Paper 5
The artifact comprises of images of a white man keeping his balance as he carries five dwarfs; two on his arms, two by his hands, and one on his head. The man is standing on a stage marked by the words ‘Army and Navy’, with his body language indicating that he is very confident about himself even as other people look up to him. More specifically, his posture shows that he has a firm grip of the stage on which he stands. The white man’s clothes look representative of the United States’ national flag. Some of the dwarfs are holding flags that have been labeled with the names of different lands overseas including the Philippines, Cuba, and Porto Rico.
The artifact indicates the superiority of the United States over some other lands located overseas. The white man who is wearing an outfit that resembles the American flag is a state or government official who enjoys the full support or backing of the army and navy, which he uses to pursue his political and territorial interests abroad. The dwarfs signify people in foreign lands who have surrendered to American power and, thus, are indirectly subjects of the United States government. The white man stands on a raised surface, showing that other people look up to him. These people represent the ordinary American citizens who have entrusted their welfare on the statesman.
All in all, the artifact indicates that the pursuit of United States’ interests overseas is not a contemporary issue but a historical one. Over its long history, the country has been accused of interfering or meddling in matters that go beyond their national jurisdiction. As such, the artifact illustrates that the United States has maintained an active foreign policy for many years even as the country continues to enjoy superpower status in the world today.
