Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Eng 102 WP 1 FD 2
Eng 102 WP 1 FD 2
Abstract
The “Alarmist Clock” is a cartoon that is analyzed as a visual text. The manner in which it is
analyzed mainly focuses on the dialogue, irony, and structure it shows. Worries and anxious
thoughts are expressed in order to take a look at how anxiety feels. This is properly done by the
text bubbles through the use of second person. The second element that is described is irony, and
this is brought into discussion by providing the insignificance of the anxiety the thought bubbles
create. Within the examination of irony some examples are provided for readers to view the
importance of other obstacles society is facing today. The last element mentioned is the structure
of the visual text. The font, order, and expression of the clock is taken apart to display the nature
of anxiety. The “Alarmist Clock” is a cartoon by Olivia De Recat and published in The New
York Times, with the purpose of bringing attention to anxiety and mental health.
Keywords: Olivia De Recat, Alarmist Clock, anxiety, text bubbles, structure, irony,
purpose
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designed by Olivia De Recat. The “Alarmist Clock” is an alarm clock surrounded by thought
bubbles, ones expressing concerns and anxious thoughts. The elements of this visual text such as
The theme displayed by the alarming thoughts is mental health, a prominent conflict in
today’s youth. Once again, when it comes to topics similar to mental health disorders, most of us
will readily agree that it is important to discuss anxiety and similar disorders . Where this
agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of how can the discussion of mental health
be initiated. While some are convinced that there is a generous ongoing support from people to
want to speak on mental health issues, others believe that there is no real action being taken. The
stance of this visual text is to not only share the view of people dealing with anxiety, but also
De Recat’s “Alarmist Clock” gives the audience the experience of anxiety through a
handful of texts. The first text bubble says “oh, you’re DEFINITELY gonna be late.”, reassuring
the reader there is no chance for them to be on time. The next text bubble says “and what if
going south at this hour” Once again the reader is being reminded
control of. The first three thought bubbles share the perspective of
person point of view. Pronouns like “you’re” and “you” are used
another and worsen each other throughout the day. By doing so,
experience anxiety. The purpose of the visual text is to encourage awareness of mental health,
especially anxiety, and this is not done by telling the audience but by showing them. The point of
view and context of the text work together to give readers a view into the thoughts of a person
experiencing anxiety.
At the same time these important features are being displayed, so is irony. With the
audience of The New York Times being diverse, the outlook on the cartoon varies with every
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person. One can engage with the “Alarmist Clock” and peer into the mind of anxiety or they can
view the thoughts as insignificant due to their relevance in society. The worry of being late does
not compare to the worry of not making rent, not making enough for food, and being late in
payments for other necessities. The concern over traffic does not compare to other obstacles
people are facing today such as lack of support, the absence of appropriate resources, and
unemployment. The fear of everyone going south can be seen minimal if one thinks about
uncontrollable factors like oppression, racism, and dehumanization of ethnic groups. The last
two thought bubbles express the lack of a shower and cups, while this may seem worrying to the
narrator, to others it is only a small worry compared to much detrimental variables that make life
hard in today’s society. Although the texts within the “Alarmist Clock” seem destructible it is
Another prominent element of the visual text is structure because it carries the message
by communicating the expression, routine, and face of anxiety. The alarm clock holds a
the text bubbles. The fact the clock is an alarm clock and
the text bubbles. The readers and audience it pertains to can read it from left to right and right to
left with no difficulty. The ability to do this without conflict shows there is no improvement or
progress as the text bubbles are read, much like the thoughts of an anxious person. This shows
the worries do not lessen either way they are read, a similar routine for people with anxiety. On
the other hand the face of anxiety is shown through the actual font and color of the visual text.
The font is not serious but more casual, leading the audience to see anxiety as ordinary. The
visual also lacks color which can be interpreted as the view of an anxious person. Outcomes and
events may be seen through a black and white lense or be seen as either failing or successful. The
structure of the visual text adds to the purpose by supporting or displaying the expression,
This specific visual text is important to audiences due to its theme and the purpose that it
carries. As seen throughout this essay, the visual text brings attention to mental health disorders
and by doing so increases the chances at discussion. A mental health conversation has the
potential to begin and hopefully continue because it is an issue that affects a large amount of the
population but is only spoken about under specific circumstances. The theme of exposure in the
visual text is an attempt to develop strategies or find coping mechanisms to thoughts such as
“Have you taken into account that you haven’t SHOWERED yet??” By implementing these
elements, the visual text goes as far as to encourage the audience to comprehend mental health
The elements in the visual texts consist of structure, content, and perspectives, together
achieving the purpose of the author. The structure focuses on the colors, order of thought
bubbles, and personification of the alarm clock. They are continuous and consistent with the way
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they are set up, the thoughts do not improve, and are focused on the actions of the person. The
purpose of these elements coming together is to further acknowledge the struggles anxious
people live with every day. The visual text has potential to reach different groups of people and
References
De Recat, O. (2019, January 14) Alarmist Clock. [Cartoon] New York Times. Retrieved
from http://www.nytimes.com