R Crumb Comic Strip

a. Cite your selection in MLA style.
"R. Crumb’s A Short History of America." Untitled Document. Web. 22 Jan. 2016. .
b. What is the central message of this text? Please explain it in your own words.
The comic strip of A Short History of America depicts the changes to our landscape over the years. The first picture is of an open green field with trees and a flock of birds flying overhead. As the pictures progress the landscape changes. First a railroad is built along the landscape, then a house is built and a dirt road is in place for horse drawn carriages. As the comic progress so does the landscape. There are fewer trees and more modern items such more houses, powerlines, paved roads, cars, and with fewer birds and trees. The final image is one of a busy street corner filled with buildings, light posts, cars, and power lines. No trees,

birds, or grass are present.
c.

How would you define your position as an audience member (resistant, neutral, etc.)? With your own position in mind, what kind of audience do you think the author is trying to reach? Please provide an example to support your answer.
My position to this comic strip is neutral. I understand this comic strip to show progress over the years. Not as positive change or negative change, simply change.
I think the artist of this comic strip is trying to show progress over time. Showing how far we have come from open fields in the first frame to fully functioning cities in the final frame.
d. What appeal(s) are being used in this text (ethos, etc.)? Give a specific example from the text to support your answer.
Logos appeals are used in this comic. This comic depicts the facts of progress over the years. This can also be assumed by known statistics of basic population.
e. Did you find the argument persuasive? Why or why not? If you were in charge of editing this example, what would you change? What would you keep the same?
I don’t feel persuaded in any direction by this comic. To me it is representing the facts of change over the

years.
If the artist is simply trying to state the facts of change over the years, which is how I see this comic, then I would not change anything. I think it shows progression.
If the artist is trying to indicate that all the changes to our environment are negative, he should have done more to change the look of the sky. It is not until the last image that the sky shows any change. Showing progressive changes to the sky might have persuaded me to think that the changes to our landscape are negatively affecting our environment.