Multimodal Genre Analysis of Political Cartoons during Pakistan's Economic Crisis

Abstract

This article analyzes the genre of political cartoons through the prism of multi-modality, focusing on editorial cartoons published in the Dawn newspaper during the 2023 economic crisis in Pakistan. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the visual and linguistic strategies used by cartoonists to convey political messages in a humorous way and analyze how these messages are interpreted by the audience. The research design utilizes a qualitative methodology that involves a deep evaluation of linguistic elements of cartoons and Kress and Leeuwen's framework for analyzing visual grammar. The findings of this study imply that political cartoons use various visual and linguistic elements, including exaggeration, contrast, framing, metaphors, and irony, to convey critical commentary on social and political issues. Overall, this study adds to the body of knowledge in the field of political cartoon analysis and sheds light on the genre traits and communicative techniques utilized in political cartoons.