Sample 1

Student Sample
English 102
Cartoon Analysis
Commented [SL1]: This is a properly formatted MLAstyle heading. Notice the page # in the top-right, along
with the students last name.

February 25, 2014

Commented [SL2]: While it isnt a requirement, you

can opt to include your cartoon here by simply pasting
the image in. This can give your reader a clearer idea
of what the cartoon is doing, so including the image is
recommended.

Heavy Lifting: A Political Cartoon Analysis

In the wake of the economic crisis of 2008, the European Union (EU) took a much harder
fall than America did. The political power-players in the EU have all contributed some efforts
toward stabilizing the Union and keeping all the countries within it as close to financially solvent
as humanly possible. Especially obvious in the wake of the Greek crisis, Germany has emerged
as the most adept leader for this situation and is the country best positioned to provide the

Commented [SL3]: Here is why this is a good title: The

first part is catchy and interesting, while the second
part is a more straightforward description of the essays
purpose. Try creating titles like this in your own writing!
Commented [SL4]: Always follow dependent,
introductory, and subordinate clauses/phrases with a
comma. This will set it apart from your main clause and
add clarity.
Commented [SL5]: Always spell out an abbreviation
the first time its used, and follow it with the
abbreviation in parentheses. Then you can simply use
the abbreviation from that point on if you choose.
Commented [SL6]: Another example of placing a
comma after an introductory clause.

necessary financial support. Illustrating the strength of Germany in a political cartoon, Tom
Janssen draws a large woman holding up a massive, blue barbell while a smaller man clings to

Commented [SL7]: Be sure to state the author of the

cartoon somewhere in your introduction

the side; importantly, his feet do not touch the ground, and he contributes nothing to the heavy

Commented [SL8]: This resource from the Purdue

OWL will show you why this semicolon is used
correctly.

lifting other than adding his own dead weight. Tom Janssen uses symbols, including the blue
barbell with twelve stars, the heavy female figure, and the smaller male figure, to represent the

Sample 2

differences between Germanys and Frances contributions to keeping the EU united and
solvent in the wake of the economic crisis.
First, the barbell itself has a two-fold symbolic element. The end of the barbell has a
ring of twelve gold stars representing the EU flag, which is a blue field with a ring of twelve gold
stars. On the actual flag, these stars signify the unity, solidarity, and harmony of the European

Commented [SL9]: The compound possessive is

needed here because each of these subjects is making
its own contribution. If their contributions were the
same, then you would say Germany and Frances
contributions. Read more about this here.
http://writingtips.wordpress.com/2008/06/27/possessive
-with-two-nouns/
Commented [SL10]: This is the topic sentence of the
. Be sure to have clear topic sentences, and then
support that topic sentence throughout its . The topic
sentence should be previewed in your thesis
statement, as you see here in this essay.

people. And in case the reader misses the symbolism, Janssen also blatantly labels the barbell
as the EU. The literal weight of the barbell represents the metaphorical weight the economic
crisis put on many of the countries in the EU.
In addition to the symbolic barbell, Janssen also depicts Germany as the large, imposing

Commented [SL11]: This is an effective transition into

this s topic sentence.

woman seen in the cartoon. She bears a striking resemblance to Angela Merkel, the current
Chancellor of Germany. Her large size represents the economic clout and political strength
Germany brings to the European Union. It is Germanys robust economic engine that has held
the rest of the EU together despite the economic crisis. Merkel has also shown herself to be the
lynchpin of negotiation with struggling EU countries. It is through her tireless efforts that
countries in dire straits, such as Greece and Spain, can access the liquid capital they need to
keep their countries running without overly taxing German resources to the point that Germany
also broaches financial ruin. The problems and policies she must manage are large and
complex.
Held up by Merkels strength, the President of France, Franois Hollande, is the smaller
figure in this cartoon. France is currently beleaguered by budget woes and falling
manufacturing outputs. Janssen specifically chose Hollande because he has publicly sided
against German policy despite not having much success with translating his philosophies into

Commented [SL12]: This sentence is very long, but

the student has balanced this with shorter sentences
before and after. Always strive for a good balance of
sentence variety.
Commented [SL13]: Effective transitions will bridge
the previous topic into the next one, as you see here.

Sample 3

success in his own country. Considering only Hollandes side of the story, one would assume
that France is making the most substantial contributions to the Union; however, the numbers
do not lie, and the artist is making that point very clear in this cartoon.
Overall, Tom Janssen uses easily recognized visual representations to make his point. In
fact, he even labels German and France right there in black and white. There are no hidden
meanings or double entendres present. Janssen clearly illustrates his opinion that Germany is
single-handedly holding up the entire European Union with her resources and political clout.

Sample 4

Work Cited
Janssen, Tom. "Holding Up the EU." [Cartoon]. Washington Examiner 27 May 2014. Web. 5 June
2014.

Commented [SL14]: Please remember to use hanging

indentation, per MLA guidelines. This means that the
first line of each Works Cited entry is flush-left, while
subsequent lines of each entry are indented.
Commented [SL15]: Did you know that StraighterLine
has a special tool that can help you with this citation
list? Try it by clicking this link:
http://www.thesladvisor.com/citation-generator/