The night is cool and clear. A gentle breeze crosses the plains in front of the great doors. Many torches lit the night along the cobblestone path before the charging people. On both sides, the warriors new the score-- win or death. One side armed with well-crafted swords and lances opposing the peasants with their not so well-crafted pitch forks and normal tools not meant for war. Its training and weaponry against the massive numbers of the upset peasants. The St. George's Night Uprising in Estonia would have started out similarly to this as the peasants had become vexed by their foreign lords. Peasant revolts were common during the Middle Ages when the feudal system allowed lords to impose conditions that many put many people in dire straights. These reasons were usually because of taxation, religious enforcements, or an increasing gap between the wealthy and poor (Popular revolt). Drew Litton makes a good argument of Bill Callahan's situation with the Husker fans through analogy and visual narration, also using two of the rhetorical themes.
The fans are all ready to go. The season is looking to be a great one again. Another bid for the the national title because we are the best around. No one can defeat us. We will beat down all of the competition and make everyone look like fools against our sea of red. We will score touchdown after touchdown. The great defense will make stop after stop to hold all the teams to zero. We are the greatest and no one can stand is our way to victory. Not Nevada, or Iowa, or USC, or any team. We will be the best because we are the Nebraska Corn huskers! But that isn't how it happened this season. Unfortunately, Bill Callahan and his boys could not seem to win much of anything and that's what has got his always devoted Husker fans ready to revolt and tear down the castle.
The cartoon is a perfect example of what Bill Callahan is experiencing. The many Nebraska Corn husker fans are creating an old-fashioned revolt with torches and pitch forks. The kind of revolt seen in the Middle Ages. In the night, all of the Husker fans illustrated by the “N” are on the warpath towards Callahan's castle. On the outside of the castle, its printed “House of Callahan” to show that the greatness that Callahan has created is being revolted against for his inability to create a winning team this season although he has proven very worthy in past seasons. The dialogue bubble explains it all saying, “You know, they are a rather impatient group”. The Corn husker fans all want success and an immediate national title. Even though Callahan has created success as illustrated by the castle, Nebraska fans are not satisfied anymore and want him out. This is the path that the fans have chosen for Callahan a full revolt to get him and out and find some one new who can make a good team for them to cheer for again.
The main rhetorical device the Litton is using is the analogy between Husker fans as peasants in a Middle Age revolt. As stated before, the peasants would revolt because they were no longer satisfied with their lives under the lord of the land. The feudal system worked with the lord on top who then had vassals beneath him. They all lived in the castle together and then there was open area to allow merchants to sell their wares during the days and in time of war this served as protection. Otherwise, most people lived outside of the castle in the surrounding fields were they normally would farm or do their work. Here Litton is showing a scene where the peasants are heading toward the castle in revolt. Although the peasants are Husker fans who are upset about the losing season and the lord is Callahan, the idea is still the same that they are trying to remove him from power. Litton does a good job of showing what the fans want through an analogy to past times although this is not practiced in modern times.
The second rhetorical device Litton uses is visual narration. Litton draws the viewer's eye in a counter-clockwise rotation to get the whole story. It begins in the top left where the viewer can see that its night outside. Then the viewer follows the trails of smoke down to the Husker fans and takes in the looks of disappointment and anger. Also, the viewer can see the pitchforks and that many fans have gathered in a revolt. Next the viewer follows the path up to the castle, which is a sign of power and dominance. It is shown as Callahan's castle and that they are heading there to throw him out of power or attempt to. Often, the peasant revolts in the Middle Ages were suppressed by the powerful lords, but Callahan is quickly losing his power and may be unseated (Popular Revolt). Finally, the counter-clockwise rotation is completed by moving to the dialogue bubble, which shows Callahan's fears and inability to meet with the Husker fan's demands. Litton creates this story in which two possible endings may come to pass, but it shows that Callahan is in trouble with the Husker fans, which is his main argument.
The picture uses pathos to create feelings of anger, dissatisfaction, and fear. Again, the revolt clearly showing that these people are upset and heading on a rampage for Callahan. The faces of the fans are all shown as frowning and looking very angry or upset. These details create the feelings of wonder as to why the characters are upset and where they are heading. Then the viewer's eyes follow the path upward to the House of Callahan, which shows two little eyes peeking out of a window. The eyes show fear of the oncoming revolt in that the character is hidden in the shadows and not willing to come out. Through the faces and hidden persons, the artist creates the multiple moods of fans and Callahan.
The artist creates ethos through a few images and playing on the viewer's being knowledgeable of Middle Age revolts. First, the artist is showing how the fans are from Nebraska through the sweaters. People seeing this will make the connection and often understand that the Nebraska fans have reason to be upset with the poor season so far. Second, the artist establishes ethos through the mob scene. The scene is not credible in the fact that it is true because everyone knows Callahan does not live in a castle nor will the fans rally together in a revolt to come after him. The revolt is used in a connection to the old revolts to remove horrible lords from power and satisfy the peasants demands. The viewers will make this connection and see how it does relate to the Nebraska fans and their coach. It is used as a metaphor with the Nebraska fans as the revolters and Callahan as a king in his castle. In these two ways, the artist creates credibility in displaying the situation.
The artist uses the rhetorical appeals of pathos and ethos to make his point. Also, Litton uses analogy and visual narration to make his argument. Pathos was used to display the feelings of the Nebraska fans and Callahan creating the understanding feeling in the viewer. Finally, Ethos was used through the cliché mob scene in that everyone would understand what is happening and why it is fitting to the Nebraska fans and Callahan. Therefore, the artist makes his point well in that he effectively creates a work to show the situation Callahan is in with the Nebraska fans.
Works Cited
"Popular Revolt in late medieval Europe". Wikipedia. 10 Nov. 2007:
"St. George's Night Uprising". Wikipedia. 3 Nov. 2007:
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