TOW #1 - Visual Text: "Apples For Our Teachers" by Tony Auth

"Apples For Our Teachers" - Tony Auth

http://www.newsworks.org/images/stories/flexicontent/l_teachers1200.jpg

     Nowadays, schools and school districts have been slashed of their fundings. Such an action leaves various schools across the nation with little capital, hindering them from buying necessary school supplies. Spending their own money, teachers of all grades have had conjure up their own savings, buy materials, and help their students become academically successful. This cartoon, entitled "Apples For Our Teachers," elucidates on this predicament by depicting a teacher with empty pockets. What is also shown is the contribution between school districts and students, which exhibits that even though a teacher supplies a lot, the state still wants more. The goal of this cartoon was to send a message saying that teachers are unable to pay for crucial school supplies. Just recently, an article published in USA Today explained how teachers work extra jobs and spend too much of their pocket money for their classes. This message is primarily for city and state officials who continuously demand teachers to buy supplies for their students. Annually, teachers' supply expenses add up to over $1.6 billion, yet the state still want more. Tony Auth, an editorial cartoonist, created "Apples For Our Teachers," which was published in News Works. Best known for his work in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Tony Auth also creates many political cartoons and comic strips. Auth started his career as a cartoonist in 1971, and since then he has won multiple awards, including the Pulitzer Prize in 1975 and the Herblock Prize in 2005. More recently, Auth received an honorary doctorate award by the University of the Arts in 2002. A rhetorical device that Auth used in his cartoon was antithesis, which juxtaposed the contribution between school students and the district. By symbolizing apples as money, Auth shows how "apple-less" school districts are, clearly depicting the difficulties teachers and schools have to go through. Overall, I feel that Tony Auth's cartoon successfully accomplished his purpose. With a well created cartoon that incorporated anthesis and symbolism, "Apples For Our Teachers" guarantees that Auth's message will have a reverberating effect on the public.