Pictorial and Multimodal Metaphor in Saudi Editorial Cartoons Representing Social Media Impact on Saudis

Abstract

Over the past few decades, the development of Conceptual Metaphor Theory and the distinction between monomodal and multimodal discourse have inspired academics to reinvestigate pictorial and multimodal metaphors. This paper identifies and analyzes pictorial and multimodal metaphors used in the editorial cartoons created by the Saudi cartoonist Abdullah Jaber to depict the impact of smartphones and social media platforms on the life of Saudis from 2011 until 2020. All editorial cartoons analyzed in this study were taken from the cartoonist’s accounts on Twitter and Instagram @jabertoon. The analysis shows the prevalence of multimodal verbo-pictorial metaphors over monomodal pictorial ones, which makes it easier for viewers to construe the cartoonist’s intended messages. Jaber’s work is not meant to entertain or amuse his readers; his cartoons are not supposed to be conveyed as comical works of art. Rather, he utilizes his cartoons to communicate messages and reflect values that users of social media platforms might overlook. His main interest is to highlight the potential consequences that can rise due to social media platforms. Besides, the analysis reveals the negative impact of smartphones and social media platforms on Saudi users, which is consistent with research findings.