Symbolism of Mount Rushmore Essay - 2678 Words

The View from Mount Rushmore Amidst the Black Hills of South Dakota, the faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln watch over the nation. George Washington, often called the father of the nation, was a leader in the American Revolutionary War to win independence from Great Britain and later became the first president of the United States. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence and added territory that doubled the size of the nation through the Louisiana Purchase. Theodore Roosevelt demonstrated strength, sought to improve the country through the Progressive movement, and constructed the Panama Canal (Nsp.gov). Abraham Lincoln sought to keep the country united during the Civil†¦show more content†¦Ideographs function to elicit emotion from the public through their association to common concepts and their application to different societal issues. Words like â€Å"freedom† and â€Å"democracy† act as ideographs in that they have cer tain connotations and that are then manipulated according to the cultural situation. An ideograph as outlined by McGee has four critical characteristics: it is able to warrant power or guide behavior; it is used in political discourse; it is an abstraction representing collective commitment; and it is culture-bound (205-209). Janis L. Edwards and Carol K. Winkler in their study â€Å"Representative Form and the Visual Ideograph: The Iwo Jima Image in Editorial Cartoons† argue against Michael McGee’s belief that ideographs are limited to verbal language (198-212). They protest that visual images can also be used as ideographs because they fulfill McGee’s formulated features of an ideograph and are not merely icons, which are visual representations of words that always symbolize the same concept or idea. The utilization of Mount Rushmore in editorial cartoons functions as an example of a visual ideograph as distinguished by Edwards and Winkler. Through an analysis of editorial cartoons with the Mount Rushmore image, I will provide further evidence to Edwards’s and Winkler’s claim that visual images can exist as ideographs by fulfilling the major characteristics of an ideograph as defined by McGee.Show MoreRelatedThe Moai Statues of Easter Island: Rapa Nui Essay982 Words   |  4 Pagesonce great complex. b. How do the reasons for their works compare with those of a more modern example of monumental art work, such as Mount Rushmore, the 9/11 Memorial, etc.? In these two monuments, their meanings can be implied, but their true purposes will remain a mystery. Without knowledge, the beauty of the moai of Rapa Nui can be appreciated, but the symbolism will never be revealed. Why did all but seven of the statues face inland? We are powerless to understand the meanings of any work ofRead MoreCharacteristics Of The Ecosystem Services1615 Words   |  7 Pagespeople obtain from an environment. These include the spiritual or historical symbolism or enrichment humans find in nature for religion a connection to their lives. More predominantly, however, cultural services include use of natural areas for scientific development/experiments, education, or recreational activities such as camping, hiking, fishing, or national forests such as Rocky Mountain National Park or Mount Rushmore. 2. Please define the terms sustainability and sustainable development. ThenRead MoreEssay on Zeitgeist1708 Words   |  7 Pages- they put their lives at risk just to get the answers they want. But in the essay Caught Looking: Problems with Taking Pictures of People Taking Pictures at an Exhibition by Robert Bednar, the author catches the zeitgeist as a Mount Rushmore tourist. Though, after reading this essay you are probably going to question where in the text did Bednar actually snatched the zeitgeist. Well, it was the moment the young Japanese boy had taken his picture. In the beginning of theRead MoreAnalysis of Allen Ginsbergs Howl2630 Words   |  11 Pagescontinues (57). Hence, a close read of the place that is Rockland, means the person also has the madness of a Rockland in his or her soul, and America overall is a king of Rockland madhouse. Meanwhile, through the effective use of metaphor and symbolism the poet explains where this poem takes place. Of course Ginsberg wrote it and read it aloud for the first time in San Francisco, and Lawrence Ferlinghetti (of City Lights bookstore and publishing) published the poem. The poet moves from his protest