Saturday, September 20, 2008

Watergate and Herblock

Herbert Block was a powerful political cartoonist for the Washington Post from 1946 until 2001. Herblock, Block’s pen name, covered many political issues during his tenure but none more notorious than his coverage of the Watergate affair. With full discretion to criticize at any length, Herblock’s take on the Washington scandal and cover up held nothing back.
When examining the Herblock cartoons, there is no lack of symbolism. Each item in the drawing is carefully placed with purpose and meaning. The Watergate cartoons depict a greedy and angry President Nixon with strong facial features and a protruding nose. This serves to not only enhance a physical feature but to, no doubt, also symbolize the Pinocchio effect of Nixon’s lies and cover-up. Some may say Block occasionally went too far with his obvious dislike of Nixon. However, Block refused to back down not resting until the scandal eventually ruined the President.
Herblock cartoons can be a valuable resource for teachers to use when covering the scandal with students. First, cartoons can be engaging and visual for some students. Second, symbolism is a difficult concept for many students. By using political cartoons, history teachers can help students practice the skill.
The following activity analyzes a Herblock cartoon and gives students the opportunity to relate the Watergate scandal to America today.

Student Activity

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home