We have a hand being swept underwater in the sea, and a giant hand labeled “South Asia” reaching from the sky to grab the hand that’s about to drown.
South Asia should be the drowning hand, shouldn’t it?
Who’s the unlabeled hand in the water?
I don’t get it either, but this reminds me of that one episode of Seinfeld…
Southeast Asia should be the drowning hand. I think. Although I admit to not understanding their message at all - is this to show the helping hand of Southern Asia? Ah, no idea.
Given the text below the article and the relative sizes of the hands, I suspect it has something to do with South Asia helping it’s children. Probably the children who survived when their parents didn’t.
I don’t think it’s supposed to represent a “helping hand.”
It’s someone slipping away.
I agree – it’s not a very effective cartoon. The viewer is likely to misinterpret the literal action, and if it’s interpreted correctly, the message is fairly trite: “South Asia is experiencing loss.”
The drowned children. If you read the accompanying article it makes sense. It’s an adult South Asia hand reaching (apparently in vain) to rescue a child. The point is that the mind boggling loss of life is particularly tragic for the children who never had a chance.
Agreed with the last posts. It’s a creative idea, in the context of the article - but a very poorly-drawn cartoon.
Political cartoons should stand on their own, and that one doesn’t.
I wouldn’t say “poorly drawn” because it isn’t, but it’s definitely poorly composed.
OK, good point - but ‘good drawing’ and ‘good composition’ are both not necessary to a political cartoon.
True, but I think we agree and are just talking past one another.
When I said “poorly composed” I just meant that it’s meaning wasn’t clear from the cartoon alone, that’s all.