
The Preamble has been considered as a very essential part of the Constitution for years on end. It is the opening statement to this government document and explicitly explains the reasons why the Framers of the Constitution made the United States government into a republic. The Preamble opens with the well-known phrase, “We the People”, and begins to go into detail about the actions of the United States government. With this in mind, readers can closely begin to analyze the hidden symbolistic factors of the Preamble comic. When beginning to analyze this visual text, the readers can see that through the text, images, and use of color, the comic is actually exposing the desolate truth of the Preamble, as opposed to praising the document.  

When looking over the first page of this particular visual text, a brief summary of the components of the Constitution’s Preamble are expressed. The images depict the establishment of justice, insurance of domestic tranquility, provided equipment for the defenses of the country, the promoting of the general welfare of the people, and supposedly the securing of the blessings in which liberty has provided. With these factors in mind, readers can definitely see the contradictions that the second page of the comic further provides. These particular images are broken up into sections, unlike the first page. Factors such as the mistreatment of anyone who isn’t white, the injustice of slavery, the limited rights of women, and the comparison of the morals of the eighteenth century and modern day society are all depicted. 

When looking an image, one of the first aspects that a person may notice is the colors that are used. Colors play an important role in a visual text because each color provides its viewers with its own individual meaning. For instance, depending on the type of image one is viewing, the color red may depict a variety of different things such as love, passion, anger, or bloodshed. The color blue is commonly known to express the feeling of sadness or depression. Furthermore, with is being said, the use of color throughout the comic plays a big role in the overall meaning of this visual text. The colors of the first page are dull and consist of neutral tones of grays, browns, dark-greens, beige, and pale-yellow. The use of these particular colors can be seen as a method to further accentuate the contradiction between the two pages of the comic. The vibrant colors of the images of the second page such as purple, light-green, sky-blue, and orange, can be seen to be used to highlight the authors’ criticism of the Preamble.   

Along with image and color, the written text of the comic is seen as a central factor and the key to analyzing the contradictions, symbolism, and the overall message that the authors of this visual text are trying to portray to the readers. The written text of the first page provides us with a summary of the promises and statements of the Preamble. The second page begins with a comparison of the moral universes in the year 1787 and the twentieth century. It is no secret that society has adapted to a drastic change over the course of the past three centuries. In modern society, the use of technology is heavily depended on, women have more rights than ever before, slavery is no longer practiced, and racism is not considered a social norm any longer.  The text in the third image of the comic talks about the fact of the “people” expressed in the Constitution as addressing only the wealthy white men of the time. The image of Father Time angrily confronting these group of white men highlights the changing of the times and gives the written text a deeper meaning. The last two written texts of the second page show that justice was not established and the Preamble failed to do so. They express that the amendments of the Constitution render several parts of the original document as obsolete and also state the eighteenth century to be one of the most “unflattering” chapters in our nation’s history. These texts contribute greatly to the condemnation the authors have of the Constitution and show the viewers the flaws that the Framers failed to take notice to. 

The use of pathos is greatly used throughout this comic as well. Connecting to the emotions of the readers provides the general message of the authors to be greater understood and portrayed, and also allows such readers to feel engaged with the text. Emotions of anger, confusion, surprise, or even sadness could be brought about in the readers, as they view and analyze this visual text. The authors have displayed the mistreatment of the minorities in the United States, the topic of slavery, and frustration they have towards the Framers of the Constitution. These aspects are used as ways to form a stronger bond with the viewers by getting in touch with their emotion. This comic may also serve as a form of revelation to some people, who were unaware of our country’s flawed history.   

The use of a visual text can provide the audience with a better understanding of an intended message or symbol, due to the many aspects that it is composed of. A simple written text is unable to provide us with the use of color and image, which are tools that can better engage us to the reading. Consequently, it is safe to say that the content of a visual text is preferred by most people, as opposed to a long worded written text. 