Sickly Democrat

The satirical cartoon of the “Sickly Democrat” seeks to further emphasise the American perception which equates race and class with Other. This cartoon depicts an ailing man who appears ragged and worn, exuding the appearance of a lower-class individual. Standing over him, occupying a position of power and authority, looms a fat doctor offering a glass with what appears to be an unflattering rendering of an individual from a racialized background trapped inside. The caption of this image reads “Oh! Must I Swallow him Whole, Doctor Chase?” (Harper’s Weekly 439).

While Leverenz states that this illustration provides “an American perspective on English imperialism” (23), this cartoon presents a distinctly American setting through its caption and content, both of which function to situate this illustration within the context of post-civil war America. This cartoon allocates power to the large and well-dressed doctor, reinforcing the message supplied by Harper’s Weekly that members of the upper class occupy a position of greater importance than those of the lower classes, who are then associated with being Other. By portraying the doctor as a large and threatening figure, this cartoon suggests that embracing those who were designated as Other is a ludicrous idea. Published only three years after the conclusion of the American civil war (April 1861-April 1865), ideas of race as a foundation for mistrust and Othering remained extremely prominent during this time. This cartoon critiques the idea of racial equality being “forced down the throat” of Americans, and exacerbates the themes of racial prejudice present in The Moonstone surrounding the Indian Brahmins and Ezra Jennings.  

Works Cited

Collins, Wilkie. The Moonstone. Oxford University Press, 2008, New York.

Leverenz, Molly Knox. “Illustrating The Moonstone in America: Harper’s Weekly and Transatlantic Introspection.” American Periodicals: A Journal of History & Criticism, vol. 24, no. 1, 2014, pp. 21–44.

"Sickly Democrat". Harper's Weekly, vol 12, Harper & Brothers, July 11 1868, New York City.