LAST NAME

FULL NAME

GRADE

English A: Language and Literature SL

DATE

Rationale

This written task was based upon a letter of critical analysis, to Liza Donelly, a

cartoonist that usually draws drawings related to the study of gender in stereotypes, and

how they are depicted in language.

Liz Donelly expresses issues of gender society through her cartoon drawings.

The direct source of the topic will be the video of Liz Donelly on Ted Talks. In this video

she talks about how she uses humor to create change. The best way to express the critical

viewpoint of the text that is being analyzed will be through a letter, which is written in

first person giving the audience connection to the personal thoughts of the author.

Through that point I get to stress specific points of the text and how Liz Donelly could

modify her cartoons so that it will lure her readers to change, instead of regulating their

ideas on gender, which will lead to gender favoritism. From the use of evidence used

from the text I will validate my acquaintance of the text and author, which will help me

advantage from Donelly’s deference as the reader.

The written task makes you look and read accurately, meaning that, it will include

a basic lettering format, which will help me write it personalized while it will still be

written sophisticatedly. The letter that I will be writing will include quotations of

Donelly’s work to acknowledge my respect for her ideas on gender and the way that it is
used to be seen today. The purpose of this letter to Donelly is to inform her that her ideas

and cartoons could be accessible in a more erudite way, and to motivate her to change her

style of drawings in her future cartoons.

Word Count: 300

Dear Ms. Donnelly,

I am ________. I am 16 years old and I am from ______. Visiting Iran during the

summer, I can clearly see that it is a country where the women voices are overshadowed.

Currently I live in the Dubai, U.A.E. and I attend _________, and I am enrolled in the

_______ program. Dubai is such a multinational country, and even with that there is

culture and kindness all around. Having to live in both _____ and Dubai, I see that they

are two divergent countries based on the different laws, growth, countries, people,

conversely, both of the countries the problem of preserved women. In my Language and

Literature class, we have been analyzing your cartoons. Many of your cartoons interested

me; your creative drawings are very powerful. They made me laugh and really think

about the society when I first saw it. I am writing this letter to you in appreciation to you

on your use of humor to portray how women are being objectified by the old-fashioned

expectations in modern society, and that we are anticipated to coincide to these

stereotypical and inadequate responsibilities.

I have analyzed a couple of your cartoons; and I have noticed that your cartoons

are very realistic. The society has created a community of women from the past

generations, and because of this, the women are linked to these societal theories daily

without identifying it, because now its just a part of their daily lives since birth. One of

the political cartoons that you have drawn uses satire to express the obvious, by using this

humor technique it states the realism in the cartoon. This characteristic of realism allows

women to mirror back on society’s point of view. I honestly know that I had to command

to your work. In addition, the use of your characters draws with the realism the cartoon

exposes. Whether it’s the portrayal of females playing soccer/football in lingerie or a

little boy calling another boys father a feminist. One of the comics was about females

only being able to play football by exposing their bodied and also portraying their bodies

as sex objects. I found this terrible, even though it was kind of true. The message of

comic book was true and disgusting but it was really funny. In another cartoon one boys

father being called a feminist by another boy. Which shows the distress of humanity's

language on females from a very young age. Humanity's use of linguistic to progress

social concepts falls to the younger audience. Again, event though this is not good, it is

true. There are two very controlling messages conveyed in two massively diverse

settings, nevertheless both criticize the negative moves of civilization's language has

generated public concepts. I am a girl who supports what women really represent, which

is empowerment, love and commitment. Nevertheless, I am also her to fight for a change.

I say this because in our small literary groups, I either laughed or said out loud: “Oh my

god, that is so true.” Because of these entertaining facts, I really enjoyed the use of satire

in the political cartoons, because it grabbed my attentions very quickly and got me to

reflect on what I have read.

While I was watching the TED talk, I was really interested in the way which you

used humor. Both of the ways that you addressed the topic to the audience, and

expressing the gender inequality for women present in the world today. In one cartoon I

found it fascinating was one where two little girls are sitting on the floor of a typical little

girls room playing with dolls. Their actions look normal in the cartoon but then the text

above it say, “I can’t decide what I want to be when I grow up- a good girl or a slut.”

This carton caught my attention, as firstly there was a shock seeing two that are able to

talk about such topic. After this, the cartoon is varied humorous because of the contrast
between the image and the text. Discussing whether she wants to be a “good girl or a

slut” when is grows up is not a typical conversations between girls of such age. The

contrast made me think of how society is imposing to expectation on women so strongly

that it is starting to affect younger generations, which conveys your message of women

being limited to certain roles because of accepted stereotypes in society, and not being a

not mal or “good” women if you do not conform to these norms.

Nevertheless commending your effort, I wish to make a quick suggestion. During

the TED talks video Drawing on Humor for Change, I noted that you said, “My

perspective is a particularly American perspective.” I appreciate that you have said that

you were born and raised in America. I believe expanding to a worldwide perception will

allow grander amount women with varying traditions and religions to fight for change

through of humor and cartooning. I am very happy that you decided to discuss this topic

through a new way. Thank you for your time reading my letter.

You’re sincerely,

________

Word count: 867

 Work Cited:
"Liza Donnelly May Have the Coolest Job Title in New York." New York Women in
Communications, Inc. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2013.
"Liza Donnelly: Drawing upon Humor for Change." YouTube. YouTube, 27 Jan. 2011.
Web. 31 Oct. 2013.