1. Description
This black and white cartoon from cartoonist Nate Beeler represents two different groups. The group on the left is composed by a man with a TV camera and all the tools they need to record what they wants to transfer on TV, belonging to globalisation. Then, the man standing on the centre is the interviewer. Compared to the working man, the TV man are much more good-looking than the working man. In this cartoon there is a gradation concerning the status of each man. The TV interviewer is obviously on the top of the scale, as he is wearing a suit and looks very tidy. The second man would be the camera man, as he is not as well dressed as the TV interviwer nor tidy, but he is more good-looking than the last man. The working man would be on the bottom because he has spots because of his work. The man on the right side is an immigrant, as he says "Qué?", so he must be very wretched. He is holding all his belongings and hi is barefoot while the two other men are wearing nice shoes. He can't afford ones. It is worth noting that the interviewer's facial expression is the opposite of the immigrant's facial expression. The TV interviewer looks happy and ablaze about this interview, contrary to the immigrant who has a confused and tired expression.
2. Interpretation
This cartoon portrays globalization in two different ways, negatively and positively. The two men on the left represent globalisation as they are holding gadgets, a camera, a microphone and the lack nothing. Undoubtedly, this two men belong to globalisation, and they are touched in a positive way. Of course, this implies that many other people are affected by globalization in a negative way, for instance, this immigrant, who becomes a prisoner of people who is touched by globalization in a positive way and they are growing up without limits. This cartoon may be the representation of the Mexican immigrants who try to pass the fronter between Mexico and the United States to get a better life, better job, to get better opportunities, as we can see the immigrant is having a wire on his ankle, because he passed the barrier.
3. How far does it illustrate the "Spaces and Exchanges" notion?
Firstly, the key question is how this cartoon illustrates the "Spaces and Exchanges" notion. The immigrant depicted in this cartoon is moving from Mexico to the United States to get a better life, and to have more opportunities, because the United States are supposed to be the land of opportunities. When it comes to this notion it is quite clear that the fact of moving from a place to another is very hard from an immigrant and even more if they are illegal, as it is probably the case of this one. People who immigrate without knowing the language of the country (as this immigrant have done, because he doesn't understand when they talk to him in English and he answers in Spanish) because they have pushed as far as they have been able to, and even though they haven't get any improvement. Basically, I would like to emphasize the fact that even though people immigrate without knowing the language, they join with other immigrants in their same conditions to exchange their own customs instead the USA ones. To cut a long story short, it all comes down to saying that immigrants find themselves in a desperate situation that is what makes them take this risky option.
OK Marta.
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