Cartoons in the Genre Spectrum of Political Discourse

Abstract

The article examines cartoons as an effective means of political influence aimed at changing the emotional state and behaviour of the addressee, restructuring certain elements of their ideology, modifying the value hierarchy, and forming extralinguistic activity motives. The research theoretically substantiates the cartoons' multimodal nature, as their verbal and non-verbal components form a single visual, structural, semantic, and functional whole aiming at a complex pragmatic impact on the recipient. This article emphasizes that a cartoon not only appeals to the mind and aesthetic beliefs of a person but also the sense of humour, thus creating a comic effect often in the form of sharp, caustic satire.Having analyzed various examples from American and British media the research proves that political cartoons have a wide range of techniques and means for creating a comic effect, namely, irony, sarcasm, hyperbole, metaphor, and symbols. Individually or together, these techniques and means add a special colour to the cartoon, reveal the author's dissatisfaction with political realities, and enhance the emotional impact on the addressee.Having the ability to encourage the audience to abandon the automatic perception of reality and look at certain political decisions, events, or facts from an unexpected angle, political cartoons serve as an effective means of manipulation and persuasion.