TOW #7- Make Mine Freedom

During the Cold War in the 1950s, anti-communism plagued the United States as many believed that communism might take over America. “Make Mine Freedom” is a cartoon that exaggerates the negative aspects of communism and advocates for the benefits of American capitalism. It was made as propaganda to convince the American people to go against the rise in communism and to spread American nationalism.

One rhetorical device that is used is imagery. The American characters in this cartoon are wearing patriotic colors and look like normal people. In contrast, the communist character in this cartoon was wearing all red, the color of communist Soviet Russia, and was made to look very nefarious. This juxtaposition between the “good” American people and the “evil” Soviet communists through imagery biases viewers to have an initial dislike for the communist character.

Another device that is used is anaphora. In one part of the cartoon, the narrator lists the virtues of America, saying, “It’s freedom to work at the job you like, It’s freedom of speech and the right to assemble, freedom of owning your own property...” By repeating the same phrasing throughout a long list of virtues, the narrator shows how America is great. This is quickly juxtaposed when the characters get a taste of what living in communism looks like. “The State” is depicted as oppressors of its people’s liberties. This is a strong appeal to the viewer’s pathos, as it plays on their satisfaction of living in a capitalist system and their fear of living in a communist system. Then, the cartoon shortly shifts to having an appeal to the logos, giving statistics on how America is thriving.

At the very end of the cartoon, the characters drive out the communist character while patriotic music is playing in the background in order to build American nationalism and convince viewers that communism goes against American values.

Overall, this video has a strong appeal to the viewer’s pathos and a little logos (which is common in propaganda) to successfully convince them that communism is a threat to the American way of life.

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