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Questions
1. Which two comic devices does the cartoonist use to make his point? Explain your answer.
a) pun
b) parody
c) personification
d) irony
e) caricature
Scroll down to the bottom of the page for the answers.
Answers
1. d) irony – when the opposite of what you expect to happen occurs. The man is unemployed; he needs a job. The unemployment office, instead of hiring people who need work, is staffed by robots, thereby putting more people out of work.
c) personification, which is a figure of speech in which human characteristics are attributed to an abstract quality, animal, or inanimate object. The robot acts just like a human; he says exactly what a human worker would say.
The cartoonist did not use:
a) pun, which is a “play on words” – a type of humor using a word or phrase that has two meanings
b) parody – known by also as a spin-off or spoof, a parody is an imitation of another’s work, usually in a humorous way to poke fun at the original work. Usually, for a better effect, a parody makes fun of a famous or well-known piece of work, so the audience has a better chance of recognizing the original.
e) caricature: A description or characterization that exaggerates or distorts a character’s prominent features, usually for purposes of mockery. For example, a cartoon of a gaunt Abraham Lincoln with a giant top hat, a very scraggly beard, and sunken eyes could be considered a caricature.
