Cartoon+Analysis

This is a page to post analyzed cartoons and some observations. As posts continue, you should begin to categorize the entries, adding headings and group descriptions. When the page is complete, you will submit a short summary of your contributions and a grade for your participation.



This cartoon depicts a larger-than-life FDR pulling various ships away from "the shoals of doubt" and onward towards "port prosperity". The ships represent some of the major initiatives that Roosevelt undertook as part of his New Deal, including "farm relief", "unemployment", "bank confdence", "economy" and "beer". His struggle to implement these programs showed his dedication and strength in helping the United States to recover from the Great Depression. - Bethany Jones


 * Farming Issues**

This cartoon projects what seems to be the next step in President Roosevelt's agenda. Every single one of the bills that have been passed happened in order and now the agricultural bill seems to be stepping into place. The farmer represents the eagerness of farmers to get some kind of relief. The body language of the farmer is of someone who has been waiting patiently for these bills to pass and now finally their turn has come.-Andrew Wilmarth


 * Foreign Policy**



This cartoon portrays the symbolism of Roosevelt's new power to end tariffs that countries had placed on foreign imports. These tariffs had halted trade between nations and were making world business suffer. As the baseball bats and umpires text state Roosevelt is being allowed to wield as much power as he wants to save world business, because he is the only one who can do anything. The cartoons portrays other countries as the cheering globe in the stands; which would symbolize that other countries support Roosevelt and have no power of their own in this matter.

Lewis

[|Planned Economy or Planned Destruction] This cartoon criticizes the new deal by showing three major players in FDR's brain trust shoveling out money from a wagon marked "depleting the resources of the soonest government in the world", with the head of the brain trust leading the cart. Joseph Stalin watches on, with his comment "How Red the sunrise is getting", suggesting that America is headed in a communist direction with all the government agencies and involvement in economy. The sign in the lower lefthand gives a fairly straightforward synopsis of the author's feelings about FDR's policies, suggesting that FDR is attempting dictatorial feats and ignoring the constitution. The entire cartoon is very sarcastic with the "Young Pinkies", who represent socialist intellectuals, as Tugwell is also depicted as. -Jane Peters
 * Planned Economy or Planned Destruction?**

This cartoon portrays FDR as the doctor who is going to heal American economic problems. It symbolizes the confidence that FDR needed from the American people in order to be able to enact the policies that he believed would benefit the country. FDR's body languages shows that he is confident that he can cure the crippled U.S., but the black shading surrounding him could represent some uncertainty and the unknown consequences of his New Deal policies. -Ashley
 * First 100 Days**

[]

“TRYING TO CHANGE THE UMPIRING” This cartoon depicts the struggle that FDR went thru regarding what was deemed “court packing”. FDR is making a clear statement to the Supreme Court that the time has come for change to take place and for the Court to jump on board with the New Deal regulations proposed. The bats on the ground indicate legislations which, have been held unconstitutional during a conservative court. The bat in FDR’s hand depicts more laws to come under his New Deal. The fist is symbolic of the power, strength and fortitude that the executive himself will use to prevail (either thru court-packing or amendments). The analogy between baseball and the Supreme Court is significant as the Umpire typically uses his own interpretation to identify whether the batter strikes out. Here FDR turns to the Umpire to argue that his calls warrant a change. The change being new Supreme Court justices appointed by FDR to the support his New Deals. C. Foley

This cartoon depicts Roosevelt as a little kid on Christmas Eve excited for Santa to come and fill his stockings. Well here, there's many stockings labeled as some of many programs Roosevelt launched as part of his "New Deal." This could be taken as a positive message as well as negative based on your interpretation. To see the positive, you could think of Christmas as a happy holiday where everyone gets some sort of reward. Uncle Sam and little Roosevelt both look very happy, so this must mean things are going well. However, to see the negative, one could see this as Roosevelt's fail proof plan to have some sort of success with this New Deal. "Uncle, I'm surely expecting something!" Meaning, because he has so many programs running, there is bound to be some sort of upside to all this. To put this all in context, when he entered office in March of '33 he did not have a specific set of plans for dealing with the depression, so he improvised as Congress listened to a wide variety of ideas. -Matt Claar

This cartoon is very straight forward in its meaning. It shows the opposition of the Senate to the changes the FDR wanted to do for the agriculture system. The system needed help and FDR wanted to push through bills that would give relief and aid to farmers in the south that were struggling with lowering prices. The overproduction of crops coupled with underconsumption proved to be a very large problem. Wallace is shown dragging the donkey with a bridal of leadership around its head. The cartoon is stating that FDR would drive through the opposition to help the farmers. The farmer in the picture is also prodding the donkey along with a pitchfork, which shows the support of those in need. -Alex M.

The interpretation of this cartoon can vary. FDR is shown as a confident wrestler who has just easily handled opposing wrestlers (banking, beer, and economy) but is now up against a gigantic opponent, farm relief. One explanation could be the overall difficulty each opponent (problem) poses, or it could mean that some of these problems had a fairly straightforward solution to beating them while others had seemingly no easy way to beat them. This especially proves true in the very complicated approach of the AAA. Regardless, though, FDR has a confident look on his face that gives an overall positive feeling to the viewers back then that their president was fighting for them and not backing down. - Mark L.

[] In this cartoon the money woes of America are portrayed in the form of a child with a coin face crying as President Roosevelt tries to help it cross the bustling street. The street is marked "currency crisis" suggesting that the turmoil of the Great Depression is not a one-way street and will be difficult to cross without help. This is a pro-Roosevelt cartoon since he is depicted with a wide, optimistic smile as he tries to help the coin child. ~ Emily Dewsnap



This cartoon depicts FDR, along with a farmer, driving a steamroller over consumers, businessmen, and taxpayers expressing a more negative view of what the farm relief bill might do to the American economy and urban society. The stern determination of FDR's face along with the title "Don't Crush Them!" is intended to demonstrate the brash, stubborness of FDR in getting legislation through to solve one problem without considering the entire equation. - Andrew Marciello

Kaitlin Hicks

May 12, 1943

This cartoon humorously depicts the two allied commanders Churchill and Roosevelt discussing future "operations." They play on the word operation in the sense that the picture means an act of surgery on a patient (Hilter), but in the allegorical sense it means a organized and concerted activity involving a number of people militarily. It seems the next operation is the invasion of Italy which was the leg that early Nazi Germany stood on financially speaking. It shows Hilter trying to listen to what they are discussing so he could intercept their invasion plans.

Sean Doherty-



This cartoon shows Roosevelt as the coach, the "New Congress" as the baseball player, and a "Taxpayer" as the onlooker. The Baseballs say (left to right): Banking Emergency, Emergency, Economy Bill, Farm Relief, Job Aid, and Beer Bill The onlooker is saying: "Gosh coach, for a rookie he sure is showing some class!" -Katy Scott

This cartoon depicts a silhouetted Roosevelt helping Uncle Sam up a mountain labeled "Depression". There are two potential roads they can take, the "Main road", or the way of Madison, Jefferson and Lincoln, or the "Radical Shortcut", which is the way of Marx and Lenin. This cartoon was clearly created by a conservative economic theorist who believed that departure from the traditional American ideals of a free market would not actually help the country, but ultimately lead us into a worker's rebellion and Communist government that destroyed Russia.

--Nicholas Moreau