Introductions and Conclusions of Language Analysis Essays

[d0minicz]

Hey can anyone post up any cartoon analyses that they've written up. Just need to see a few
thanks

[costargh]

Hey can anyone post up any cartoon analyses that they've written up. Just need to see a few
thanks

Make a new thread! This ones 4 intros and conclusions!

This is the way I did introductions. I wrote this guide up earlier in the year on how to write a language analysis. Here's an exert from the document for introductions. I don't really care of people don't agree with how I do it. It worked well for me.

Introduction
1.   Outline what the issue is, giving background information.
2.   Outline the ways the media has presented it (if available).
3.   Outline the title, type of article, date of publication and author of the article. (if available)
   -You can mix step 3, 4  and 6 together  (see example)
4.   Identify the group/s affected by the issue (stakeholders) and whether or not the author may be bias in their opinion due to a vested interest in the issue. (mix this step in with step 3 if possible)
5.   Identify the tone.
6.   State the author’s main contention. (write this in your own words)

Example for each step
Introduction
1.   “The contentious issue of a national curriculum surfaced in the media after the National Labour Party proposed its implementation last November.”
2.   “Initially many observers praised the Labour Party’s initiative, however recently there has been a backlash in the media against the proposal.”
3.   “An opinion piece published in The Age (21/12/07) by Mr Steve Barille, an expert on education systems, contends that the implementation of such a policy would no doubt be time consuming, inefficient and lead to a lower standard of education across Australia.”
4.   (see step 3)
5.   “Designed to bring fear into the readers mind, Mr Barille utilises a forceful and intimidating tone, compelling the reader to fear the proposed change.”
6.   (see step 3)

[shinny]

Probably not the best examples since these were done more towards the middle of the year but it's all I got =\ Everything done pre-exam was handwritten

Complementing the editorial and adopting a similar stance, Stan Eales presents a cartoon depicting a conflict between a mother and her teenager son in his bedroom. The foreground presents a teenager lying down in bed, having a diffident facial expression and being in a hands-behind-head posture at the bottom of the frame, insinuating that the student is wasting time. This idea is reiterated in the text bubble and the caption through the pun on physics with ‘mass’, ‘energy’, ‘inertia’ and ‘rest’, which connote idleness, and thus, laziness. The condescending pejorative ‘Einstein’ is also used to emphasis the mother’s frustration. The mother is shown with a hands-on-hips posture with an irritated facial expression on the left side of the frame, suggesting her authority and frustration at her son’s idling, and may be seen to reflect the frustration that may be experienced by parents as a collective. The background shows the risen sun beyond the window, which may be seen to symbolise that the day has well and truly begun, yet the student is still resting. Such an idea is then again emphasised by the late hour displayed on the clock. Ultimately, the cartoon is likely to position the audience to view the issue through a similar perspective – that of teenage laziness – as the editor has contended in the editorial.

and getting worse...

Similarly, Mark Knight adopts a similar stance in his cartoon in which two caricatured potatoes sit on a couch playing video games in the centre of the frame. It is evident that the potatoes are symbolic of children as a collective from the word ‘kids’, while their portrayal as potatoes is an allusion to the pejorative cliché, ‘couch potatoes’ as referenced in the title. The attribution of a debasing title such as ‘couch potato’ connotes detrimental consequences and addiction, so that readers may feel apprehensive about the health impacts of these children’s activities. The black background of the room is juxtaposed to the ‘outside’ world, in which a radiating sun is perched upon a background of solid white framed by the window. The negative tones which resonate from within the desolate room are then supplemented by two cans of ‘fizz’ and a bag of ‘crisps’, adding to the unhealthy impression of their activity. This generalises to the audience that children are excessively spending time indoors in an unhealthy manner playing such video games, rather than getting exercise outdoors. This message is reiterated in an exaggerated manner through the juxtaposition of the two text bubbles. Here, humour arises from one child’s naivety in the phrase, “”Outside”...? Is that available on Playstation”, suggesting a situation of absolute exclusion from society as a result of ‘couch potato’ behaviour becoming rife among children.

and worse.....r...

The article is accompanied by a photograph of a possum, which is covered by a crosshair in the immediate foreground. The crosshair is symbolic of the organised killing of the possums, and alludes the killing to a sense of almost being a widespread assassination. As a result, readers may be irate at the iniquity of such an act, and be sympathetic towards the possums that have been positioned to be viewed as victims. Such sympathy is reinstated by placing the picture of the possum which has been cropped upon a white background in order to focus the reader’s attention to the possum’s seemingly innocent face. Ultimately, readers may foster a sense of empathy towards the possums.

[TrueTears]

1.
Leak suggests in an ironic and critical tone that Bill Henson’s art does have an artistic element and that society as a whole is hypocritical in criticising Bill Henson's photographical works.

The whole cartoon reverses everything and makes everything the opposite to what they normally are. For example, the caricatured picture of Kevin Rudd is ironic because Kevin Rudd is normally the “good guy”, however here he is portrayed as a “perv”. This implies that Kevin Rudd is intruding the children’s privacy even though he is the one who said “children should be left as children.” Audiences would begin to question the validity of Kevin Rudd’s comments. On closer inspection, the relative size of the children in the photographs compared to Kevin Rudd makes Rudd look ‘childish’ and the children look adult-like. This implies that Rudd is ill-informed and ignorant thus further supporting the fact that his comments about Henson’s artwork are unjustified. The darkness in the photograph contrasted with the whiteness of the children’s body suggests that they are innocent and pure. It also implies that Henson’s artwork is indeed depicting the transient fragility of the innocence of children. Ironically, Rudd is also mostly covered in black clothing which suggests that he is actually the one who is exploitative and perverted. The Roslyn Oxley9 spelt backwards further supports the idea that that everything is in reverse and contradictory. The caption “enter the critic” supports the overall implication of this cartoon. It shows that not only society but even Kevin Rudd himself is becoming supercritical of the Henson issue.

2.
The cartoon supporting Crisp’s article is dominated by a large hand holding a bottle of beer which symbolises absolute power. The relative size of the hand implies that it is powerful and strong. In contrast, the parent is much smaller and appears to be having trouble ‘hanging’ on to her teenage child. This hints that the parent is powerless and helpless. The beer bottle is depicted to be sucking the child’s head inside, this shows that the child has no control over alcohol, while the alcohol has total control over him. This also highlights the fact that parents need to have authority over their children and hence protect them from alcohol. The cartoon can also be seen as a “tug-of-war”, where if the parent has sufficient influence and power over their children, then they will gain the upper hand in the ‘battle’ against alcohol. However, if they lack concern and responsibility over their children, then ultimately their children will be ‘sucked’ into alcohol.

3.
At first glance, one would think the picture supporting the editorial is an advertisement. However, on closer inspection, we realize that the picture is overtly satirical and seeks to mock the advertising strategies of alcohol companies. The choice of certain words such as depressing, phoney and ugly, makes the already sarcastic advertisement even more sardonic. The use of rhetorical questions such as, “Isn’t it time you had a Binge?” indicates that it is directed at the general public, it implies that people should think for themselves and not be fooled by alcohol advertisements. The advertisement not only seeks to criticise the advertisers, but also aims to criticise alcohol as a solution for escapists. By describing politicians as “screwed-up” and “self-serving” shows that it is also directed at politicians and policy makers, it can also be seen as a call for action. The exaggerated picture of a cartoon figure looking totally dazed, mesmerized and dripping saliva depicts the absurdity and fatuity of the advertisement. We also see that cartoon figure is looking at a photo of a “Binge Lager” beer bottle. The purpose of this is to show the audience that there is nothing special about alcohol and instead of being controlled and manipulated by alcohol, people should think for themselves. 

[BlueYoHo]

Probably not the best examples since these were done more towards the middle of the year but it's all I got =\ Everything done pre-exam was handwritten

Complementing the editorial and adopting a similar stance, Stan Eales presents a cartoon depicting a conflict between a mother and her teenager son in his bedroom. The foreground presents a teenager lying down in bed, having a diffident facial expression and being in a hands-behind-head posture at the bottom of the frame, insinuating that the student is wasting time. This idea is reiterated in the text bubble and the caption through the pun on physics with ‘mass’, ‘energy’, ‘inertia’ and ‘rest’, which connote idleness, and thus, laziness. The condescending pejorative ‘Einstein’ is also used to emphasis the mother’s frustration. The mother is shown with a hands-on-hips posture with an irritated facial expression on the left side of the frame, suggesting her authority and frustration at her son’s idling, and may be seen to reflect the frustration that may be experienced by parents as a collective. The background shows the risen sun beyond the window, which may be seen to symbolise that the day has well and truly begun, yet the student is still resting. Such an idea is then again emphasised by the late hour displayed on the clock. Ultimately, the cartoon is likely to position the audience to view the issue through a similar perspective – that of teenage laziness – as the editor has contended in the editorial.

and getting worse...

Similarly, Mark Knight adopts a similar stance in his cartoon in which two caricatured potatoes sit on a couch playing video games in the centre of the frame. It is evident that the potatoes are symbolic of children as a collective from the word ‘kids’, while their portrayal as potatoes is an allusion to the pejorative cliché, ‘couch potatoes’ as referenced in the title. The attribution of a debasing title such as ‘couch potato’ connotes detrimental consequences and addiction, so that readers may feel apprehensive about the health impacts of these children’s activities. The black background of the room is juxtaposed to the ‘outside’ world, in which a radiating sun is perched upon a background of solid white framed by the window. The negative tones which resonate from within the desolate room are then supplemented by two cans of ‘fizz’ and a bag of ‘crisps’, adding to the unhealthy impression of their activity. This generalises to the audience that children are excessively spending time indoors in an unhealthy manner playing such video games, rather than getting exercise outdoors. This message is reiterated in an exaggerated manner through the juxtaposition of the two text bubbles. Here, humour arises from one child’s naivety in the phrase, “”Outside”...? Is that available on Playstation”, suggesting a situation of absolute exclusion from society as a result of ‘couch potato’ behaviour becoming rife among children.

and worse.....r...

The article is accompanied by a photograph of a possum, which is covered by a crosshair in the immediate foreground. The crosshair is symbolic of the organised killing of the possums, and alludes the killing to a sense of almost being a widespread assassination. As a result, readers may be irate at the iniquity of such an act, and be sympathetic towards the possums that have been positioned to be viewed as victims. Such sympathy is reinstated by placing the picture of the possum which has been cropped upon a white background in order to focus the reader’s attention to the possum’s seemingly innocent face. Ultimately, readers may foster a sense of empathy towards the possums.

What do you mean these aren't that good?! Bloody hell shinny...these are heaps good...

You guys all depress me lol.
My writing is like year 5 compared to you guys.

[kurrymuncher]

Dont worry, you're not the only one thats getting depressed by reading these pr0 essays