Analysis of an Individual Comic Strip - Essay Example

Political Cartoon: Join, or Die. At the time the famous “Join, or Die” political cartoon was published, Americans were divided on the issue of whether or not to fight the French and their Indian allies for control of the land west of the colonies. Benjamin Franklin drew the cartoon as a call for Americans to unite because he felt there was a great threat posed by the Indians and the French. Later, this cartoon would become the symbol of the American Revolution. The “Join, or Die” political cartoon uses symbolism to show what state the country was in at the time.

It is a very simple drawing yet it is very effective in getting the point across. The point Franklin is trying to get across is that America is divided and therefore ineffective against enemies unless the colonies unite together. The phrase, “Join, or Die” means that unless the colonies unite, they will be attacked and wiped out. It is a simple statement that is trying to point out that the only option for the Colonies is to unite. The individual segments of the snake are the American colonies.

Franklin chose New England to be the head of the snake. New England, especially the city of Boston, would definitely be considered the “head of the snake” at this time. Many influential politicians lived in Boston including Sam and John Adams. Boston is also where many pre-revolution events occurred including the Boston Tea Party and the Boston Massacre. Franklin draws the head of the snake with its forked tongue sticking out. The snake is coiled and looks like it is ready to strike. The analogy of America to a coiled snake ready to strike is a very interesting one.

But in considering what animal one would use to symbolize a divided America, a snake would be the logical answer. Snake’s have a lot of symbolism surrounding them. Often a snake represents wisdom and healing, even though many people associate snakes with evil. Because snakes shed their skin, another metaphor can be made to dying and being born again. They are also associated with “change” and “transformation.” This seems to be appropriate for this political cartoon and the “Join, or Die” slogan.

Additionally, there was a popular superstition at this time that “a severed snake could be made whole again if the pieces were placed together” (New World). It is also interesting that Virginia is the part of the snake that is coiled. Virginia was home to two of the most influential leaders of the revolution – Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. Franklin’s drawing is basically a call to arms against eminent threats to the survival of America. It is directed at those who are reluctant to enter into a war, firstly with the French and Indians, and later with England.

The language used is obviously very simple and the font is capitalized and is very bold. I think it is significant that a period is used instead of an exclamation point. A period denotes a very matter of fact tone of “if you don’t join, here is what will happen.” Using an exclamation point instead of a period would not have been as effective. An exclamation point would probably be seen as transparent or viewed as over-exaggerating or sensationalizing the issue. I think the straight line above the text is also very significant.

It seems almost to be a “line drawn in the sand” that’s saying come cross this line and join the cause or you are a coward. It could also be saying cross over your political lines and your petty differences to unite for a greater cause. The “Join or Die” political cartoon is considered the United States’ first published political cartoon. It is also one of the most well-known as well as probably the most influential political cartoon of all time. It became a symbol for a nation seeking independence and was able to inspire courage for people to act and work together to achieve freedom.

The metaphor of America as a segmented snake in this case was very powerful illustration and resonated with many Americans. Works Cited "Editorial Cartoon." New World Encyclopedia. 3 Apr 2008, 18:57 UTC. 23 Apr 2011, 02:04 .