TOW #9 - Peace for Paris

     Two TOW’s ago, I chose an article about rural France because I take French and am a bit of a francophile. In light of the attacks on Paris, I figured it was appropriate to pick a text relating to the recent events. This drawing, done immediately after hearing the news about the attacks and by Jean Jullien, alludes to famous symbols, is simplistic, and has rough brushstrokes. The artist incorporates all of these elements in order to gain sympathy for Paris and unite the people against terrorist attacks in a peaceful manner.
     Jullien’s most obvious rhetorical device is his allusions which cover the topic of the drawing and evoke sympathy in the reader. The artist combines a peace sign with the Eiffel Tower, a symbol of Paris, creating a relationship between them that is best summed up by the hashtag that the drawing inspired: #PeaceForParis. The use of the peace sign is very powerful, even more so than some of the speeches made by national leaders that talk about “acts of war.” The peace promoted by this drawing sharply contrasts the terrorism and violence that happened and the reactionary steps that countries are preparing to take. This appeals to the audience’s pathos because it shows that the people just want to live in peace and don’t need revenge, overall creating sympathy in the audience for the people of Paris.
     The drawing is also very obviously simplistic, with one object in the center, a plain background, and no color. This draws attention to the main focus by deleting all of the distractors, an approach which forces the viewer to recognize the artist’s point and focuses the viewer on the sentiment that Paris wants peace not war. This simplistic, single-mindedness unites the audience under one single cause: a peaceful fight against terrorism.
     The colorlessness that adds to the simplicity of the drawing also emphasizes the type of stroke that the artist uses: a thick, rough stroke that shows the audience the violence of the recent events along with the emotionally raw state the artist was in. The contrast between the peace sign and the violence communicated by the brushstroke creates sympathy in the audience similarly to how the notion of peace contrasts national leaders’ speeches. In addition, the artist’s emotional state is relayed to the audience, creating an emotional bond that again adds to the sympathy that the viewer has for Parisians.
     Jean Jullien’s allusions, simplistic style, and rough brushstrokes evokes sympathy in his audience and unites them against the terrorist attacks in a peaceful manner. As previously mentioned, this is even more effective than speeches that rally citizens against “acts of war” by reciprocating these acts. As proof, just go check Twitter. This drawing and the hashtag are everywhere.

#PeaceForParis - Jean Jullien