Duality is the idea of something being dual or having two parts. The subject of my artifacts focuses on recent political divisions and the duality of their issues.
My first artifact, which will be used in my speech was drawn for “The Economist” by the artist Kal. It was drawn in November of 2020. The rhetorical situation of this drawing is a dual conflict internationally and domestically. The cartoon is split into two boxes. One side shows a conflict between China and Hong Kong and the other shows a conflict in America. The duality comes into play because we see two fires burning, one in each box. But there is only one water source to put it out and it is in America.
This makes it feel like we as Americans have the power to save Hong Kong by putting their fire out. In this way, this cartoon addresses the American people. They attempt to make the viewer feel sorrowful for Hong Kong as they are being engulfed in flames. This is a very strong invitation to action. The issue that I will discuss in my speech and essay stems from the idea that America cannot spread democracy if it has its own issues. I will pose the question, should one really water their neighbor’s lawn if their house is burning down?
My next artifact was published in “The Economy” by Kevin Seirs on July 14th, 2022. This is an extremely recent political cartoon. This cartoon’s rhetorical situation focuses on the causal and dual relationship between the pandemic and inflation. It shows two asteroids that are closing in on America. I call this an “edge of the seat” cartoon. It is a frightening visual that is meant to frighten the audience (America) into action. Inflation has always been a prevalent concept. But until the pandemic, it never became a real issue. I will explore how the pandemic backed the government into a corner forcing a yin and yang of stimulus and rate hikes.
I chose these two artifacts because I wanted to keep my topics recent. History has been made in the past 4 years and I would love to explore it. These two artifacts look at different issues that are both controlled by government intervention. They have similarities and differences. One is in color one is not. One is busy one is not. One is domestic one is international. But they are both dualistic in nature and have a large impact on society and democracy.
The duality in both of the cartoons is interesting, I’m looking forward to learning more about the constant political fires in the US over the years and how it affects the public. You describe the second cartoon as an “edge of the seat” cartoon, I completely agree with that but I wonder if the first cartoon could also be described as “edge of the seat” as well?
This is a very interesting idea that brings a fresh concept to the table. It will be incredibly insightful to hear about what each of the symbols in the artifact is referencing. I look forward to hearing your speech!
These are really interesting picks. I have never seen something like this before. I especially like that they are recent artifacts. In my opinion, that connects me to the presentation of ideas a lot more.