Political Cartoon Analysis

This cartoon from The Economist in 2016 depicts a caricature of Donald Trump reaching out, presumably to embrace the statue of liberty, which is shrinking away from him and brandishing its torch. The caricature of Trump has a small body and hugely exaggerated head, making him appear like a baby, implying immaturity on his part. The fact that the statue of liberty has left its pedestal, possibly symbolizing a lack of freedom and liberty under Trump, is also significant.

The artist of this cartoon uses an exaggerated drawing style, which draws attention to Trump with his massive head, and contrasts him with the relatively proportionate statue of liberty. This adds to the effect of Trump's depiction as immature in this cartoon, as well as his words "Come on, babe! Give your new boss a kiss!" This text adds to the effect of immaturity and lack of professionalism expressed by Trump, and references his background as a businessman and previous scandals. These stylistic choices greatly influences the audience's perception of Trump, as a non-exaggerated portrayal would likely not effectively convey the message the artist was trying to present.

In order to understand this cartoon, readers would have needed some type of understanding of the 2016 presidential election, due to its events being the sole inspiration behind its creation and the basis behind the artist's argument that Trump is unfit for the job of President.

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