Global Neighborhood Association hosts November House Dinner 

On Tuesday, Nov. 1, the Global Neighborhood Association hosted their last House Dinner of the fall semester. Professor Sophie Adamson gave a presentation titled “Editorial Cartoons: Drawing Political Lines.” Adamson is an associate professor of French and chair of the World Language and Cultures department.  

Adamson provided many great examples of cartoons from all over the world. The US political election has been rich fodder for cartoonists, but Adamson also showed cartoons that illustrated how other countries view global issues and our politics. 

During the discussion, participants viewed images and talked about both the style and substance of the drawings conveyed the message. When looking at an apparently simple image, the viewer must decode metaphors and cultural references for the cartoon to make its point.

Adamson has done extensive research on French political cartoons. France has a long tradition of satirical images, going back to the 18 century and earlier. Adamson contrasted how French society values political cartoons differently than the United States does. She has had the unique opportunity to interview Plantu, one of the most distinguished French political cartoonists. She showed examples of Plantu’s work and briefly discussed issues raised by the shootings at the Charlie Hebdo magazine in 2015.

The topic of the discussion not only connected with the neighborhood’s theme for this year, “The Arts without Borders,” but also with National French Week. The delicious dinner featured French food like coq au vin and éclairs. 

This week the GNA’s film series will also link France and the arts. On Thursday, Nov. 3, the neighborhood will host a screening of Sofia Coppola’s 2006 film “Marie Antoinette” with a discussion led by assistant professor of performing arts and costume designer in residence Jack Smith.