Recognizing Stereotypes What stereotype is used with the figure rep- resenting the trusts? Is this a fair stereotype? Can a stereotype be fair?
Recognizing Stereotypes What stereotype is used with the figure rep- resenting the trusts? Is this a fair stereotype? Can a stereotype be fair?
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Answer to Question 6
Transcribed Image Text:**Interpreting Political Cartoons: Activity 16**
**A Populist View of President McKinley**
The Sherman Antitrust Act was passed in 1890, but it was weak and did little to control trusts. Outrage over the trusts and their political influence grew, partly due to the work of muckraking journalists like Henry Demarest Lloyd. His antitrust book, *Wealth Against Commonwealth* (1894), influenced many people's thinking about regulation of the trusts. Populists were not heartened by the 1896 election of the pro-business William McKinley. The cartoons below—by Frederick Opper—show how, at this time, satire turned into sarcasm.
**Directions:** Study the cartoons below, and then answer the questions that follow.
**Cartoon Explanation:**
1. **Left Cartoon:**
- The cartoon depicts a large, wealthy figure (representative of trusts) holding a small house. Beside him is a child, possibly symbolizing the public or government, who is being told: "If Willie is a good boy, and minds papa and nursie, they will try to let him keep the pretty house until he is eight years old." This reflects the idea that trusts control and dictate terms to the government or public, highlighting a condescending relationship.
2. **Right Cartoon:**
- This cartoon shows a carriage labeled "The Trusts" being pulled by horses, with a man and a child aboard. The man comments: "Yes, Willie, that was only one of the common people we ran over back there. He doesn’t count." This portrays the way trusts overlook the common people, emphasizing their disregard for public welfare.
**Interpreting Political Cartoons**
(Page 31, continued)
Transcribed Image Text:Sure, here's a transcription and explanation of the text as it would appear on an educational website:
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**ANALYZING THE CARTOONS**
1. **Who is the nurse in the cartoons? What was his role in the politics of this time?**
*William McKinley*
2. **What makes the depictions of William McKinley and Teddy Roosevelt sarcastic?**
*(Space for answer)*
3. **What does Frederick Opper, the cartoonist, caricature in the Hanna figure, and what does it signify?**
*(Space for answer)*
4. **Explain the age reference in the caption of the left cartoon.**
*(Space for answer)*
**CRITICAL THINKING**
5. **Making Inferences** What is Opper’s view of McKinley’s and Roosevelt’s integrity?
*(Space for answer)*
6. **Recognizing Stereotypes** What stereotype is used with the figure representing the trusts? Is this a fair stereotype? Can a stereotype be fair?
*(Space for answer)*
7. **Making Comparisons** Who controlled politicians in the late 1800s, according to the muckrakers? What might we learn from the politics of the Gilded Age to help us deal with the role of money in the politics of our time?
*(Space for answer)*
8. **Making Predictions** What in these cartoons anticipates two major issues in the early twentieth century?
*(Space for answer)*
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The text is part of a worksheet focused on interpreting political cartoons, encouraging students to analyze historical figures and political themes through questions on sarcasm, stereotypes, and political influence during the Gilded Age. There are no graphs or diagrams present on the page.
Expert Solution
Step 1: Introduction
When examining political cartoons from the late 19th century featuring President McKinley and the trusts, it's crucial to consider the use of stereotypes and assess their fairness or lack thereof. Stereotypes involve simplifying, often exaggerating, and occasionally applying unfair beliefs or attributes to a group of people or entities based on specific traits or characteristics.
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