should act now.

Step 5 The cartoon is rather effective because it is drawn in a way that simplifies a complex problem. It's successful in showing that reducing emissions has to start with a critical perspective on our own style of living.