Visual Communication Critical Thinking Analysis Assignment

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Visual Communication Analysis
Analyzing an image is reminiscent of a mastery of observational, critical thinking as well as interpretive skills. However, few people can appropriately decipher or discern the underlying messages in images. Images communicate in the same manner as words, and while at times they may make use of words in their message, in other times, they tend to replace the words completely. To analyze an image, one needs to patiently and keenly observe the elements of an image, the style used, the color, and also (if any) the words that are incorporated into an image. In the image at hand, there is a lot of information that one can deduct from the image. First of all, the image was drawn by renowned cartoonist Bill Day who is famous for using his cartoons to voice his opinion. Recently, Bill Day, who is a supporter of more gun control, used his cartoons to declare his stance on the issue. The Ball_and_Chain_Education image is synonymous to almost all of the images that Bill Day.
After looking at the image, one empathizes with the young, eager to be free boy. From the image, it is clear that the boy is ready to face whichever obstacle that life will throw at him. However, the heavy ball chain which is attached to the round metal on his head is slowing him down, and it is evident that he will always fall short. The ball chain is tagged as poverty and is a figurative representation of how much poverty has been slowing down bright and innovative children. Poverty has shattered dreams and made people work extra hard only to be told that they still need more to excel or succeed. Children have been locked out of school and have their dreams of getting their parents out of the chains of poverty crushed. The image speaks more about such people and the trouble that many go through trying to break away from the snares of poverty.
It is also accurate to say that the image also represents the social inequality that exists in our society. Currently, how much money one has is an important consideration in negotiations as well as in determining whose children will go to which school. The society revolves around money, and instead of making it easier for the innocent children to have a fair chance at excelling and breaking away from the chains of poverty, the society is becoming worse while letting the inequality gap expand. Regardless of what one has to offer regarding additional knowledge, and innovativeness, poverty acts as an impediment. The boy in the image, like his parents, has been condemned to poverty and life in the lower social class no matter how hard he tries to breach it.
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