Abby Teitsch 

Professor Sophie Field 

ENG 170-14 

15 September 2022 

The Effects of COVID-19 Vaccine Propaganda and Donald Trump 

Many pictures seem to ‘talk’ to us in a way; some can trigger a response to memories, mild or even intense emotions. One can make assumptions about the image, in this case, a political cartoon, based on what that person feels. The subject, context, subtext, and composition of an image are the most important components to consider when making an inferential analysis. The political cartoon in consideration shows a doctor, a nurse, an elephant, speech bubbles, and various visual techniques. Using personal knowledge and experiences, I can presume when and where this particular cartoon was made, what kind of person it was made by, and who it was intended for. 

There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic and Donald Trump’s presidency were two of the most noteworthy historical events within my lifetime thus far. The political cartoon chosen brings these two together into a stratified image. There are quite a few layers to this political cartoon that can be deconstructed. Firstly, on the surface, we see a large, angry-looking elephant standing alongside two medical professionals. Once we take a deeper look, we can see that the 45th president is sneaking behind the elephant’s tongue, who represents the Republican party, specifically Trump supporters, heed the MAGA hat. The elephant is yelling that he will not take the “STUPID,” in all caps, vaccine, to which the doctor asks the nurse to get some of the ‘livestock anti-parasite drug’ while pointing at Trump. This is a jab at the fact that some Republicans were so anti-vax, that they were taking medications used to treat worm infections in farm animals, as a means to ‘cure COVID.’ Once you ‘peel back’ the layers of an image, you find there is more than what the eye may first find.  

The context of this political cartoon is not too difficult to establish. It had to have been created sometime between the beginning of 2021 and now, even though Trump was already out of office by then. The start of last year, 2021, was the time when COVID vaccines started to be widely distributed, and mandatory to do certain things, like travel, or go to certain events. The target audience could either be partisans of the Democratic party or Independents. The artist’s stance is surely pro-vaccine, and pro-science. They are mocking Republicans for believing and trusting the outrageous anti-COVID vaccine propaganda that Trump spit out, even once his presidency was done. It is safe to assume the context of this political cartoon since it is so specific and catered to a certain time. 

Undeniably, there is a subtext to be found within this image once studied long enough. For example, the way that Trump is buried within the elephant’s mouth, it seems as though he is controlling what the elephant says, just like a parasite takes control of its host’s body. This was most likely intentional. Another instance of subtext is the sarcasm the artist uses within the speech and body language of the figures. The elephant is extremely large, worked up, and angry, while the doctor and nurse stand there, nonchalantly. This leads me to the next underlying message; there is no expression on the medical professionals’ faces because they are wearing masks, so one cannot see their mouths. One also cannot see their eyes. I feel as if the author did this on purpose because we can see what attitude they have based on their body language. Subtext is crucial when trying to find a hidden meaning within an image.  

The composition of the political cartoon really gives us an idea of what the artist was trying to say and the mood it gives off. Additionally, the image evokes a response both visually and linguistically. Our eyes are first drawn to these invigorating pieces of the image. On one hand, there are visually stimulating colors, such as the nurse’s blue scrubs, the democratic party color, and the red flannel the elephant is wearing, the republican party color. Contrarily, there are sketch-like dark lines where the elephant is talking, making him seem hostile and threatening. But where the doctor is talking, there are none of those dark lines, only a brighter, white corner. Linguistically, the elephant’s words are in all caps, and one specifically is bright red, which, too, makes him seem aggressive and bitter. As we have seen, many techniques are used throughout the image, such as exaggeration, sarcasm, and symbolism.  

Anyone who has lived through the past 3 years can see an image with a direct or indirect representation of COVID, and it will trigger memories and emotions. The time that this chosen political cartoon was made in is easily identifiable and has many fascinating layers that could be dismantled with the use of context and background knowledge. The versatility of the image causes some subtext to be found within it, as well. Lastly, the composition and form let us perceive more of what the author is trying to convey. The image surely speaks to the observer, using a variety of visual and literary techniques.  

 

Works Cited 

McKee, Rick. “Anti parasite drug.” Counterpoint, 25 Aug. 2021, https://politicalcartoons.com/sku/254783. 

 

Process Reflection:  

One strategy I used in the first draft that I noticed made the whole process much easier was taking the time to sit down, go over the assignment sheet, and write everything I noticed down. It helped later on because I already had all my thoughts on paper. 

Some revisions I had to make for my final draft were using more transitional words and statements and repeating myself less. It was difficult at first to go back into my writing when I wanted to be done with it, but I knew it needed improvements. I also needed to touch up my introduction and conclusion.   

I believe the formality and organization of the essay were enhanced between the rough and final draft. This assignment allowed me to transition back into the groove of writing after a summer without it. I used more appropriate, scholarly words and made solid connections between paragraphs.  

If I could do this analysis again, I would work harder on my introduction and conclusion. I need to have a stronger thesis supporting it.