VISUAL
NARRATIVE
ANALYSIS
Narrative Analysis
answers these questions:
How do characters, plots, and scenes create the
narratives in visual images?
How do the rhetorical devices of figurative
imagery--including cultural allusions, humor,
and visual metaphor--contribute to the images’
story-making functions and their persuasive
force?
Political Cartoons have all these features.
7 Steps
1. Identify the characters:
Which receives more emphasis?
Are they behaving characteristically?
2. Identify the plot (action themes).
3. Identify the settings:
Is the background appropriate to the story?
4. Identify any archetypal myths.
5. How does temporal/spatial form impact the content?
6. How is figurative imagery used and what meaning does it
contribute?
7. Is there one or several narratives (storylines)? Identify them.
NOTE: This slideshow does not attempt to do all of the above.
“Obamacare”
(ACA, Affordable Care Act)
The United States’ first national healthcare plan
Its website opened for mandatory enrollment in 2013 at a
time when the government had been “shut down” (no
approved budget for operation) for two weeks. Then the
ACA website malfunctioned.
People became disgusted with both the government and
Obamacare.
Editorial cartoonists responded with a
variety of narratives
The 5 narratives:
Obama is a liar, crook & a fool
Public are victims
Kathleen Sebelius (she oversaw the ACA
website) is cold, detached, and
incompetent
Obamacare is a monster & failure
Republican Party is a villain
A main character: Barack Obama
LIAR + CROOK
Barack Obama
LIAR + CROOK
Barack Obama
LIAR + CROOK
Barack Obama
Incompetent
The Public
VICTIMS
The Public
VICTIMS
The Public
VICTIMS
The Public
VICTIMS
Kathleen Sebelius
COLD + DETACHED
STUPID / INCOMPETENT
Kathleen Sebelius
Obamacare
Monster
Obamacare
Failure
Republican Party
Make the situation worse
Delight in its failure
VILLAINS