Omar Ba
The New Yorker Cover
9/13/11
As I continue to analyze The New Yorker Covers I still see key points that the illustrator is trying to point out. Many of these points are usually economically, social, or political all based on A New Yorker’s point of view. The latest New Yorker Cover illustrated by Eric Drooker appears to be a polluted gloomy Manhattan. But what is really shown is how it specifically reflects the corruption of the government on the working class of New York City.
In the cover certain points stand out to me. The most important detail that stood out to me was the strange sphinxlike bull at the top of the cover. To those who don’t know, the Sphinx in Greek Mythology was a creature with a lion’s body and a human head in ancient Egypt. She asked a riddle of all who passed her and killed those who couldn’t answer it correctly. There are many versions of this riddle, most follow a pattern of equating time of day with one of the ages of men represented by the number of “legs” on which man walks. As for the odd bullhead on the sphinx it could symbolize strength, determination, reliability, provision, peacefulness, stability, all the features of a common bull. But the illustrator could make this common bull really a symbol for what our government really wants to be. The Bulls eyes and nose represent windows, and inside the windows there seems to be activity seeing that the lights are on. These lights are the only lights that are on in the whole city making me think that the illustrator is saying by all the time our hard working employees spend in the office; in the end the government benefits the most. Filtering all these facts I could see the illustrator is trying to explain men are still under control by a society that continues to wrong do them. For example, prices are going up but our wages do not. Prices on trains, milk, gas, etc. this is all because our government prints too much money, and starts too many wars. They do this so they can sell their newly made expensive military weapons such as guns, missiles, and tanks.
According to the USA Today article, titled Wall Street protests continue and grow across the country written by Karen Matthews. This article explains the protests on corporate greed and police brutality revolving around Wall Street. Just the other week seven-hundred people were arrested protesting on the Brooklyn Bridge. An interesting quote in the articles is, “Fellner said she has an issue with ‘big money dictating, which politicians get elected and what programs get funded.’ But "we're not here to take down Wall Street," she insisted. ‘It's not poor against rich. “Still, the protesters chose Wall Street as their physical rallying point, speaking against corporate greed, social inequality, global climate change and other concerns.’” This quote shows how protesters aim at the most powerful corporation (Wall Street) but since the stock crash it is also the weakest and easiest for protesters to gnaw at. I believe the illustrator of this cover can relate to the article because it explains that the working class and the middle class, will never be equally respected as the upper class (the bull sphinx). As long as prices continue to go up while jobs diminish there is no doubt for a huge depression heading our way.
In conclusion, this cover captures the audiences attention by showing the city very gloomy and full of pollution. The illustrator is giving off a bad vibe of the city and I don’t blame him. The government is generally run by the wealthy and relies on the middle and working class to break their backs for their country. The big sphinx represents the government and the other small buildings underneath represent the middle and working class. This New Yorker cover relates to current events such as the Occupy Wall Street protests that have been recently picking up all across the nation. Many middle class men are protesting so they could actually make a reasonable amount of money without ridiculous tax charges and other rising prices. They will continue to protest until prices go down in the city and wages start going back up.
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