Rhetorical Analysis- President Bush the new Grim Reaper??

With everything that is currently going on in our society, particularly concerning politics, there are many things that are under extreme scrutiny at this point in time. Currently, the Iraq War is one of the most controversial issues that is under attack from every angle. Recently President George W. Bush called for a troop surge in Iraq, wanting at least 20,000 additional troops to be deployed and those who are already there to spend an additional three months there; with the U.S. death toll as high as it is, Bush’s plan for a surge is being faced with a tremendous amount of scrutiny. This political cartoon created by Gary Markstein utilizes symmetry, juxtaposition, analogy, cultural resonance, pathos, and ethos in an effort to convey a position and feeling about the war in Iraq.

The fact that this political cartoon addresses current and prominent events in our society makes it easier for the reader to understand what the main focus of it is and why this political cartoon in particular is full of cultural resonance. Without the knowledge of the Iraq war, or what the proposed Iraq Surge Plan is, this political cartoon would have little to no meaning to whoever read it. Additionally, the Grim Reaper is a commonly known symbol and representation of death in our society which adds to the political cartoon’s cultural resonance and is a key element to understanding the full meaning of it. Also, the text in this political cartoon, “Sir, there’s someone outside who’s a big supporter of your Iraq Surge Plan” allows the reader to know the time period in which this event is taking place and makes it easier for other connections to be made. Additionally, the text serves to add an explanation of the visuals by adding a little bit more background information to it.

The frame on the left has President Bush himself sitting at his desk in what is more than likely the White House with a man talking to him, who one could go so far as to assume is one of his many advisors, telling him that he has a visitor who is a supporter of Bush’s Iraq surge plan. To the left is the frame with the Grim Reaper sitting on a chair waiting to go in and see President Bush.

The juxtaposition of the two frames in this political cartoon creates an analogous symmetry between them. The symmetry is created through the positioning and size of President Bush sitting as his desk and the Grim Reaper sitting in the hall waiting to talk to him about his proposed Iraq Surge Plan, which in turn provides for the analogy of the two. By doing this, the analogy suggests that President Bush and the Grim Reaper share the same sentiment when it comes to the Iraq Surge Plan, which is also supported by the text in the frame on the left with President Bush. Additionally, a lot of people currently blame and associate President Bush for and with the death toll in Iraq and do not support his plans for a troop surge. However, this is not just a recent issue that has come up. “In the fall of 2004, with no end in sight to the war in Iraq and the number of killed and wounded American soldiers climbing toward 10,000 (1,000 dead and over 8,000 injured), the basic questions of war and peace became major topics of debate in the presidential campaign.” (Magstadt 289) This just supports the analogy between President Bush and the Grim Reaper that is presented in this political cartoon.
Furthermore, the colors utilized throughout the entire political cartoon are not those of a bright palate. They are duller and monotone, which contributes to the more negative feelings associated with this political cartoon. Also, the coloration is fairly symmetrical between the two frames of the political cartoon. The chair that President Bush is sitting in and the Grim Reaper’s robe are the same color and even account for the desk. And the person who, in the left frame, is telling President Bush that there is someone outside to see him is portrayed as a shadow in the right frame next to the Grim Reaper. In addition to those symmetries, the windows on the left and the wall on the right are of similar coloring too. This furthers the analogy between President Bush and the Grim Reaper because it highlights similarities between the two.

In addition to cultural resonance and analogous symmetry, this political cartoon also utilized ethos and pathos. Ethos is used because President Bush and the Grim Reaper are two figures that people can easily recognize which in turn relates the political cartoon to current events. However, it would be challenging to put two-and-two together if you were unaware of current events, or if somehow you were unaware of what our president looked like, or what the Grim Reaper symbolizes. Pathos is used because of the emotional response that is evoked when looking at this political cartoon, a response that is potentially full of anger, sorrow, confusion, blame, or numerous other emotions that accompany both death and the war in Iraq. Also, the war in Iraq has been the cause of thousands upon thousands of deaths of both Americans and Iraqis which is why it would be logical for the Grim Reaper, the symbol of death, to be labeled as “a big supporter of [the] Iraq Surge Plan”. Without the Grim Reaper and the implications that its image contributes to this political cartoon, most of the meaning would be lost.

This political cartoon is a prime example of how our society as a whole feels about President Bush’s decision to send even more troops into Iraq, especially when the death toll is already so high and the support for the war is not as strong as it was at one point in time. The Grim Reaper is used as visual support for the deaths that are constantly occurring as a result of Bush’s decisions and is labeled as “a big supporter” of the war. All in all, this is a very powerful political cartoon that catches the reader’s attention and is fairly simple to understand.


Works Cited

Magstadt, Thomas M.. Understanding Politics- Ideas, Institutions, & Issues. Belmont: Stratford Publishing Services, Inc., 2006.