In this political cartoon by well-respected artist Robert Ariail, he depicts the contrast in ideas between the GOP and the Statue of Liberty, which is an image of the American Dream. Ariail is an editorial cartoonist for The State newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina. The historical context behind this is the 2016 election in which the Republican candidate consistently makes remarks about turning a back to needy immigrants. Ariail draws this in order to show Trump supporters how they are actually being ‘un-American’ by supporting the deportation and limiting the number of immigrants admitted into the country. He does so by using allusion and juxtaposition in the cartoon. The Statue of Liberty is a commonly known icon due to its sheer size and history. The use of allusion really helps serve the author’s purpose because it helps the onlooker grasp the importance of this image and forces the reader to stimulate memories, ideas, and associations to help them put the cartoon in context. In addition to allusion, Ariail also uses juxtaposition between Lady Liberty and the GOP to show humility and acceptance versus xenophobia and denial. These two ideas help convey to the reader Ariail’s point of view against xenophobia, showing the harsh and crude stance taken on by the GOP. Throughout the picture, his point is clearly shown and conveyed: by turning away those seeking the American Dream, we as Americans are losing our sense of American-ism and our initial purpose for this country.

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