The Marymount Literary Connection serves as a forum for students to further discuss the literature they read both at home and at school.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Grade 12 IB B: Part 1 due before class on Monday September 10th, Part 2 due before class on Friday, September 14th
Consider the political cartoons below. In your part 1 comment, present an analysis of one of these cartoons, including a connection to Kesey's One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest. Then, for part 2, comment on at least two of your classmates' posts.
the red iceberg. on this propaganda stamp we notice an american boat, with uncle Sam sit on it, going toward a red iceberg containing the tombstones of the six communist countries: Poland, China, Hungary, Czecho-Slovakia, North Korea, and East Germany. We can notice that this is a stamp because on the up-right corner there is written 10c. This stamp is telling us that capitalism is going against and/or wanting to declare war to communism to stop it because it is seen as evil. Uncle Sam is the best example of a capitalist person because it is used as a way to inspire and persuade people to enroll in the army. The struggle between communism and capitalism is the reason of the Cold War, and we can see this struggle as the relationship between two characters of the book: McMurphy and Nurse Rached. This is so because McMurphy is trying to keep up with the cruel nurse that is oppressing all the other patients in the institution.
Saba, I appreciated your interpretation of the cartoon but I wanted to add to what you have writted. I wanted to report that I also noticed another evidence that prooves that the cartoon #3 is a poster, or stamp as you call it. If you look in the bottom-right side corner you can notice that there is written "1960 Impact Pubblications", and we can deduce that it was aimed to persuade people during the Cold War because it lasted from 1947 till 1991. The connection that you have made with the novel "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest" is very clever, I didn't think about it that way, and I didn't recognize Uncle Sam. Once again nice work!
Excellent job noting the "10 c" at the top of the image. As you said, this could indicate that the image is a stamp, but it could also be a poster. Either way, it is clear that it is an image that would be circulated throughout a population.
I am also happy to see that you noted the nurse's oppressive nature. Let's see if we can take this further... there's more here...!
First image. The picture represents a class with 4 children and a teacher, which is a woman, standing in front of them. There is a flag on the blackboard, which clearly stands for a communist regime. The teacher in front of the class is standing straight and has a red band on the left arm, which is like a symbol that suggests her political orientation. The way she’s standing shows us that she is probably a strong character, oppressing, and with a commander-like attitude like Nurse Ratched. She is not trying to have a connection with the student, or a discussion, but she is rather forcing them to think the way she does. She is influencing and poisoning their minds with the idea that communism will be the best choice for a country’s government. She is also doing some kind of propaganda, since the only thing she tells them is how beautiful and perfect their lives will be under a communist regime. Literally she is promising them that communist will bring “heaven” on heart. This strong and decisive manipulation of other people’s minds reminds me about the attitude that the “ball-cutter” Nurse had on the innocent patients. The book reveals us that, during that time in mental institutes patients were considered like or even less than animals, sometimes they were only vegetables for the staff that was working there. They were lobotomizing sane people, as in McMurphy’s case, and making normal men go crazy. This mind oppression is a governmental weapon particularly in use during the years of the cold war, during which the most harmful weapon was in facts the psychological control.
The description of the first image is very accurate, the teacher symbolizes to me the authority that communism has over people. I like the connection you did to Nurse Ratched because the two woman are very similar and almost symbolize the exact same thing. Comparing the manipulation of Nurse Ratched and the teacher over the patients and the student , was something important because it explained an important topic of the book and on communism. I agree with the part that "mind oppression is a governmental weapon particularly in use during the years of the cold war" because it specifies a certain period were people were limited in making there decisions and choosing what was right for them . Good overall analysis!!
I totally agree with the fact that government's manipulation of the people was firstly rendered possible through psychological control, which was obtained with various tools: one, for example, would be language and the next one the type of behavior adopted by any kind of "superior" in society. You clearly showed this point by remarking the sharp and strict behavior of the teacher, that, as you said, does not give the students the slightest chance to object to what she says. Being this the case, it was appropriate to connect it with Nurse Ratched, and citing the book's definition of the Nurse, "ball-cutter", it was a very effective way to give the idea of repression that was done by the Combine. Overall, a very neat and clear analysis.
Your comments are insightful and helpful. Marco, I particularly like that you referred to a specific portion of Vittoria's response by quoting. Good work!
I like very much the fact that you pointed out the many symbols in this image. Your connections to the book are also very good and you did punctual observations.
Giorgia Repici "The Red Iceberg" This political cartoon shows the United States (represented by Uncle Sam on a boat),sailing on the sea of politics. Navigation is rich of dangers for the future of the country and these dangers are represented by the red iceberg of communism to which Uncle Sam might get too close. Being fascinated by the "iceberg/island" of communism though might jeopardize the entire boat because this island is nothing but an iceberg which subtly hides risks and dangers. The tombstones of the communist countries show that joining this kind of political doctrine, was not the right decision. Therefore this picture is made to warn whoever thinks that communism might be the solution to their problems, that all countries that have tried it before have failed.
This political cartoon relates with the book because the iceberg, just like the psychiatric ward represent fear. Also, communism was the way to a better country, just like the ward was supposed to help people with problems to improve, when they only got worse. No one knew other than the patients and the staff what was actually happening in there even though the workers believed they were doing the right thing because Nurse Rached told them to do so.
For this blog comment I decided to analyze the first cartoon. In the first cartoon we have a class. This cartoon is of a class during the cold war period I suppose. There are some students; they seem to wear all red pullovers or red clips. The color that is more present is the red, almost all the figures in the cartoon wear it and there is a modified copy of the American flag and there is a sort of small Statue on the desk, always red. The teacher’s bubble is telling us that she is explaining to the students that Communism is the only possible solution and it is a very positive one, Life will be better for all. I would connect this cartoon to a small part of the novel “One flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest” by Ken Kesey. The part in which R.P McMurphy is discussing with his friend Cheswick with Ms.Ratched about how effective the moment of therapy was. They insisted to watch a baseball match in TV instead. She told Mc that if they wanted to watch the game they had to have a majority in voting. There were 9 of 18 arms risen and she answered that therapy time was over and that there was no majority. This is very similar to a communist behavior. The fact that all should vote so that they expressed their feelings over watching or not the game is very similar to the communist principles.
Wow, impressive, you know your history by saying it was in the cold war! ahhaahha! Very good in remempering the anecdote of the baseball match, it fits perfectly in your comment! Great job Frank, continue like this!
You described the first political cartoon very well. I agree with you on connecting this cartoon to the part of the novel "One flew over the Cuckoo's Nest" in which R.P McMurphy is discussing with his friend Cheswick with Ms.Ratched about how effective the moment of therapy was. I totally agree with your last sentence.
Francesco, Filippo, and Isotta (and everyone else!)---
There is an interesting connection here, but I'd like to push back a bit. Isn't everyone voting a part of democratic principles? Can we discuss this a bit more?
For this blog analysis I chose the political cartoon 3. We can clearly see that this is a propaganda poster. This image shows a boat with uncle Sam in it going towards a Red Iceberg with the tombstone with the six major communist countries: Poland, North Korea, East Germany, Czecho Slovakia, China and Hungary. We notice that this cartoon is a propaganda stamp or poster thanks to the 10c written on the top right. This propaganda cartoon shows the issues between capitalism and communism, reason why the Cold War began. The goal of this cartoon is to encourage people to join the army. We can easily connect the American capitalism with one character in the move "One Flew Over the Cooko's Nest", that is Nurse Rached. She wants to reign with cruelty and oppress her patients, just how the American army wants to eliminate communism.
Beautiful that you noted the 10c on the up right corner of the cartoon, it indicates that it's a poster or a stamp. You are right the poster or stamp is showing the issues between capitalism and communism, as you said reason why the cold war began. I also agree that the cartoon was produced to motivate man to join the red army. When I first tried to imagine a possible connection with the novel I couldn't, after I decided to read from your blog and the idea I was looking for was found, simple and evident.
Roberto, I’m agree what u say and you point, I also think this image is a propaganda image, you can see that in this image the red iceberg is sinking down, is shows that the communism is getting over, shows that communism is not scares any more.
I like a lot how you connected the image to the cold war. I wanted to chose this image but I couldn't find the meaning of it and i couldn't find a way to connect it to the novel, but I think you did an excellent job. I think that your right saying that this propaganda image was used to encourage people to join the army because of Uncle Sam and also because this was the time of the cold war. In my opinion you made an excellent connection with the novel and also with the topic of the Cold War, Great Job !!
In the first image we can see a blond lady in her forties giving a class. She is dressed in a very smart way and she is also standing in an elegant but at the same time severe way. She is wearing a red band on the left arm like the communist did. We can see that it is a very disciplined class because of how the teacher is standing and because of the order there is in the classroom, we can also notice the bell on the teacher's desk which gives the idea of a precise, severe and oppressive teacher. On the black board behind the teacher we can see the USA flag, but instead of the blue with the white stars there is the communist flag. The teacher is talking about communism, she is saying that communism is good and that it is the answer to everything. We can see only four students and they look scared because of the teacher that may be seen as a dictator. This scene can be connected to when Nurse Rached talks to the group and all the patients look at her attentively. The communist-USA flag shows us that the nurse was trying to introduce communist to the students also in a visual way oppressing all their thoughts and opinions with only one idea which in this case is communism.
you could also connect the communism dictatroship with Nurse Ratched way of ruling, as an oppressor of those who don't have enough power to rebel. in addition you can see the mental insitution as a tirany because those who try to rebel, like Mcmurphy, are oppressed and made harmless
Researching i have found this cartoon to be a comic book cover from 1960. Basically it shows how the United States can be effected from the evil ways of Communism. It shows the United States as a happy and peaceful society, all by using Uncle Sam comfortably seated on a boat. It also Shows the USSR, China and North Korea as gravestones on a red iceberg. This image contains much symbolism first, the portrait of Uncle Sam shows America as a innocent and peaceful country. Next the red iceberg symbolizes evil in the Communist countries and the gravestone represent the death that Communism brings.
This Propaganda relates perfectly to "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest" because just like in the propaganda we have a communist system running in the ward were the people have no authority, and are not treated fairly and this caused the death of many patients. Nurse Rached was the one in charge and she believed everything was running fairly , and she thought what she was doing was helping the patients but just as the cartoon we see that the way she was running things was just worsening the situation. Also MC Murphy could be compared to uncle Sam like the guy who wanted to rebel and not adapt to the system or communism nurse Rached was imposing.
"...the gravestones represent the death that Communism brings."
I was happy to see you point out the gravestones, but I interpreted them a little differently. I thought they were representing the defeat and death of communism by Uncle Sam, who, as you noted, represented a comfortable and confident America.
Marco, I am stunned by the fact you made a research on this propaganda stamp and reaserch. I enjoy the way in which you explain what this cartoon wants to say to us. I also liked the connection you made with communism and Nurse Rached. I think you did a very good job, bringing also very interesting things. Rob D.
Cartoon #1 The cartoon represents a half aged lady, which remembers me of Nurse Rached, that is presumably teaching the four students. The environment looks more as a high school classroom rather than an elementary classroom. On the blackboard there is attached a flag very similar to the US one, but substituted with the hammer and sickle and white and red (which is the communist color) stripes. The teacher looks grievous and oppressive towards the young students, as Nurse Rached was towards the patients. The professor uses a metaphor to persuade the students telling them that Communism "will bring you a heaven on Earth in which everyone will be happy", this reminds me of how Rached made McMurphy become mentally ill imposing herself on him telling that he was already ill, where as he was a normal person. What makes me understand that what the teacher says is very subjective, is the armband that she wears representing her political ideal of Communism. The cartoon represents only the four heads of the students, which are the brains, and the whole figure of the teacher which is making their brains follow her ideal, so she is "mind controlling" them as the Nurse did to her patients. The words that the lady uses are very strong, when she says "heaven on Earth" I could think of how it is easy to persuade young people since their big imagination, so we could consider the words used also as strategic. She concludes by saying that "everyone will be happy", another positive thing that supports her party, and for me to be happy is the best thing I could have, so the words used by her are very determined. In conclusion I could relate the lady in the cartoon as a similar figure of Nurse Rached, since they are two characters that impose their conditions: the first one towards her students, and the second one to her patients. (Corrected post)
Hey Zio, very good description of this Communist poster, I found really impressive the use of vocabulary such as "grievous" "oppressive" that describe perfectly the situation. The way you analyzed the words said by the teacher is impressive, understanding how she uses happiness to persuade the students in front of her. Moreover, the connection between how Nurse Ratched persuaded the patients and how the patients recalled very young kids, to who you can make everything you say seem true. An overall impressive analyze, very good Zio!
Hey Fed :-)! This is a great work from you! Apart from the grammatical errors you have made, the content is very interesting and well written. I like the way in which you connect the novel we have read "One Flew Over the Cooko's Nest" already at the begging. You made me notice some very nice similes between this cartoon and the book we have read. Very nice job, Fed!
HI fede!! Very good analysis of the image!! I am impressed by your good use of vocab, even if as Roberto I noticed your gramatical errors. I like your citation, "The words that the lady uses are very strong, when she says "heaven on Earth" I could think of how it is easy to persuade young people since their big imagination, so we could consider the words used also as strategic." Thanks for letting me observe even how the teacher may use the big imagination that a kid may have when are still little and so how may be easy manipulating their minds... GREAT JOB!!!!
Comment on the first image This image shows a teacher in a communist suit that teaches a class of student what communism is all about. The communist flag in the back gives an idea of the extremely one-track minded political view of the teacher and supposedly of the whole class. The teacher is basically saying that communism is perfection. What surprises the most is that while she speaks of “heaven on earth” and about being happy, she seems so awkwardly tensed, serious, and emotionless. In fact, as we cannot hear her voice, her body language gives us an idea of the eventual tone that she talks with: the sharpest and severest one that someone could think of. Her body language both reinforces her message and clearly shows the tyrannical meaning of it: she is rigid as a statue, with an icy, emotionless, severe expression, pronouncing those words as if they were the only ones aloud to break the silence of the room and to impose it. Her message is an ideological constriction, a non-discussible truth: she confirms the absolute perfection of communism without even giving a chance to analyze its weaknesses or negative aspects. This attitude could be called, ideologically, “absolutism”, as it looks at the perfection of one concept from the view of the one that sustains it, excluding completely other perspectives; and psychologically, “behaviorism”, as the main rule of this room is “ to behave”, to do not object, to stand still. This scene is most probably a representation of communism during the Cold War, and at its totalitarianism takeover. The woman standing in the classroom clearly reminds me of Miss Ratched, not only figuratively but as well symbolically. In Kesey’s novel, Miss Ratched represents the oppressive American society of the 60’s, lead by the communism’s influence to be authoritative, totalitarian, almost dehumanized to the point of resembling a big “machine”, without heart, that constantly spreads fog in order to confuse people’s beliefs, ideas, feelings, and to let them finally join its course almost for desperation (Chief’s paranoia is probably a pretest to use this metaphor). The Big Nurse’s purpose is to be an eternal “castrator”, in the symbolical meaning that this word assumes in the book: she intends to castrate all her patients by making them feel like “rabbits”, reducing their individuality, their sexuality, their self-confidence to a green shirt and a number inside the hospital. Through the Big Nurse Kesey eventually criticizes the social conformism that the American communist society wanted to establish: a true “matriarchy” (p. 79) but in which the real mother is not Nurse Ratched but “society” itself. It is a society that decides on everything for the everyday people subordinated to it, which is clearly shown in the book, where the society, or so called Combine, decides “who’s sane and who isn’t” (p.62); that decides whether people’s complaints should be herd or not, and that holds the power to establish silence and to suffocate people’s ideas, beliefs, and intelligence whenever it wants. This last privilege is shown in the book with the EST or with the lobotomy, symbolical instruments that the Combine uses to “castrate” people, making them unable to use their mind, to express their selves or to rebel from the one-track minded view that controls the public.
Max great description of picture 1# you described the woman in every aspect, she is definitely the ruling person in the room, where she has the most authority and she can influence the kids into adopting communism. Your first comparison is perfectly matching because she completly resembles in every way Nurse Ratched not only physically but mentally because they both have authority over other people and they have the power to influence them. Nurse Ratched and the woman in the cartoon have both a symbolic view in society : Nurse Ratched represents "oppressive American society of the 60’s" while the teacher represent the spreading of communism in school influencing the world and other generations.Also it was good to use quotation to back up your comparison. I believe you did a great job to analyze and compare this cartoon , backing up your comaprison and analyzing deeply both characters Nurse Ratched and the teacher. Good Jobbb
You made a great detailed description of the woman in picture °1. You made a good point by noticing the communist flag in the back that gives an idea of the extremely one-track minded political view of the teacher and supposedly of the whole class. I agree with everything you said and I think it that way too. You did a great comparison. Good job!
In the first image we can see the representation of a class. There are four students and a teacher. At the center of the board we see a communist flag. The teacher is wearing on her left arm a red band. Her appearance is serious and without femininity. Her posture probably reflects her character. She seems to be oppressing the class and wants to infuse into the students her political orientation: Communism. We can read what she is saying to the class. She is trying to convince students that “communism is the answer to all the world’s problems.” Even though we cannot hear what she is saying we can infer her tone by her body language. She is probably speaking in a severe and oppressive tone. This character could bring up to mind Nurse Ratched who represents in the book the oppressive mechanization, dehumanization, and emasculation of modern society. The main theme of the image is manipulation. As for Nurese Ratched in “One flew over the cuckoo’s nest”, the teacher is manipulating the class. Ratched ability to present a false self suggests that the mechanistic and oppressive forces in society gain ascendance through the dishonesty of the powerful. Without being aware of the oppression, the quiet and docile slowly become weakened and gradually are subsumed. The same is happening in the image.
Good description of the image! I agree that the posture of the teacher helps understand how much she was strict and severe with her students. Even good job on thinking about the tone in which the teacher is trying to manipulate the students to become communist. I totally agree with your citation at the end, "Without being aware of the oppression, the quiet and docile slowly become weakened and gradually are subsumed. The same is happening in the image. " Congrats for your analysis and connections!!! :)
Carlo you have done such a great job analyzing and describing this picture. The details that you have picked out are very interesting; like the posture and the tone of voice in which the teacher might be saying these things to the kids is something that I never and would have never thought about when looking at this picture. Now that you have pointed out these particularities I have a greater understanding of this political cartoon and of how it can relate to the book that we have read over the summer. I agree with you the posture is very significant and it's practically representing Nurse Ratched because of "Her appearance is serious and without femininity". Also the tone that the teacher was using is very important on how it effects the students. Because of their authorial position both Nurse Ratched and the teacher can manipulate and make believe whatever they wish to the students and patients. Very nice observations you have! Good Job Carlo! (:
In the first political cartoon is showed a young teacher next to a desk. In front of her, the heads of four students looking attentively at her can be seen. She is telling to the students that “communism is the answer to all the world’s problems”and that “It will bring a heaven on earth in which everyone will be happy”. Next to her there is a flag clearly showing a communist symbol. In addition, on the desk of the teacher a bell anc some books are visible.
The political cartoon represents the power of communism. Because of this reason, the books are showed under the flag. They make people believe that communism brings happiness and justice, as well as power. At the same time, this cartoon gives to the viewer the idea of a dictatorship. Not only because the teacher seems to be the dictator, from the information she gives to her students, but also because of her appearance, particularly the red band she wears. This analysis brings us to believe that communism has some positive, and negative outcomes. It brings an apparent feeling of equality, happiness and power, but at the same time it creates a dictatorship under a certain authority.
The political cartoon can be related not only to the historical events of the Second World War, but also to the book “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest.” In fact, the book was written and related to the period of the uprising of communism. As a result, the communist teacher may be compared to Mildred Ratched, the administrative nurse who has a strong power over the fate of all the people in the Oregon psychiatric hospital. Consequently, the students may be considered the cronics and the acutes patients that are present in the book. The communist authority can be considered very likely to be similar to the attitudes used by the administrative nurse on her unhealthy patients, since she imposes her own will and ideas upon them, without considering their desires. In conclusion, the political cartoon represents a communist manifest, which can be easily related to the attitudes of Ratched on the mental ill patients.
Part 2
To Vittoria
I think your analysis on my same political cartoon is very good. You underlined a lot of very interesting things that I noticed too. The way you tried to express how strong and important the character of the teacher was is very revealing of the similarity between her and Nurse Rached’s attitude in the book. Moreover, I found very interesting and relevant the way you talked about facts which are quoted in the novel, and which actually happened in the past, such as the way patients were treated and the practice of lobotomy. In conclusion, I appreciated your analysis and reflection upon the similarities between the situation in the novel and that during the communist dictatorship. I had also the opportunity to learn new information and think about my own ideas about the meaning of the book and the condition of psychiatric patients in the past.
To Roberto D.
I read your article and I think that although it is very concise, it is able to express very good concepts in a clear and simple way. In any case, you could have written more about the third political cartoon. Even though the description is very detailed and very understandable, you could have given more explanations about the issue regarding capitalism and communism. Despite this, I found your final comment, about the connection between the cartoon and the book, very interesting. I can conclude by saying that your analysis is overally good, but I think you could have gone from the largest concepts, which you described very well, to smallest ones you failed to report,
Valentinaaaa! I love your analysis because you pointed to many items and also it is very detail. I agree most of your views but there is one thing that I want to add. Although in the image the teacher is convincing the students and seems a representative of the voice of communism, I personally reckon that the teacher might also be a victim of communism because she is under the control of communism, if she doesn’t teach what communism says, she would punished. Haha !
Comment on the first image. The cartoon illustrates a class that listens to the teacher while she persuades her students that a Communist thinking world would resolve all problems, and making earth a happy place. This propaganda cartoon can be easily connected to the book "Kesey's One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest", where the nurse during their meetings "corrects" the "wrong" this that the patients said. The similar idea is that in both situations the teacher and the nurse seal their point of view in the students/patients brains, "correcting" every different idea.
Sebastiano: I find your point of view very interesting!
Vittoria: Your image description is fantastic, but, I don't think the teacher suggests the students, she is sealing her idea in the students, like if there is anything similar or equal.
good job mick! i find this comment great. the most interesting part is when you say that the nurse corrects the patients brain from any idea which she does not like. you are making her look as a dictator that wants to persuade the population to believe in what he\she believes is right.
Nice job mick, your comment and description are very easy to understand and to remember. We are thinking in the same way when you say that the nurse is simply trying to make the patients of the clinic think in the way she want's. She is very cruel, especially when they had enough votes to see in the clinic's TV the baseball game.
I like a lot how you begin directly saying what the teacher is trying to explain to the students, this was also my first thought when I first saw the image and I think that it's the most important fact of the image because as you said we can connect it to nurse Rached. I choose the same image and my thoughts were very similar to yours. Very good description of what the teacher is trying to say but maybe i would have said something more on the image its self. Good Job !!
The red iceberg, in this image, we can see that there is a boat, and there is Sam sitting on boat wearing American flag, we can see that the boat is come from oversea, and there is red iceberg, there is 6 stele name by 6 different country, there are Poland, Hungary, North Korea, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, and China, as we know this country used be a communism, but today there only 2 communism country left North Korea and China, from this it help us knows that images background is talking about cold war. This image can connection the book that I have read the relationship between this two faction, it like the relationship between Psychiatric hospital and patient
haha.. good good tongxue! I also analyzed this cartoon. I think there more points can be described. For example, the iceberg itself which has a significant meaning behind, and also the use of the color red. You have mentioned the connection to the the relationship between Psychiatric hospital and patient, but you haven’t describe it very much. I would like to hear it more and more details haha. Thankkkk you ..!
Of the three cartoons I decided to analyze the first one. In this image we can easily notice that a school classroom is represented. The first reaction to the image is obviously the blonde teacher and what she is saying, she could initially seem the "protagonist" of the picture but analyzing it accurately we can notice some other important objects such as the communist sign her red band on her left arm which have an infinitely strong significant in the background. Moreover, it is possible to see how red, the color which historically is the communist color, is dominant, as said, the flag and the band, but also the ribbon the girl uses to keep her hair together and the boy's shirt. There is an inevitable connection between this image and "One flew over the cuckoo's nest" by Ken Kesey. First of all, the teacher who seems very rigid and "bossy" reminds me of Nurse Ratched, who believed to be superior to all of her patients and felt that she could control them easily, before Mcmurphy arrived though! What the teacher is trying to do is to teach the kids that there is only one possible ideology possible in their world, and it is the one of communism. In the same way Nurse Ratched tried to expand her willingness and ideology on her patients, making them think that what she did was the only possible thing to do or think, this is described by Brodmen as the fog machine. In conclusion, it is also possible to understand by the image how the use of propaganda was fundamental in that time period especially in schools, and regarding the youth Filippo Mancinelli Scotti
I really liked the way you reminded us about the fog as a metaphor for the Nurse’s oppression, as I think it is something very interesting and original that not everybody remembers. If you wanted to develop it more though, you could have said the fog is a tool for psychological control, gained by installing a great amount of fear, a sense of insecurity and almost a loss of identity in the patients. Therefore the fog represents a sort of takeover on the patients' ideas and identities, and as a consequence agree and follow the Nurse's oppressive ideology and policy seems to be the only way out of it. Just a suggestion. Overall I think you have done a good job, in which you concisely covered all the important points on the case.
Nice comment Max! I totallt agree that the fog gives a sense of insicurity and a loss of identity in the patients because when there is a fog you cannot see clearly what is going on and I think this is what is happening to the patients; they are not able to realize what is happening to them. They are misstreated, especially psicologically -Billy's suicide is an exampl- and they are not given the opportunity to feel themselves normal and expose their talents. Although when McMurohy arrives at the medical institute a chamge, for the best, is seen in some of the paatients, Brodmen in particular. If Nurse Ratched is described as the fog machine I think McMurphay can be considered a fog light (fendinebbia) because he is able to open the patients eyes and make them aware that they are human beings and they also are important!
Of the three cartoons I decided to analize the first one. The first image represents students in a class that are listening to the teacher that is trying to convince them that Communisim is the answer to all world problems. There is definately a connection betweeen this propaganda cartoon and the book "One flew over the cuckoo's nest" by Ken Kesey. The teacher that seems strict and bossy reminds me of Nurse Ratched who considered herself superior to all of her patients and belived she could control them. In the cartoon the teacher tries to convince the kids that the ideology of Communisim is the only "solution" in their world, while Nurse Ratched in the book tried to convince her patients that she knew always the right thing to do.
To Sebastiano Salini: I found your description about the third propaganda cartoon very clear and interesting.
I totally agree with your point on the use of propaganda in the first cartoon and the connection to the nurse. What more is that in my opinion both people living under communist rule and the patients have no choice to choose what they want. Even though the propagandas are used to convince them what is right, apart from these choices they cannot do anything to change their lives because people are controlling them and they don’t have enough power to rebel.
I totally agree with Aini about her last comment on lives under communists regimes. they cannot do anything to change the course of their lives,but htey can use the power of speech and freedom against it. I think that people who were really suffering because of the political situation of that time should have denounced what was going on, and in facts Ken Kesey's novel is an example.He was part of "the dissenters": a group of people who were actively against the government's imposed conformity; they were trying to scream outloud their protests through their literary works. Since writers were censored by the government of that time they used allegories as references of reality. Ken Kesey used McMurphy as symbol of freedom, self expression and individuality, while the Nurse represented the society, which was oppressing and denying the inalienable rights of the people. They were enclosed in the ward and that reality was the only one they knew. The nurse, with her commander-like attitude ruled over everysingle man, and was playing with their minds as if they were puppetts in her hands.
I also agree with Carlo when he says that the nurse is a direct connection with the communist regime, because of the way she treats the patients, and because of her maniacal obsession for control and order, and also because of the way she was trying to imprint patient's minds.
The image titled The Red Iceberg depicts an American ship encountering the” communist” iceberg. As we can see from the image, on the upper right side, a man is sitting on the ship looking light-hearted, however in front of the ship, a red iceberg is resisting the way. On the red iceberg there are names of countries that were or are still the big communist; Poland, Hungary, North Korea, East Germany, Czecho-Slovakia and China.The iceberg is colored in red and the reason is that red is the symbolic color of communist party. Moreover, USA is always the best representative of democracy and has been against the communist countries for long history, therefore Uncle Sam is representing the authority of USA. Nevertheless, the hidden power of communist is just like the iceberg which has only 10% of the ice floating above the sea and 90% below, and this is also drawn in the picture that there is a red tip of the iceberg right in front of the ship. The image has a subtle relationship with the book One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest. The relationship of communist party and Democratic Party best describes McMurphy and the Nurse. The intense relation among them as one fights for freedom and one for control are related to the image.
Aini, I am agree with you about how the power of communist is like the iceberg 10% above and 90% below, I think iceberg sink down is symbol that time the power of communist is sink down.
I chose the political cartoon number. In this picture we can see a teacher talking to the students in a class. We can see that the teacher is talking to the class about communism, because she drew an american flag with the symbol of cumminism on it. The teacher is a communism supporter, I can understand this because she has a red bandage around her left arm. Throughout this picture I can make a connection with the novel we read this summer " One flew over the Coocko's nest" written by Ken Kensey. In this picture the teacher is trying to persuade the students to believe in communism, like the nurse when she tries to persuade her patients to believe in her, everything that she says is right. Giovanni Formilli
Hey Giovy, the way you analized the image was very clear and specific. I like the subjective way in which you describe, and the way you support evidence to your statements in the cartoon. I agree that the lady in the image tries to persuade the students to make them belive that Communism is the right choice, and that it will lead to a better quality of life, just as the Nurse Rached wants to rule over her patients making them believe that they are ill even if they are not as in McMurphy's case. Great job mate! :)
Did anyone else notice we can reply directly to posts?? Could we always do that? Has this been updated since last year? Either way, it is much easier to organize!!! :)
COMMENT ON THE THIRD IMAGE! As Sebastiano and Ms. Gelso said the image might be a post or a poster. We can therefore infer that the image was made as a form of propaganda in opposition to the comunist regime. Also the use of the an AMerican national icon like Uncle Tom makes us understand that this image has the population as a target and is trying to deliver a strong message to it. image shows Uncle Tom on a boat going against an iceberg rapresenting the threat of comunism. Uncle Tom also seems to have an expression of disgust towards the iceberg; this shows the feeling the nation had towards comunism. This image certainly was designed during the cold war, in which the United states was trying to save the entire world by the huge thhreat of comunism. In those years many states in the U.S had mental institues where patients were treated as animals, as shown in the book "One Flew Over the Cukoo's Nest". Maybe we can compare the nurses of the institute with the comunist ideal as a real threat for the world and the patients unaware of the treatment given to them with the population unaware of the menace that comunism was for the entire world
I completely agree with the observations of Ugo, and with the comparisons he makes: the nurse seen as a threat and the patients as the unaware poeple living under communist regimes. Plus, during the 60's the American government main purpose was to frighten the people with propaganda against communists, and this negative advertising provoked the Red fear. The government of the postwar times was conforming people, for economical and social reasons, and started to make America look like an oppressive and ostracizing state, no longer founded on freedom and individual liberty.
Comment on first image. In this image we can notice that is represented a classroom in which there are 4 students and a female teacher. I noticed that in this image the author wanted the observer to easily notice the communist flag in the background. The teacher seems to be extremely severe, we can notice that by her posture, that is perfectly straight, by the communist band on her arm, and by the clothes that she wear. This charatteristics may make us think to Nurse Ratched, as she is not trying to have a discussion with the students but forcing to share and understand her ideas of power. As we know in the book during the time in mental institutes patients were considered like animals by the stuff, this may be a connection to communism. She is forcing to make them think that communism is the best thing for their country even if they may be to little to have knowledge about communism.
the red iceberg.
ReplyDeleteon this propaganda stamp we notice an american boat, with uncle Sam sit on it, going toward a red iceberg containing the tombstones of the six communist countries: Poland, China, Hungary, Czecho-Slovakia, North Korea, and East Germany. We can notice that this is a stamp because on the up-right corner there is written 10c. This stamp is telling us that capitalism is going against and/or wanting to declare war to communism to stop it because it is seen as evil. Uncle Sam is the best example of a capitalist person because it is used as a way to inspire and persuade people to enroll in the army. The struggle between communism and capitalism is the reason of the Cold War, and we can see this struggle as the relationship between two characters of the book: McMurphy and Nurse Rached. This is so because McMurphy is trying to keep up with the cruel nurse that is oppressing all the other patients in the institution.
Saba, I appreciated your interpretation of the cartoon but I wanted to add to what you have writted.
DeleteI wanted to report that I also noticed another evidence that prooves that the cartoon #3 is a poster, or stamp as you call it. If you look in the bottom-right side corner you can notice that there is written "1960 Impact Pubblications", and we can deduce that it was aimed to persuade people during the Cold War because it lasted from 1947 till 1991. The connection that you have made with the novel "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest" is very clever, I didn't think about it that way, and I didn't recognize Uncle Sam. Once again nice work!
Good eye, Federico! See Marco's comment below, too. He did a bit of research to find out where exactly this image came from.
DeleteSebastiano,
ReplyDeleteExcellent job noting the "10 c" at the top of the image. As you said, this could indicate that the image is a stamp, but it could also be a poster. Either way, it is clear that it is an image that would be circulated throughout a population.
I am also happy to see that you noted the nurse's oppressive nature. Let's see if we can take this further... there's more here...!
First image.
ReplyDeleteThe picture represents a class with 4 children and a teacher, which is a woman, standing in front of them. There is a flag on the blackboard, which clearly stands for a communist regime. The teacher in front of the class is standing straight and has a red band on the left arm, which is like a symbol that suggests her political orientation. The way she’s standing shows us that she is probably a strong character, oppressing, and with a commander-like attitude like Nurse Ratched. She is not trying to have a connection with the student, or a discussion, but she is rather forcing them to think the way she does. She is influencing and poisoning their minds with the idea that communism will be the best choice for a country’s government. She is also doing some kind of propaganda, since the only thing she tells them is how beautiful and perfect their lives will be under a communist regime. Literally she is promising them that communist will bring “heaven” on heart. This strong and decisive manipulation of other people’s minds reminds me about the attitude that the “ball-cutter” Nurse had on the innocent patients. The book reveals us that, during that time in mental institutes patients were considered like or even less than animals, sometimes they were only vegetables for the staff that was working there. They were lobotomizing sane people, as in McMurphy’s case, and making normal men go crazy. This mind oppression is a governmental weapon particularly in use during the years of the cold war, during which the most harmful weapon was in facts the psychological control.
The description of the first image is very accurate, the teacher symbolizes to me the authority that communism has over people. I like the connection you did to Nurse Ratched because the two woman are very similar and almost symbolize the exact same thing. Comparing the manipulation of Nurse Ratched and the teacher over the patients and the student , was something important because it explained an important topic of the book and on communism. I agree with the part that "mind oppression is a governmental weapon particularly in use during the years of the cold war" because it specifies a certain period were people were limited in making there decisions and choosing what was right for them .
DeleteGood overall analysis!!
Max says...
DeleteI totally agree with the fact that government's manipulation of the people was firstly rendered possible through psychological control, which was obtained with various tools: one, for example, would be language and the next one the type of behavior adopted by any kind of "superior" in society. You clearly showed this point by remarking the sharp and strict behavior of the teacher, that, as you said, does not give the students the slightest chance to object to what she says. Being this the case, it was appropriate to connect it with Nurse Ratched, and citing the book's definition of the Nurse, "ball-cutter", it was a very effective way to give the idea of repression that was done by the Combine. Overall, a very neat and clear analysis.
Marco and Max,
DeleteYour comments are insightful and helpful. Marco, I particularly like that you referred to a specific portion of Vittoria's response by quoting. Good work!
I like very much the fact that you pointed out the many symbols in this image. Your connections to the book are also very good and you did punctual observations.
DeleteGiorgia Repici
ReplyDelete"The Red Iceberg"
This political cartoon shows the United States (represented by Uncle Sam on a boat),sailing on the sea of politics. Navigation is rich of dangers for the future of the country and these dangers are represented by the red iceberg of communism to which Uncle Sam might get too close. Being fascinated by the "iceberg/island" of communism though might jeopardize the entire boat because this island is nothing but an iceberg which subtly hides risks and dangers. The tombstones of the communist countries show that joining this kind of political doctrine, was not the right decision. Therefore this picture is made to warn whoever thinks that communism might be the solution to their problems, that all countries that have tried it before have failed.
This political cartoon relates with the book because the iceberg, just like the psychiatric ward represent fear. Also, communism was the way to a better country, just like the ward was supposed to help people with problems to improve, when they only got worse. No one knew other than the patients and the staff what was actually happening in there even though the workers believed they were doing the right thing because Nurse Rached told them to do so.
For this blog comment I decided to analyze the first cartoon. In the first cartoon we have a class. This cartoon is of a class during the cold war period I suppose. There are some students; they seem to wear all red pullovers or red clips. The color that is more present is the red, almost all the figures in the cartoon wear it and there is a modified copy of the American flag and there is a sort of small Statue on the desk, always red. The teacher’s bubble is telling us that she is explaining to the students that Communism is the only possible solution and it is a very positive one, Life will be better for all. I would connect this cartoon to a small part of the novel “One flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest” by Ken Kesey. The part in which R.P McMurphy is discussing with his friend Cheswick with Ms.Ratched about how effective the moment of therapy was. They insisted to watch a baseball match in TV instead. She told Mc that if they wanted to watch the game they had to have a majority in voting. There were 9 of 18 arms risen and she answered that therapy time was over and that there was no majority. This is very similar to a communist behavior. The fact that all should vote so that they expressed their feelings over watching or not the game is very similar to the communist principles.
ReplyDeleteWow, impressive, you know your history by saying it was in the cold war! ahhaahha! Very good in remempering the anecdote of the baseball match, it fits perfectly in your comment! Great job Frank, continue like this!
DeleteYou described the first political cartoon very well. I agree with you on connecting this cartoon to the part of the novel "One flew over the Cuckoo's Nest" in which R.P McMurphy is discussing with his friend Cheswick with Ms.Ratched about how effective the moment of therapy was. I totally agree with your last sentence.
DeleteFrancesco, Filippo, and Isotta (and everyone else!)---
DeleteThere is an interesting connection here, but I'd like to push back a bit. Isn't everyone voting a part of democratic principles? Can we discuss this a bit more?
For this blog analysis I chose the political cartoon 3. We can clearly see that this is a propaganda poster. This image shows a boat with uncle Sam in it going towards a Red Iceberg with the tombstone with the six major communist countries: Poland, North Korea, East Germany, Czecho Slovakia, China and Hungary. We notice that this cartoon is a propaganda stamp or poster thanks to the 10c written on the top right. This propaganda cartoon shows the issues between capitalism and communism, reason why the Cold War began. The goal of this cartoon is to encourage people to join the army. We can easily connect the American capitalism with one character in the move "One Flew Over the Cooko's Nest", that is Nurse Rached. She wants to reign with cruelty and oppress her patients, just how the American army wants to eliminate communism.
ReplyDeleteRoberto Dentice
Beautiful that you noted the 10c on the up right corner of the cartoon, it indicates that it's a poster or a stamp. You are right the poster or stamp is showing the issues between capitalism and communism, as you said reason why the cold war began. I also agree that the cartoon was produced to motivate man to join the red army. When I first tried to imagine a possible connection with the novel I couldn't, after I decided to read from your blog and the idea I was looking for was found, simple and evident.
DeleteRoberto, I’m agree what u say and you point, I also think this image is a propaganda image, you can see that in this image the red iceberg is sinking down, is shows that the communism is getting over, shows that communism is not scares any more.
DeleteI like a lot how you connected the image to the cold war. I wanted to chose this image but I couldn't find the meaning of it and i couldn't find a way to connect it to the novel, but I think you did an excellent job. I think that your right saying that this propaganda image was used to encourage people to join the army because of Uncle Sam and also because this was the time of the cold war. In my opinion you made an excellent connection with the novel and also with the topic of the Cold War, Great Job !!
DeleteIn the first image we can see a blond lady in her forties giving a class. She is dressed in a very smart way and she is also standing in an elegant but at the same time severe way. She is wearing a red band on the left arm like the communist did. We can see that it is a very disciplined class because of how the teacher is standing and because of the order there is in the classroom, we can also notice the bell on the teacher's desk which gives the idea of a precise, severe and oppressive teacher. On the black board behind the teacher we can see the USA flag, but instead of the blue with the white stars there is the communist flag. The teacher is talking about communism, she is saying that communism is good and that it is the answer to everything. We can see only four students and they look scared because of the teacher that may be seen as a dictator. This scene can be connected to when Nurse Rached talks to the group and all the patients look at her attentively. The communist-USA flag shows us that the nurse was trying to introduce communist to the students also in a visual way oppressing all their thoughts and opinions with only one idea which in this case is communism.
ReplyDeleteyou could also connect the communism dictatroship with Nurse Ratched way of ruling, as an oppressor of those who don't have enough power to rebel. in addition you can see the mental insitution as a tirany because those who try to rebel, like Mcmurphy, are oppressed and made harmless
Delete"The Red Iceberg"
ReplyDeleteResearching i have found this cartoon to be a comic book cover from 1960. Basically it shows how the United States can be effected from the evil ways of Communism. It shows the United States as a happy and peaceful society, all by using Uncle Sam comfortably seated on a boat. It also Shows the USSR, China and North Korea as gravestones on a red iceberg. This image contains much symbolism first, the portrait of Uncle Sam shows America as a innocent and peaceful country. Next the red iceberg symbolizes evil in the Communist countries and the gravestone represent the death that Communism brings.
This Propaganda relates perfectly to "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest" because just like in the propaganda we have a communist system running in the ward were the people have no authority, and are not treated fairly and this caused the death of many patients. Nurse Rached was the one in charge and she believed everything was running fairly , and she thought what she was doing was helping the patients but just as the cartoon we see that the way she was running things was just worsening the situation. Also MC Murphy could be compared to uncle Sam like the guy who wanted to rebel and not adapt to the system or communism nurse Rached was imposing.
Marco,
DeleteI found this part of your response interesting:
"...the gravestones represent the death that Communism brings."
I was happy to see you point out the gravestones, but I interpreted them a little differently. I thought they were representing the defeat and death of communism by Uncle Sam, who, as you noted, represented a comfortable and confident America.
What do the rest of you think? Could it be both?
Marco, I am stunned by the fact you made a research on this propaganda stamp and reaserch. I enjoy the way in which you explain what this cartoon wants to say to us. I also liked the connection you made with communism and Nurse Rached. I think you did a very good job, bringing also very interesting things.
DeleteRob D.
Cartoon #1
ReplyDeleteThe cartoon represents a half aged lady, which remembers me of Nurse Rached, that is presumably teaching the four students. The environment looks more as a high school classroom rather than an elementary classroom. On the blackboard there is attached a flag very similar to the US one, but substituted with the hammer and sickle and white and red (which is the communist color) stripes. The teacher looks grievous and oppressive towards the young students, as Nurse Rached was towards the patients. The professor uses a metaphor to persuade the students telling them that Communism "will bring you a heaven on Earth in which everyone will be happy", this reminds me of how Rached made McMurphy become mentally ill imposing herself on him telling that he was already ill, where as he was a normal person. What makes me understand that what the teacher says is very subjective, is the armband that she wears representing her political ideal of Communism. The cartoon represents only the four heads of the students, which are the brains, and the whole figure of the teacher which is making their brains follow her ideal, so she is "mind controlling" them as the Nurse did to her patients. The words that the lady uses are very strong, when she says "heaven on Earth" I could think of how it is easy to persuade young people since their big imagination, so we could consider the words used also as strategic. She concludes by saying that "everyone will be happy", another positive thing that supports her party, and for me to be happy is the best thing I could have, so the words used by her are very determined.
In conclusion I could relate the lady in the cartoon as a similar figure of Nurse Rached, since they are two characters that impose their conditions: the first one towards her students, and the second one to her patients.
(Corrected post)
Hey Zio, very good description of this Communist poster, I found really impressive the use of vocabulary such as "grievous" "oppressive" that describe perfectly the situation. The way you analyzed the words said by the teacher is impressive, understanding how she uses happiness to persuade the students in front of her. Moreover, the connection between how Nurse Ratched persuaded the patients and how the patients recalled very young kids, to who you can make everything you say seem true. An overall impressive analyze, very good Zio!
DeleteFilippo, I'm glad to see you pointed out Federico's use of vocabulary because I agree! Great work, Federico!
DeleteHowever, I want you to look at how this first sentence could have undergone slight edits to make it perfect. You wrote:
"The cartoon represents a half aged lady, which remembers me of Nurse Rached, that is presumably teaching the four students."
Corrected:
The cartoon represents a MIDDLE-aged WOMAN, WHO reMINDS me of Nurse Rached, that is presumably teaching the four students.
Ok, thank you! :)
DeleteHey Fed :-)! This is a great work from you! Apart from the grammatical errors you have made, the content is very interesting and well written. I like the way in which you connect the novel we have read "One Flew Over the Cooko's Nest" already at the begging. You made me notice some very nice similes between this cartoon and the book we have read. Very nice job, Fed!
DeleteHI fede!! Very good analysis of the image!! I am impressed by your good use of vocab, even if as Roberto I noticed your gramatical errors. I like your citation, "The words that the lady uses are very strong, when she says "heaven on Earth" I could think of how it is easy to persuade young people since their big imagination, so we could consider the words used also as strategic." Thanks for letting me observe even how the teacher may use the big imagination that a kid may have when are still little and so how may be easy manipulating their minds...
DeleteGREAT JOB!!!!
Great ideas, everyone! Marco, good idea to do some extra research! Where did you find the information?
ReplyDeleteFrom here Mrs. Gelso
Deletehttp://www.designer-daily.com/examples-of-american-cold-war-propaganda-2918
Thanks!
DeleteComment on the first image
ReplyDeleteThis image shows a teacher in a communist suit that teaches a class of student what communism is all about. The communist flag in the back gives an idea of the extremely one-track minded political view of the teacher and supposedly of the whole class.
The teacher is basically saying that communism is perfection. What surprises the most is that while she speaks of “heaven on earth” and about being happy, she seems so awkwardly tensed, serious, and emotionless. In fact, as we cannot hear her voice, her body language gives us an idea of the eventual tone that she talks with: the sharpest and severest one that someone could think of. Her body language both reinforces her message and clearly shows the tyrannical meaning of it: she is rigid as a statue, with an icy, emotionless, severe expression, pronouncing those words as if they were the only ones aloud to break the silence of the room and to impose it. Her message is an ideological constriction, a non-discussible truth: she confirms the absolute perfection of communism without even giving a chance to analyze its weaknesses or negative aspects. This attitude could be called, ideologically, “absolutism”, as it looks at the perfection of one concept from the view of the one that sustains it, excluding completely other perspectives; and psychologically, “behaviorism”, as the main rule of this room is “ to behave”, to do not object, to stand still. This scene is most probably a representation of communism during the Cold War, and at its totalitarianism takeover.
The woman standing in the classroom clearly reminds me of Miss Ratched, not only figuratively but as well symbolically. In Kesey’s novel, Miss Ratched represents the oppressive American society of the 60’s, lead by the communism’s influence to be authoritative, totalitarian, almost dehumanized to the point of resembling a big “machine”, without heart, that constantly spreads fog in order to confuse people’s beliefs, ideas, feelings, and to let them finally join its course almost for desperation (Chief’s paranoia is probably a pretest to use this metaphor).
The Big Nurse’s purpose is to be an eternal “castrator”, in the symbolical meaning that this word assumes in the book: she intends to castrate all her patients by making them feel like “rabbits”, reducing their individuality, their sexuality, their self-confidence to a green shirt and a number inside the hospital. Through the Big Nurse Kesey eventually criticizes the social conformism that the American communist society wanted to establish: a true “matriarchy” (p. 79) but in which the real mother is not Nurse Ratched but “society” itself. It is a society that decides on everything for the everyday people subordinated to it, which is clearly shown in the book, where the society, or so called Combine, decides “who’s sane and who isn’t” (p.62); that decides whether people’s complaints should be herd or not, and that holds the power to establish silence and to suffocate people’s ideas, beliefs, and intelligence whenever it wants. This last privilege is shown in the book with the EST or with the lobotomy, symbolical instruments that the Combine uses to “castrate” people, making them unable to use their mind, to express their selves or to rebel from the one-track minded view that controls the public.
-Max A.
Max great description of picture 1# you described the woman in every aspect, she is definitely the ruling person in the room, where she has the most authority and she can influence the kids into adopting communism. Your first comparison is perfectly matching because she completly resembles in every way Nurse Ratched not only physically but mentally because they both have authority over other people and they have the power to influence them. Nurse Ratched and the woman in the cartoon have both a symbolic view in society : Nurse Ratched represents "oppressive American society of the 60’s" while the teacher represent the spreading of communism in school influencing the world and other generations.Also it was good to use quotation to back up your comparison. I believe you did a great job to analyze and compare this cartoon , backing up your comaprison and analyzing deeply both characters Nurse Ratched and the teacher.
DeleteGood Jobbb
You made a great detailed description of the woman in picture °1. You made a good point by noticing the communist flag in the back that gives an idea of the extremely one-track minded political view of the teacher and supposedly of the whole class. I agree with everything you said and I think it that way too. You did a great comparison. Good job!
DeleteIn the first image we can see the representation of a class. There are four students and a teacher. At the center of the board we see a communist flag. The teacher is wearing on her left arm a red band. Her appearance is serious and without femininity. Her posture probably reflects her character. She seems to be oppressing the class and wants to infuse into the students her political orientation: Communism.
ReplyDeleteWe can read what she is saying to the class. She is trying to convince students that “communism is the answer to all the world’s problems.” Even though we cannot hear what she is saying we can infer her tone by her body language. She is probably speaking in a severe and oppressive tone. This character could bring up to mind Nurse Ratched who represents in the book the oppressive mechanization, dehumanization, and emasculation of modern society. The main theme of the image is manipulation. As for Nurese Ratched in “One flew over the cuckoo’s nest”, the teacher is manipulating the class. Ratched ability to present a false self suggests that the mechanistic and oppressive forces in society gain ascendance through the dishonesty of the powerful. Without being aware of the oppression, the quiet and docile slowly become weakened and gradually are subsumed. The same is happening in the image.
- Carlo
Good description of the image! I agree that the posture of the teacher helps understand how much she was strict and severe with her students. Even good job on thinking about the tone in which the teacher is trying to manipulate the students to become communist. I totally agree with your citation at the end, "Without being aware of the oppression, the quiet and docile slowly become weakened and gradually are subsumed. The same is happening in the image. "
DeleteCongrats for your analysis and connections!!! :)
Carlo you have done such a great job analyzing and describing this picture. The details that you have picked out are very interesting; like the posture and the tone of voice in which the teacher might be saying these things to the kids is something that I never and would have never thought about when looking at this picture. Now that you have pointed out these particularities I have a greater understanding of this political cartoon and of how it can relate to the book that we have read over the summer. I agree with you the posture is very significant and it's practically representing Nurse Ratched because of "Her appearance is serious and without femininity". Also the tone that the teacher was using is very important on how it effects the students. Because of their authorial position both Nurse Ratched and the teacher can manipulate and make believe whatever they wish to the students and patients.
DeleteVery nice observations you have! Good Job Carlo! (:
Part 1
ReplyDeleteIn the first political cartoon is showed a young teacher next to a desk. In front of her, the heads of four students looking attentively at her can be seen. She is telling to the students that “communism is the answer to all the world’s problems”and that “It will bring a heaven on earth in which everyone will be happy”. Next to her there is a flag clearly showing a communist symbol. In addition, on the desk of the teacher a bell anc some books are visible.
The political cartoon represents the power of communism. Because of this reason, the books are showed under the flag. They make people believe that communism brings happiness and justice, as well as power. At the same time, this cartoon gives to the viewer the idea of a dictatorship. Not only because the teacher seems to be the dictator, from the information she gives to her students, but also because of her appearance, particularly the red band she wears. This analysis brings us to believe that communism has some positive, and negative outcomes. It brings an apparent feeling of equality, happiness and power, but at the same time it creates a dictatorship under a certain authority.
The political cartoon can be related not only to the historical events of the Second World War, but also to the book “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest.” In fact, the book was written and related to the period of the uprising of communism. As a result, the communist teacher may be compared to Mildred Ratched, the administrative nurse who has a strong power over the fate of all the people in the Oregon psychiatric hospital. Consequently, the students may be considered the cronics and the acutes patients that are present in the book. The communist authority can be considered very likely to be similar to the attitudes used by the administrative nurse on her unhealthy patients, since she imposes her own will and ideas upon them, without considering their desires. In conclusion, the political cartoon represents a communist manifest, which can be easily related to the attitudes of Ratched on the mental ill patients.
Part 2
To Vittoria
I think your analysis on my same political cartoon is very good. You underlined a lot of very interesting things that I noticed too. The way you tried to express how strong and important the character of the teacher was is very revealing of the similarity between her and Nurse Rached’s attitude in the book. Moreover, I found very interesting and relevant the way you talked about facts which are quoted in the novel, and which actually happened in the past, such as the way patients were treated and the practice of lobotomy. In conclusion, I appreciated your analysis and reflection upon the similarities between the situation in the novel and that during the communist dictatorship. I had also the opportunity to learn new information and think about my own ideas about the meaning of the book and the condition of psychiatric patients in the past.
To Roberto D.
I read your article and I think that although it is very concise, it is able to express very good concepts in a clear and simple way. In any case, you could have written more about the third political cartoon. Even though the description is very detailed and very understandable, you could have given more explanations about the issue regarding capitalism and communism. Despite this, I found your final comment, about the connection between the cartoon and the book, very interesting. I can conclude by saying that your analysis is overally good, but I think you could have gone from the largest concepts, which you described very well, to smallest ones you failed to report,
I found your point of view very interesting!!
DeleteValentinaaaa! I love your analysis because you pointed to many items and also it is very detail. I agree most of your views but there is one thing that I want to add. Although in the image the teacher is convincing the students and seems a representative of the voice of communism, I personally reckon that the teacher might also be a victim of communism because she is under the control of communism, if she doesn’t teach what communism says, she would punished. Haha !
DeleteGiovanni,
DeleteTell us a little bit more about what you find interesting. Thanks!
Comment on the first image.
ReplyDeleteThe cartoon illustrates a class that listens to the teacher while she persuades her students that a Communist thinking world would resolve all problems, and making earth a happy place. This propaganda cartoon can be easily connected to the book "Kesey's One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest", where the nurse during their meetings "corrects" the "wrong" this that the patients said. The similar idea is that in both situations the teacher and the nurse seal their point of view in the students/patients brains, "correcting" every different idea.
Sebastiano: I find your point of view very interesting!
Vittoria: Your image description is fantastic, but, I don't think the teacher suggests the students, she is sealing her idea in the students, like if there is anything similar or equal.
Comment of Michelangelo Arullani
good job mick! i find this comment great. the most interesting part is when you say that the nurse corrects the patients brain from any idea which she does not like. you are making her look as a dictator that wants to persuade the population to believe in what he\she believes is right.
DeleteNice job mick, your comment and description are very easy to understand and to remember. We are thinking in the same way when you say that the nurse is simply trying to make the patients of the clinic think in the way she want's. She is very cruel, especially when they had enough votes to see in the clinic's TV the baseball game.
DeleteMichelangelo,
DeleteYou mention Sebastiano's point, but have not explained what is interesting! Tell us more, please!
I like a lot how you begin directly saying what the teacher is trying to explain to the students, this was also my first thought when I first saw the image and I think that it's the most important fact of the image because as you said we can connect it to nurse Rached. I choose the same image and my thoughts were very similar to yours. Very good description of what the teacher is trying to say but maybe i would have said something more on the image its self. Good Job !!
DeleteThe red iceberg, in this image, we can see that there is a boat, and there is Sam sitting on boat wearing American flag, we can see that the boat is come from oversea, and there is red iceberg, there is 6 stele name by 6 different country, there are Poland, Hungary, North Korea, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, and China, as we know this country used be a communism, but today there only 2 communism country left North Korea and China, from this it help us knows that images background is talking about cold war. This image can connection the book that I have read the relationship between this two faction, it like the relationship between Psychiatric hospital and patient
ReplyDeletehaha.. good good tongxue!
DeleteI also analyzed this cartoon. I think there more points can be described. For example, the iceberg itself which has a significant meaning behind, and also the use of the color red. You have mentioned the connection to the the relationship between Psychiatric hospital and patient, but you haven’t describe it very much. I would like to hear it more and more details haha. Thankkkk you ..!
Of the three cartoons I decided to analyze the first one. In this image we can easily notice that a school classroom is represented. The first reaction to the image is obviously the blonde teacher and what she is saying, she could initially seem the "protagonist" of the picture but analyzing it accurately we can notice some other important objects such as the communist sign her red band on her left arm which have an infinitely strong significant in the background. Moreover, it is possible to see how red, the color which historically is the communist color, is dominant, as said, the flag and the band, but also the ribbon the girl uses to keep her hair together and the boy's shirt. There is an inevitable connection between this image and "One flew over the cuckoo's nest" by Ken Kesey. First of all, the teacher who seems very rigid and "bossy" reminds me of Nurse Ratched, who believed to be superior to all of her patients and felt that she could control them easily, before Mcmurphy arrived though! What the teacher is trying to do is to teach the kids that there is only one possible ideology possible in their world, and it is the one of communism. In the same way Nurse Ratched tried to expand her willingness and ideology on her patients, making them think that what she did was the only possible thing to do or think, this is described by Brodmen as the fog machine. In conclusion, it is also possible to understand by the image how the use of propaganda was fundamental in that time period especially in schools, and regarding the youth
ReplyDeleteFilippo Mancinelli Scotti
Max says...
DeleteI really liked the way you reminded us about the fog as a metaphor for the Nurse’s oppression, as I think it is something very interesting and original that not everybody remembers. If you wanted to develop it more though, you could have said the fog is a tool for psychological control, gained by installing a great amount of fear, a sense of insecurity and almost a loss of identity in the patients. Therefore the fog represents a sort of takeover on the patients' ideas and identities, and as a consequence agree and follow the Nurse's oppressive ideology and policy seems to be the only way out of it. Just a suggestion. Overall I think you have done a good job, in which you concisely covered all the important points on the case.
Nice comment Max! I totallt agree that the fog gives a sense of insicurity and a loss of identity in the patients because when there is a fog you cannot see clearly what is going on and I think this is what is happening to the patients; they are not able to realize what is happening to them. They are misstreated, especially psicologically -Billy's suicide is an exampl- and they are not given the opportunity to feel themselves normal and expose their talents. Although when McMurohy arrives at the medical institute a chamge, for the best, is seen in some of the paatients, Brodmen in particular. If Nurse Ratched is described as the fog machine I think McMurphay can be considered a fog light (fendinebbia) because he is able to open the patients eyes and make them aware that they are human beings and they also are important!
DeleteOf the three cartoons I decided to analize the first one. The first image represents students in a class that are listening to the teacher that is trying to convince them that Communisim is the answer to all world problems. There is definately a connection betweeen this propaganda cartoon and the book "One flew over the cuckoo's nest" by Ken Kesey. The teacher that seems strict and bossy reminds me of Nurse Ratched who considered herself superior to all of her patients and belived she could control them. In the cartoon the teacher tries to convince the kids that the ideology of Communisim is the only "solution" in their world, while Nurse Ratched in the book tried to convince her patients that she knew always the right thing to do.
ReplyDeleteTo Sebastiano Salini: I found your description about the third propaganda cartoon very clear and interesting.
Isotta
I totally agree with your point on the use of propaganda in the first cartoon and the connection to the nurse. What more is that in my opinion both people living under communist rule and the patients have no choice to choose what they want. Even though the propagandas are used to convince them what is right, apart from these choices they cannot do anything to change their lives because people are controlling them and they don’t have enough power to rebel.
DeleteI totally agree with Aini about her last comment on lives under communists regimes. they cannot do anything to change the course of their lives,but htey can use the power of speech and freedom against it. I think that people who were really suffering because of the political situation of that time should have denounced what was going on, and in facts Ken Kesey's novel is an example.He was part of "the dissenters": a group of people who were actively against the government's imposed conformity; they were trying to scream outloud their protests through their literary works. Since writers were censored by the government of that time they used allegories as references of reality. Ken Kesey used McMurphy as symbol of freedom, self expression and individuality, while the Nurse represented the society, which was oppressing and denying the inalienable rights of the people. They were enclosed in the ward and that reality was the only one they knew. The nurse, with her commander-like attitude ruled over everysingle man, and was playing with their minds as if they were puppetts in her hands.
DeleteI also agree with Carlo when he says that the nurse is a direct connection with the communist regime, because of the way she treats the patients, and because of her maniacal obsession for control and order, and also because of the way she was trying to imprint patient's minds.
The image titled The Red Iceberg depicts an American ship encountering the” communist” iceberg. As we can see from the image, on the upper right side, a man is sitting on the ship looking light-hearted, however in front of the ship, a red iceberg is resisting the way. On the red iceberg there are names of countries that were or are still the big communist; Poland, Hungary, North Korea, East Germany, Czecho-Slovakia and China.The iceberg is colored in red and the reason is that red is the symbolic color of communist party. Moreover, USA is always the best representative of democracy and has been against the communist countries for long history, therefore Uncle Sam is representing the authority of USA. Nevertheless, the hidden power of communist is just like the iceberg which has only 10% of the ice floating above the sea and 90% below, and this is also drawn in the picture that there is a red tip of the iceberg right in front of the ship. The image has a subtle relationship with the book One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest. The relationship of communist party and Democratic Party best describes McMurphy and the Nurse. The intense relation among them as one fights for freedom and one for control are related to the image.
ReplyDeleteAini, I am agree with you about how the power of communist is like the iceberg 10% above and 90% below, I think iceberg sink down is symbol that time the power of communist is sink down.
DeleteI rather think that during the cold the potential power of communism is greater becuase the idea of communism was widely spreaded.
DeleteI chose the political cartoon number.
ReplyDeleteIn this picture we can see a teacher talking to the students in a class.
We can see that the teacher is talking to the class about communism, because she drew an american flag with the symbol of cumminism on it. The teacher is a communism supporter, I can understand this because she has a red bandage around her left arm. Throughout this picture I can make a connection with the novel we read this summer " One flew over the Coocko's nest" written by Ken Kensey. In this picture the teacher is trying to persuade the students to believe in communism, like the nurse when she tries to persuade her patients to believe in her, everything that she says is right.
Giovanni Formilli
Hey Giovy, the way you analized the image was very clear and specific. I like the subjective way in which you describe, and the way you support evidence to your statements in the cartoon. I agree that the lady in the image tries to persuade the students to make them belive that Communism is the right choice, and that it will lead to a better quality of life, just as the Nurse Rached wants to rule over her patients making them believe that they are ill even if they are not as in McMurphy's case.
DeleteGreat job mate! :)
Did anyone else notice we can reply directly to posts?? Could we always do that? Has this been updated since last year? Either way, it is much easier to organize!!! :)
ReplyDeleteCOMMENT ON THE THIRD IMAGE!
ReplyDeleteAs Sebastiano and Ms. Gelso said the image might be a post or a poster. We can therefore infer that the image was made as a form of propaganda in opposition to the comunist regime. Also the use of the an AMerican national icon like Uncle Tom makes us understand that this image has the population as a target and is trying to deliver a strong message to it. image shows Uncle Tom on a boat going against an iceberg rapresenting the threat of comunism. Uncle Tom also seems to have an expression of disgust towards the iceberg; this shows the feeling the nation had towards comunism. This image certainly was designed during the cold war, in which the United states was trying to save the entire world by the huge thhreat of comunism. In those years many states in the U.S had mental institues where patients were treated as animals, as shown in the book "One Flew Over the Cukoo's Nest". Maybe we can compare the nurses of the institute with the comunist ideal as a real threat for the world and the patients unaware of the treatment given to them with the population unaware of the menace that comunism was for the entire world
I completely agree with the observations of Ugo, and with the comparisons he makes: the nurse seen as a threat and the patients as the unaware poeple living under communist regimes. Plus, during the 60's the American government main purpose was to frighten the people with propaganda against communists, and this negative advertising provoked the Red fear. The government of the postwar times was conforming people, for economical and social reasons, and started to make America look like an oppressive and ostracizing state, no longer founded on freedom and individual liberty.
DeleteComment on first image.
ReplyDeleteIn this image we can notice that is represented a classroom in which there are 4 students and a female teacher. I noticed that in this image the author wanted the observer to easily notice the communist flag in the background. The teacher seems to be extremely severe, we can notice that by her posture, that is perfectly straight, by the communist band on her arm, and by the clothes that she wear. This charatteristics may make us think to Nurse Ratched, as she is not trying to have a discussion with the students but forcing to share and understand her ideas of power. As we know in the book during the time in mental institutes patients were considered like animals by the stuff, this may be a connection to communism. She is forcing to make them think that communism is the best thing for their country even if they may be to little to have knowledge about communism.