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Jalynn Clancy

Dr.Wynne

English 102

February 16th, 2017

Genre Analysis: Mass Incarceration

Recently, there has been a very sudden push for awareness of racial tensions and

oppression. These campaigns for attention include everything from police brutality, to the social

constraints of being Muslim in America. It has also brought to light the epidemic of mass

incarceration. The term mass incarceration refers to the increase in the number of incarcerated

minority members; and when conveying these ideas, it is important to consider the medium, or

genre, that the information is presented in. There are two arrangements in particular, that speak

against mass incarceration in unique ways. The first piece is a political cartoon called War on

Drugs by Adam Zylgis and the second, is a song titled Panther by the Last Poet. Although both

genres have similar purposes, to condemn mass incarceration, the message is portrayed in two

distinctly different ways that alter the effectiveness of the genre and the audiences perception of

the topic at hand.

The Political Cartoon, War on Drugs by Adam Zyglis, is a visual genre that uses simple

diction with strong connotations, and the rhetorical strategy of pathos. It uses these strategies to

convey the idea that, although the war on drugs was initially implemented to keep Americans

safe, it has now been twisted by authorities and used as a bullying tactic to control minorities. It

portrays this message by using the image of a police officer, sworn to protect and serve, and

exaggerating its size so that the War on Drugs (Zyglis) looks intimidating and powerful. Police

officers have always been regarded as patrons of the law, so this approach operates as a siren to
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the audience, the American people. The police officer in the illustration is essential to the

purpose and tone of the political cartoon because it brings light to a situation that, Zyglis

assumes, his audience knows nothing about.

The cartoon also features a literal handful of nonviolent criminals, being dropped, and

crowded into a prison, by the officer. All the prisoners in the illustration are people of color,

indicating that there is some correlation between race/ethnicity and imprisonment. The criminals

are also created to be much smaller than the police officer, which is a direct representation of the

justice system and its abuse of power. The drastic contrast in the sizes of the key elements of this

cartoon, creates pathos which is used to evoke feelings of sympathy and helplessness. Zyglis also

uses pathos in the simple statement Nonviolent Offenders (Zyglis), to emphasize that these

felons pose no threat to society. Finally, he generates feelings of hopelessness by using the term

Prisoners of War(Zyglis) because the sorrowful connotation of the word prisoner, brings about

the idea that these offenders need to be rescued.

The second piece is an oral genre titled Panther by The Last Poets. This particular genre

uses a variety of literary devices, accompanied with a drum beat of African decent and a shifting

tone of voice. Specifically, the song uses allusions, anaphoras, and colloquialisms to establish

credibility among the African American community. The use of allusion can be found in the

verses home of the free, the land of the brave (1), and Justice for yours, Justice for all

(90), which is a reference to the concept of the American Dream. It also indicates that justice,

one of the founding principles of America, is exclusive; instead of being inclusive of all types of

people.

Justice for yours, Justice for all (90) is also an example of an anaphora, along with the

statement neighborhood jails for neighborhood crimes (25). These statements are a direct
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reference to mass incarceration, as neighborhood crimes (25) is a representation of drug

dealing and the war on drugs as a whole. These literary devices, paired with cultural rhythms and

fluctuating voices, create pathos by inducing feelings of anxiety and distress; while the beat

draws in the African American community. The last, and most vital, of the literary devices are

colloquialisms. The best example of this is in the statements Mamas at the crack house, Dad is

at the border (57) and The war on drugs one great big joke(59). The use of informal language,

combined with a tribal drum, enables the recognition of cultural unity and, therefore, establishes

credibility/ethos.

Conclusively, both of these genres efficiently convey their messages to their unique

audiences, but the oral genre was the most effective. Both genres lacked any form of a logical

appeal, although they diligently exercised the use of pathos. But, what truly elevated the oral

genre was its use of ethos. Establishing credibility is essential for any artist or writer, and without

it, the piece loses its validity. The political cartoon lacked any specific logical structure or even a

foundation that proves the accuracy of the genre. Because of the absence of ethos and logos, the

cartoon could be easily ignored, or even refuted, by its audience. The ideas in the political

cartoon were limited by its genre, while an oral genre allows a more detailed description of the

topic at hand; in this case, mass incarceration. For these reasons, it is essential that the audience

understands different forms of media and how it can affect their perception of todays most

complex issues.
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Works Cited

Zyglis, Adam. War on Drugs. The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists,The Buffalo

News, 20 Aug. 2013,

http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoons/ZygliA/2013/ZygliA20130820A_low.jpg

The Last Poet. Panther. Counterflow Recordings, New York.