TOW #11

Would you say the United States is a little harsh when it comes to getting into a college? Do they consider all the obstacles a teenager has to go through to actually be accepted to a college that they really desire? This visual text by the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists shows all the hardships and obstacles (literally) that an average american teenager has to go through in order to finish a college application. As you can see in the political cartoon, the slide reads, "activities" and "extra-curricular" as if its so easy to just slide right through them. Next, you really can't tell which is in order, but theres a gpa section, a class rank section, SAT, A.P. classes, essays, letters, checks, forms, recommendations and so on. This cartoon seems as if this is all an obstacle, which it is. All of these responsibilities and how well do them really determines whether or not you're capable enough to get into college. It can be described as stressful and other famous phrase I can say is "survival of the fittest," or Dharwin's theory. The audience of this cartoon is for adults and the purpose is for them to realize that being a teenager in generation x is not easy at all, they should consider all we have to do. The illustrator of this cartoon used a big metaphor, comparing a college applacation and all the responsibilities of a teenager to an obstacle. The author did do a good job trying to create that purpose of it not being so easy to be a teenager in this generation because they used something that most people would point out first, which is the obstacle course. Many people consider it challenging and only those who really are the strongest, win. The illustrator then used the obstacles as all the responsibilities a teenager has for school, then drew a worn-out person at the end of it, showing that none of this was easy.