Running head: THE ANXIETIES OF THE ALARMIST CLOCK 1

THE ANXIETIES OF THE ALARMIST CLOCK

Pamela Barra Avila

Arizona State University

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Abstract

The “Alarmist Clock” is a cartoon that is analyzed as a visual text. The manner in which it is

analyzed mainly focuses on the dialogue, irony, and structure it shows. Worries and anxious

thoughts are expressed in order to take a look at how anxiety feels. This is properly done by the

text bubbles through the use of second person. The second element that is described is irony, and

this is brought into discussion by providing the insignificance of the anxiety the thought bubbles

create. Within the examination of irony some examples are provided for readers to view the

importance of other obstacles society is facing today. The last element mentioned is the structure

of the visual text. The font, order, and expression of the clock is taken apart to display the nature

of anxiety. The “Alarmist Clock” is a cartoon by Olivia De Recat and published in The New

York Times, with the purpose of bringing attention to anxiety and mental health.

Keywords​: Olivia De Recat, Alarmist Clock, anxiety, text bubbles, structure, irony,

purpose
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THE ANXIETIES OF THE ALARMIST CLOCK

“Have you taken into account that you

haven’t SHOWERED yet??” Many people

experience this thought at least once a year but

for others it appears as a daily routine. This one

thought was one of other frequent and persistent

worries around the concept of time published as

part of a cartoon in The New York Times. The

visual text which will be discussed throughout

this essay is titled “Alarmist Clock”, a cartoon

designed by Olivia De Recat. The “Alarmist Clock” is an alarm clock surrounded by thought

bubbles, ones expressing concerns and anxious thoughts. The elements of this visual text such as

structure will be discussed thoroughly along with their functions.

The theme displayed by the alarming thoughts is mental health, a prominent conflict in

today’s youth. Once again, when it comes to topics similar to mental health disorders, most of us

will readily agree that it is important to discuss anxiety and similar disorders . Where this

agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of how can the discussion of mental health

be initiated. While some are convinced that there is a generous ongoing support from people to

want to speak on mental health issues, others believe that there is no real action being taken. The

stance of this visual text is to not only share the view of people dealing with anxiety, but also

make strides towards normalizing mental health discussion.

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De Recat’s “Alarmist Clock” gives the audience the experience of anxiety through a

handful of texts. The first text bubble says “oh, you’re DEFINITELY gonna be late.”, reassuring

the reader there is no chance for them to be on time. The next text bubble says “and what if

there’s TRAFFIC??” This question refers to the previous text and

adds to the primary worry of being late. “You know ​everyone’s

going south at this hour” Once again the reader is being reminded

of another conflict, this time including a problem they are not in

control of. The first three thought bubbles share the perspective of

an anxious person with the audience through the use of second

person point of view. Pronouns like “you’re” and “you” are used

frequently to remind the audience they are being spoken to by their

own conscious, with continuous and repetitive worries being the

main issue. These thoughts are an example of what people with

anxiety feel in their everyday lives. The thoughts correlate to one

another and worsen each other throughout the day. By doing so,

the reader is most likely able to relate or understand how it feels to

experience anxiety. The purpose of the visual text is to encourage awareness of mental health,

especially anxiety, and this is not done by telling the audience but by showing them. The point of

view and context of the text work together to give readers a view into the thoughts of a person

experiencing anxiety.

At the same time these important features are being displayed, so is irony. With the

audience of The New York Times being diverse, the outlook on the cartoon varies with every
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person. One can engage with the “Alarmist Clock” and peer into the mind of anxiety or they can

view the thoughts as insignificant due to their relevance in society. The worry of being late does

not compare to the worry of not making rent, not making enough for food, and being late in

payments for other necessities. The concern over traffic does not compare to other obstacles

people are facing today such as lack of support, the absence of appropriate resources, and

unemployment. The fear of everyone going south can be seen minimal if one thinks about

uncontrollable factors like oppression, racism, and dehumanization of ethnic groups. The last

two thought bubbles express the lack of a shower and cups, while this may seem worrying to the

narrator, to others it is only a small worry compared to much detrimental variables that make life

hard in today’s society. Although the texts within the “Alarmist Clock” seem destructible it is

important to witness the irony which makes these worries trivial.

Another prominent element of the visual text is structure because it carries the message

by communicating the expression, routine, and face of anxiety. The alarm clock holds a

worrisome expression, almost sad and overwhelmed. This

expression is shown between four and five in the afternoon to

suggest a sense of tardiness for an event which is seen from

the text bubbles. The fact the clock is an alarm clock and

holds a frown expresses the reality of anxiety. Anxiety is a

mental health disorder with frequent and worsening thoughts

as one of the symptoms. This is displayed through the

expression, time, and model of the clock. Another important

part of structure is the routine, most importantly the order of

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the text bubbles. The readers and audience it pertains to can read it from left to right and right to

left with no difficulty. The ability to do this without conflict shows there is no improvement or

progress as the text bubbles are read, much like the thoughts of an anxious person. This shows

the worries do not lessen either way they are read, a similar routine for people with anxiety. On

the other hand the face of anxiety is shown through the actual font and color of the visual text.

The font is not serious but more casual, leading the audience to see anxiety as ordinary. The

visual also lacks color which can be interpreted as the view of an anxious person. Outcomes and

events may be seen through a black and white lense or be seen as either failing or successful. The

structure of the visual text adds to the purpose by supporting or displaying the expression,

routine, and face of anxiety through the alarm clock.

This specific visual text is important to audiences due to its theme and the purpose that it

carries. As seen throughout this essay, the visual text brings attention to mental health disorders

and by doing so increases the chances at discussion. A mental health conversation has the

potential to begin and hopefully continue because it is an issue that affects a large amount of the

population but is only spoken about under specific circumstances. The theme of exposure in the

visual text is an attempt to develop strategies or find coping mechanisms to thoughts such as

“Have you taken into account that you haven’t SHOWERED yet??” By implementing these

elements, the visual text goes as far as to encourage the audience to comprehend mental health

by displaying a mere view at the experiences of a person dealing with anxiety.

The elements in the visual texts consist of structure, content, and perspectives, together

achieving the purpose of the author. The structure focuses on the colors, order of thought

bubbles, and personification of the alarm clock. They are continuous and consistent with the way
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they are set up, the thoughts do not improve, and are focused on the actions of the person. The

purpose of these elements coming together is to further acknowledge the struggles anxious

people live with every day. The visual text has potential to reach different groups of people and

is an example of how mental health can be accurately represented.

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References

De Recat, O. (2019, January 14) Alarmist Clock. [Cartoon] ​New York Times.​ Retrieved

from http://www.nytimes.com