Images of America, Unit 1, p. 15
This document is a cartoon presenting the different clichés/stereotypes/common place ideas of the American society in a fragmented way.
A collection of the various symbols of America.
It’s dominated by the presence of the American flag/the Stars and Stripes/the Star-Sprangled banner which occupies/takes the whole skies.
Architectural symbols:
-We can see the Empire State Building (it’s the symbol of all American skyscrapers, after the World Trade Center attack in 2001) which contrast with the very modern architecture of the Twin Towers.
Historical symbols
-On the left, under the stars of the Sprangled banner, we can see the monumental/huge/gigantic faces of four American presidents, carved in the rock of Mount Rushmore (South Dakota):Roosevelt, Jefferson,
Washington, Lincoln -> foundation of USA.
Cultural symbols
-Elvis Presley : he was a revolutionary musician (new style of music : Rock’n’Roll). He was regarded as a provocative man with his hairstyle/hairdo and his brightly coloured clothes. Sharp contrast with the conventional and ancestral outfits (tenues) of the 4 presidents.
-Marylin Monroe: a famous actress. She was a sexy and appealing woman. She wore glamorous clothes. In a film sequence, she has a skirt lifted up by the draught (courant d’air) of an air vent (bouche d’aeration).
Social symbols
-Uncle Sam: old man with a beard. He’s wearing traditional clothes. He’s the symbol, the guardian of the traditional American values. He’s connected to the “American dream”.
-The Statue of Liberty: it represents a woman (symbol of intellectual enlighment/tolerance/opening/knowledge). It was located in the middle of New York harbour.
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