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ABSTRACT
Visual communication is a compound process, which requires broad knowledge of semiotics. Semiotics is the
education of signs and symbols. In what way these signs and symbols are interpreted is studied under semiotics. It
has many concealed signs and connotations, for example: brand name, logo, package design, color, punch line and
trade mark, etc.
The present study presents one of the most significant philosophies and replicas of visual social semiotics, namely,
Kress and van Leeuwen’s "Grammar of Visual Design". It involves the description of semiotic resources, what can be
said and done with images (and other visual means of communication) and how things people say and do with images
can be interpreted. Thus, the communicative values of signs in a caricature are a portrait with the volume turned up.
A caricature is a painting, or more commonly a picture, of an object or item in which the characteristics and structure
have been blurred and exaggerated to ridicule or satirize the topic. Thus the current study aims at studying some
caricatures nonverbally through analyzing the image and colours of it.
The study tackles semiotics; specifically social semiotics, caricature, the elements of analyzing caricature, which are:
image, word, and colour. The first part carries on the introduction of the current study as well as tackling the problem
of the study, the literature review of semiotics in general and social semiotics in particular. The second part carries on
the data and its analysis through the model, as well as the visual results, finally, giving the conclusion.
Research Article
A SEMIOTIC STUDY OF CARICATURE: THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN
AMERICA AND CHINA
Submission Date:
Sep 28, 2024,
Accepted Date:
Oct 03, 2024,
Published Date:
Oct 08, 2024
Crossref doi:
https://doi.org/10.37547/ajsshr/Volume04Issue10-07
Asst.Lect. Sundus Hussein Allawi
Ministry of Education/University of Babylon/Iraq
Journal
Website:
https://theusajournals.
com/index.php/ajsshr
Copyright:
Original
content from this work
may be used under the
terms of the creative
commons
attributes
4.0 licence.
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KEYWORDS
Caricature, image, semiotics, sign, code, nonverbal communication.
INTRODUCTION
Semiotics is defined by Morris (1938: 88) as the general
shape of the science of signs. When people talk about
others making or giving signs, they usually refer to
gestures. There are signs which help to guide and
regulate traffic. Wherever going, signs appear as:
words, books, architecture, in people's behavior, etc.
Semiotics always serves a communicative purpose. Its
theory can be applied to any field since most processes
in nature and culture rely on communication, and rely
on signs that serve the communicative purposes.
Semiotics and social semiotics differ in that social
semiotics in particular explores the correspondence
and interconnection between social practices and text
(Kress, 2005: 5). Kress and van Leeuwen (2006: 263)
believes that social semiotics take the old semiotic
path from sender to message to receiver and expands
it into multidimensional interactive bodies of relations.
Social semiotics is concerned with meaning makers and
meaning making. It studies the media of dissemination
and the modes of communication that people use and
develop to represent their understanding of the world
and to shape power relations with others (ibid: 126).
SEMIOTICS: A GENERAL PERSPECTIVE
The term semiotics is derived from the Greek word
seme/on, denoting 'sign'. In the seventeenth century,
the philosopher John Locke referred to semiotika, as
the Doctrine of Signs; the business whereof, is to
consider the Nature of Signs (Martin and Felizitas,
2006:1-2).
The central concern of semiotics is the study of the
system of signs. There is not a big difference between
semiology and semiotics. The former has its origins in
the theory propounded by Saussure around the early
years of the twentieth century and the latter goes back
to the work of the American philosopher Charles
Sanders Peirce, who gave it the name 'semiotics'. If
semiotics is the study of how signs are created,
transmitted and interpreted, then semiotics is actually
a theory of meaning (Lyons,1978:96).
Semiotics allows a deep treatment of the data and
looks at the data from a multidimensional perspective.
Semiotics is largely qualitative and favors thick
description of the phenomenon in which a grounding
theory emerges from the data. This obviously reduces
the definiteness and discreteness of semiotics. Morris
divided semiotics into three areas:
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1-
Semantics: the meaning of signs (the
relationship of signs to what they stand for).
2-
Syntactics: the relations between signs.
3-
Pragmatics: the ways in which signs are used
and interpreted.
This classification is greatly influenced by linguistics,
and the levels represented here are used extensively in
linguistic studies. The important difference is that
while the arrangement of linguistic data begins with
the material or the substance and then moves on to the
form, in semiotics, we have only form because the
substance as far as semiotics is concerned is
presumably not important, since what is important is
the systematisation of this substance. The relationship
between semiotics and linguistics is quite special,
because among all the systems of communication, or
rather of signification, language is the most
systematised and the most conventionalised one.
Linguistics serves as a model for the whole of
semiology, even though languages represent only one
type of semiological systems (ibid: 97).
From Saussure's semiotic perspective, the sign
'children' enables us to think of these very young
people as a group who are distinct from 'adults', and
who share common features. But different social
groups, at different places around the world and at
different times in history have used the distinction
between 'children' and 'adults' in different ways. Being
referred to as a 'child' might have to do with age, legal
status, religious status, physical ability, or many other
things. Culture and society decide what the sign 'child'
means, rather than nature or biology. What makes the
sign 'child' meaningful to us is the distinction between
'child' and 'adult', according to the conventions which
are normal in our culture (Deely, 2010: 96).
A recent example is the using of the emojies in any
chatting. This is where emoji expresses the direct
correspondence between itself and what it signifies.
An emoji is a small image or icon which is used
electronically, usually depicting emotions or common
objects. They are usually studied semiotically because
they are considered as signs. As it is illustrated in the
following figure:
Figure (1) The Emojies as Signs
There are different branches of semiotics under this
heading. There is an American branch strongly
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influenced by Charles Sanders Peirce, which focuses on
logic and meaning and has become dominant in
linguistics linked to philosophy.
NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
The most recognizable form of communication is
verbal communication which is the actual words that
come out of mouth while speaking. In the context of
communication, verbal communication is the least
effective because it depends on the extent of a
person's vocabulary, his ability to use words correctly,
and put together sentences in a coherent and
accessible manner. But this is not existed all the time
because verbal communication is only effective if the
vocabulary is understood, as it is clear in the following
figure:
Figure (2) The Role of Nonverbal Communication (Web Source 2).
In this figure, the first person asked the other in
French" how are you?" but he could not get him
because he does not understand French. Therefore, if
the vocabularies are not sufficient enough to convey
meaning, nonverbal communication can do by using
facial expression, gestures, etc. All known living
organisms communicate exclusively by nonverbal
means, with the sole exception of some members of
the species Homo sapiens, who are capable of
communicating, simultaneously or in turn, by both non-
verbal and verbal means. (Cobley, 2010:14).
Communication depends on the message, situation or
the environment, and counterpart. The environment
may contribute in understanding by creating a mutual
harmonic atmosphere or may disturb the relationship.
Nonverbal communication is related to two aspects
(Collins, 1991: 417). They are as follows:
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The Nature of Non-verbal Behaviour
Nonverbal behaviour comprises all communicative acts
except speech, everything from facial expression and
gesture to fashion and status symbol, from dance and
drama to music and mime, from flow of effect to flow
of traffic, from the territoriality of animals to the
procedure of diplomats, from extrasensory of violence
to the rhetoric of topless dancers (Bal, 1991: 18).
The changeable nature of young children’s
performance and attention will mean that at least one
of these skills will invariably manifest itself even in the
controlled circumstances of the test. Lions are tamed
by the re-learning of the niceties of proxemics
(Cobley,2017:12) .
Interpretation of Non-verbal Behaviour
Open-minded people often face the person to whom
they speak, stand close to the other person, keep
frequent eye contact, kiss or embrace when greeting,
and show a firm, sometimes prolonged handshake.
Sexual or romantic interested people frequently make
eye contact, exaggerate a smile, laugh too much at too
trivial things, stare, wink, blink, wet their lips, cross and
uncross legs, thrust out the chest or hips, enter
someone personal’s space. Astonished people
frequently step backward or
lean backward, show open mouth, and show wide-
open eyes (Zantides, 2014: 289).
SIGNS AND CODES IN SEMIOTICS
In general terms, semiotics is usually defined as “the
study of signs”. Signs are central to semiotics and can
be seen as a fundamental ‘building component’ within
semiotic theory. Although the term sign has been
already elaborated throughout this subchapter, it is
important to take insight into its definition and the
ways it functions within signifying system (Fan, 2003:
72).
Baylon and Fabre (1990: 75) state that codes are very
important in advertising communication as a code
which establishes meaning across the society. For
example, “Dood si safeedi nirma se aaye”. It informs
that milk is a symbol of ultimate whitening and this
meaning is the same in all cultures. So, there is zero
probability of its misinterpretation. He conceived of
verbal communication as a canonical process involving
a sender, a context, a message, a contact, a code and a
receiver. The communication process is presented in
figure (6):
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Figure (3) A model of communication process
context
Sender
Addressee
Message
Receiver
Addressee
Contact code
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The sender sends a message which is dependent on a
context to be operational. The receiver must be
capable of understanding this context. Finally, both the
sender and the receiver must be in a position to
establish a physical or psychological connection if they
are to engage themselves in the communication
encounter. This analysis of verbal communication is
functionalist in the sense that language as a system is
used not only to communicate but also because it
serves other functions (ibid.).
CARICATURE
The English word caricature originates from the Italian
word caricare, which in the 18th century meant to fill,
to fee, and was widely used. The 16th and 17th
centuries saw the rise of caricatures in literature. They
were seen as a means to mock rulers by the European
elite, but there is proof of them right back to previous
cave paintings (Helly, Douglas, 2020), an exaggerated,
usually comical, representation of a person or subject
caricature. The caricature was originally an artistic
concep
t.
Artists
painted
people’s
portraits,
exaggerating real attributes to create a silly portrait.
When applied to fiction, caricature implies that to
create comedy, the writer has exaggerated aspects of
an individual or subject.
Definition of Caricture
According to Shafali, Anand (2014: 3), the caricature is
“Utilizing gross exaggeration or distortion, as for
comedic impact or in mockery, an image or definition.”
Alternatively, a Caricature is a humorous likeness of a
person, created through selective exaggeration of his
physiognomy (facial features) and other physical
attributes.”
According to Tom, Richmond (2011: 2), a caricature is a
portrait with the volume turned up. A caricature is a
painting, or more commonly a picture, of an object or
item in which the characteristics and structure have
been blurred and exaggerated to ridicule or satirize the
topic. According to (lasbeauxarts, 2018) Caricature is a
drawing of a human individual that obscures or
misrepresents those attributes but maintains a
similarity: an unrealistic piece of portrait painting, in
other words. According to Michael, Terry (2014:1),
caricature is the art of distortion, pulling, stretching
and probing into a likeness to find the salient features.
The presence of caricatures has shown theorists and
psychologists somewhat of a nuisance bent on
studying graphical depiction. The distinction between
caricature and traditional “realistic” representation is
part of the issue. A portrait caricature depicts a specific
spatial type configuration, a face-like layout with such
a long nose, a wide mouth, and so on. Usually, this
spatial arrangement varies greatly from the true shape
of the subject’s head is measured ways (Gibson, 1971:
27).
Types of Caricature
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The caricature is a message conveyed by the artists to
receivers in real life through a similar popular meaning.
It implies that based on their intent, there are various
kinds of caricatures:
• The first type is a social caricature that highlights
social concerns and ambiguities in a strongly ironic
vein; it is explicitly meant to criticise local or internal
political relations.
• The second form is an editorial caricature known as
a “pictorial caricature” that acts as a visual satire on
current affairs, typically satirical rather than simply
comedic.
• Gags or visitor caricature consisting of a single panel
is the third type and often accompanied by one or two
words commonly put outside the panel. It is employed
for strictly business reasons that invoke likeness rather
than lampooning humans. In greeting cards, this sort is
also identified.
• The fourth form is an illustrative caricature utilized in
advertisements or instructional materials. (Keller,
1986: 57).
DATA COLLECTION
Introduction
This chapter spots light on the sources and selection
criteria of the study data, that is, the criteria used for
choosing the most representative data of the present
study. Furthermore, it explicates the research
procedures and the analytic model utilized in depth.
The Data
The data chosen in the present study are caricatures
which are rich sources for linguistic conventions and
socio-cultural practices which are highly enriched and
interwoven within those signs both textually and
visually.
The Model of Analysis
This section presents the model adopted in the analysis
of the data. The analysis is both visual and linguistic.
The model depends on Kress and van Leeuwen's
(2006) Reading Images: The Grammar of Visual Design
and Halliday's (1978) Systemic Functional Linguistics.
The model selected from Kress and van Leeuwen's
(2006) the visual side; the three main elements of
Social Semiotics which are : image, word and colour. It
is adopted for the visual analysis. The linguistic analysis
is made depending on Halliday's Systemic Functional
Linguistics (1978) in which the sentences are analyzed
depending on experimental, interpersonal and textual
meanings to get the appropriate functions.
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Social Semiotic
Analysis
The visual analysis According to
Kress and van Leeuwen(2006)
Image
Word
d
Color
Placement
of Sign
The Image
Act and
Gaze
Power and
Angle
Framing
Visual
Modality
Ideal and
Real
Size of Frame and
Social Distance
Given and
New
Left
Right
Centre
Long
Close up
Very
long
Medium
High
Low
Low
High
Formal and
Informal
Language
Bold and
Capitalization
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VISUAL ANALYSIS
Kress and van Leeuween (2006: 2) introduce the
existence of 'a visual code or grammar of visual
design'. They believe that both visual structures and
verbal structures can be used to express meanings
drawn from common cultural sources. According to
them, "like linguistic structures, visual structures refer
to particular interpretations of experience and forms
of social interactions". They believe that, by employing
different modes; design, production and interpretation
meaning can be constructed.
Bignell (2002: 54) states that "photographs used in
print ads work as a system of signs that gives form and
meaning to consciousness and reality." According to
Oyama (1998: 8), a good starting point for studying
aspects of visual communication is to consider that
there are three visual modes of communication in print
advertising with complex interaction between them.
The image, word and colour seen in this way as the
product of social practices, are just three of the many
semiotic modes through which social meanings of ads
are coded. The divisions of visual analysis are as the
following:
Image
Image is only one type of sign (in a particular signifier)
which contains (word, sound, image colour, and other
visual communication). Examples of images are: food
ads, photography and motion pictures. Barthes
considers images as not a self-evident and attribute
meaning to a photograph without a caption or
accompanying text. Further, the meanings given to
images are linked to culturally specific associations,
though it is very necessary to note that culture cannot
entirely determine the exact response (Potts, 1996: 31).
Dyer (1987: 130) states that whatever image is being
used some sort of meaning are attached that goes
beyond the literal meaning.
In many of these subjects, certainly in the more
technical/scientific
subjects
such
as
Science,
Information Technology or Geography, images have
become the major means of representing curricular
content (ibid: 16).
The image contains the following:
1-Placement of signs
: It is one type of images in which
information value is concerned with the placement of
represented participants within pictorial space. Thus,
the left, right, center, margin, top, bottom position of
participants have a direct influence on the meaning
given to them. Kress (2010: 33) states that placement
of sign is functionally dominant in carrying major
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'informational load' of the image. Hence, it may put
different impacts on reader. Beasley and Danesi (2002:
53) believe that endorsing ads by celebrities makes a
product more reliable. This occurs by placing an iconic
sign and a linguistic sign next to each other.
2-Given and
New
: Given and New structures emphasize
the horizontal alliance and are predominant in Western
culture. Magazines, for example, will often employ
either a double page spread or a single page which has
been divided into two sections. The right side is
generally the side which provides ‘key information’ to
the viewer/reader. (Kress and van Leeuwen, 2006:180-
81).
According to Kress (2010: 35), in any sequential
structure, the element which is about to be said or
shown is always New, not yet known. By contrast,
what has (just) been seen, heard, discovered is, by
comparison, now known, Given.
3-Visual Modality
: Kress and van Leeuwen (2006: 89)
state that as with linguistic modality, visuals can be of
high modality or low modality. High modality in visuals
means that things or people look 'realistic'_ the way
they would look if one. Low modality means that things
or people look unrealistic.
4-Ideal and Real
: Kress and van Leeuwen (2006:186)
point out that, ads which utilize an ‘Ideal and Real’ type
structure usually consist of an upper section which
promotes or visualizes ‘the promise of the product’.
The lower section, in contrast, visualizes the product
itself, providing factual/practical information about its
results in the creation of two distinct realms; with the
upper section showing the viewer what ‘might be’ and
the lower section showing the consumer ‘what is’.
5-Framing
: Framing is one device which can affect the
receivers' understanding. It is used when “elements or
groups within layout may be disconnected and marked
off from each other or connected, joined together”
(Kress & van Leeuwen, 1996: 214). There are many ways
to realize framing, such as by frame lines, by
discontinuities of colour or shape or by the absence of
colour. In some paintings, for example, the outlines of
depicted objects or human beings, strongly
demarcated from their environment, are considered
framed (ibid: 203-204).
6-Size of Frame and Social Distance
: Size of frame is
related to the size of signs whereas social distance the
related to the distance between the represented signs
and the receivers. Kress & Leeuwen (2006: 124) point
out that "the choice of distance can suggest different
relations between represented participants and
viewers" (Kress and van Leeuwen, 2006: 125).
7-Power and Angle
: Low angle shows the power of
represented participants in ads over viewers.
According to Kress and van leeuwen (2006, 140), "low
angles generally give an impression of superiority,
exaltation and triumph…; high angles tend to diminish
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the individual, to flatten him morally by reducing him
to ground level, to render him as caught in an
isurmountable determinism".
8-The Image Act and the Gaze
: Kress and van Leeuwen
(2006: 116) state that there is a fundamental difference
between pictures from which represented participants
look directly at the viewer's eyes and pictures in which
this is not the case. According to them when
participants look at the viewer, vectors, formed by
participants' eye lines, connect the participants with
the viewer. These kinds of pictures address the
viewer's indirectly resulting in the establishment of an
imaginary relationship between the two.
A smile, from the represented participant will induce
the viewer to enter into a state of ‘social affinity’ with
them. A look of ‘cold disdain’, in contrast, will compel
the viewer to react as though they were ‘an inferior
relating to their
superior’ whilst, ‘a seductive pout’
would compel the viewer to desire them (Kress and
van Leeuwen, 2006:118).
Word
Words are one device of visual communication and also
related to the signifier of the sign. According to Hodge
and Kress (1988: 8) what is expressed in language
through the choice between different word classes
and clause structures, may, in visual communication,
be expressed through the choice between different
uses of colour or different compositional structures.
Visual structures relate visual elements to each other;
these visual elements, however, may themselves be
heterogeneous
–
a word as a visual element, a block of
written text as contexts (Kress and van Leeuwen,
2006, 118). There are two subdivisions for word:
1. Bold and Capitalization
All caps (short for "all capitals") refer to text or a font
in which all letters are capital letters, for example: TEXT
IN ALL CAPS. "All caps" is used for emphasis (for a
word or phrase). They are commonly seen in legal
documents, the titles on book covers, in ads. and in
newspaper headlines. Short strings of words in capital
letters appear bolder and "louder" than mixed case,
and this is sometimes referred to as "screaming" or
"shouting" be made selectively, so as to obtain the
common qualities sought. Small capitals are also used
for emphasis, especially for the first line of a section,
sometimes accompanied by or instead of a drop cap,
or for personal names as in bibliographies (Jaworski,
and Thurlow, 2010: 95).
By contrast, a bold font weight makes letters of a text
thicker than the surrounding text. Bold strongly stands
out from regular text, and is often used to highlight
keywords important to the text content and allowing
such words to be visually scanned with ease. For
example, printed dictionaries often use boldface for
their keywords, and the names of entries can
conventionally be marked in bold (ibid: 123).
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2. Formal and Informal Language
The language is to be either formal or informal. The
formal language contains unusual syntax that is
utilized to communicate meaning within marketing
message. There are specific technical terms and
complex syntax that are used to communicate
meaning. Unequal power, infrequent or one-off
contact and low effective involvement are the typical
situation of the formal language. Written text is
considered informal when everyday syntax, words,
language and everyday terms are utilized to
communicate meaning within marketing message. The
advertisers use the informal one so that in a simple way
it transmits for the receivers (ibid: 231-233).
Colour
According to Kress and van Leeuwen (2006: 229),
Colour is used to denote people, places and things as
well as classes of people, places and things, and more
general ideas.
According to Kress (2010: 88), "most of us […] has
quite a strong sense of the meanings of colour"; this is
to say that readers could easily articulate what such
meanings are. According to Scollon and Scollon (2003:
91), as the same as language, visual images can convey
cultural values and stereotypes. For instance, cultures
have different "high modality" colours and colours may
have political, social or even commercial indexical
values. In designing print ads, one of the decisions the
advertiser must make is which colour(s) to use as
executional cues in the ads. They may have symbolism
and colour meanings.
The colours that are used in these caricatures have
specific denotation. For example, the white colour is
used in certain ads to specify the colour of ice which
encourages cooling. It is the colour of complete and
perfection. It is the colour of purity, innocence,
wholeness and completion (Kress and van leeuwen,
2002: 2, 7, 32). The red colour tends to encourage
happiness in their branding so they use the red colour
to build excitement. Advertisers use it as an accent
colour to stimulate people to make quick decisions. It
is recommended to be used before any romantic
encounter (Birren, 1989: 128). Blue is rated as the best
colour for promoting calm. It is richly textured with
different tints and shades, as in paintings (Kress and
van leeuwen, 2002: 8, 13).
The yellow colour is the colour of success, achievement
and triumph. It is associated with abundance and
prosperity, luxury, prestige and sophisticated value
and elegance. Yellow is the colour of optimism, a
completing colour that conveys youthful and fresh
energy. It stimulates the left side of the brain, helping
with clear thinking and quick decision making (Web
Source).
VISUAL ANALYSIS OF CARICATURE
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American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research
(ISSN
–
2771-2141)
VOLUME
04
ISSUE
10
P
AGES
:
94-113
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
Image
This figure shows the United States and China
announced a “Phase One” agreement under which the
US will reduce some tariffs in exchange for increased
Chinese purchases of American farm and energy
goods. US President Donald Trump (right) shakes
hands with Liu He, China's vice-premier, at the White
House in Washington on Friday. Trump said he and
Chinese President Xi Jinping could sign the partial trade
accord
as
soon
as
next
month.
Photo:
Bloomberg“There was a lot of friction betwee
n the
United States and China, and now it’s a love fest,” said
US President Donald Trump on Friday, announcing,
alongside China’s Vice
-
Premier Liu He, “a very
substantial phase-
one deal” on trade, albeit one not
yet set down on paper.Trump has consistently argued
that China weakens the renminbi to gain a competitive
advantage over the US even though the evidence in
recent years indicates that when Beijing has acted to
influence the renminbi’s value, it was to slow the
depreciation.
This caricature shows an image for two actors who are
Trump and Liu He shaking hands apparently at the
same time raising guns against each other. The
caricaturist used the more recognized symbols of the
United State "$ US" and Republic of China "RMB" due
to celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the
founding of the People’s Republic of China are over. It
Volume 04 Issue 10-2024
108
American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research
(ISSN
–
2771-2141)
VOLUME
04
ISSUE
10
P
AGES
:
94-113
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
is time to direct attention back to the Sino-American
trade war. That conflict may well be about to enter its
endgame. The large size of the actors which is about
two thirds conducts that both of the two have specific
authority which is equal. The represented image of the
two actors resembles such characters in reality.
Placement of Signs
They are facing each other to signify an equal power.
Placing the symbols 'the two guns' upper the shaking
hand shows that the real relationship between them is
based on struggle. Guns have priority on the shaking
hands to signify that they are enemies and the
agreement is fake. They are frenemies.
Given and New
In this caricature the two actors is Given because they
are public figures. All people are familiar with them
because they are famous politicians. The guns against
each other are given because they are continuous
conflict. The New, on the other hand, is represented
visually through the shaking hands which is not a
familiar case between them. It is New because it is the
first time they appear in such agreement.
Visual Modality
This caricature contains a realistic photo of human
image who are Donald Trump and Liu He. Therefore,
they have high modality in terms of using images.
Ideal and Real
This caricature shows a Real arrangement. There is no
ideal in this image because they are not well liked to
people because their struggle causing suffering to
humans especially in the Middle East. A person is
considered as ideal for people and they like to be in his
place when they consider him as famous. They are real
characters.
Framing
In this caricature, connection is observed between the
photographed men and the gun mark image from the
purview of framing. There is no separation between
the images of the two politicians. This reveals that they
are in a continuous relationship whether as friends or
enemies.
The Size of Frame and the Social Distance
The two politicians are portrayed in a personal way and
the caricaturist uses the gazing against each other.
They are not portraying receivers. Henceforth, it does
not make a relatively intimate relation between the
two characters and the viewers. The object is shown as
if the viewer is not engaged with it and the viewers are
excluded.
Power and Angle
Images of the two politicians are photographed from a
low angle, as if having symbolic power over receivers.
Volume 04 Issue 10-2024
109
American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research
(ISSN
–
2771-2141)
VOLUME
04
ISSUE
10
P
AGES
:
94-113
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
They are not looking directly on receivers. Low angle
shows the power of represented participants in the
caricatures over viewers. Low angles give an
impression of superiority, exaltation and triumph,
power on readers.
The Image Act and the Gaze
In this ad, James Bond is not looking directly at the
viewers. They are interested in their political affairs.
Therefore, the contact between them and the
receivers is not established.
Words
Bold and Capitalization
In this caricature, the symbols of two nations are
adhered to receivers to visualize the countries. They
are in political and economic war. Because their
importance in the world, symbols of their nations are
utilized.
Language: Formal / Informal
No written text is found in this caricature.
Colours
Blue is the dominant colour in this caricature which
stresses the power and dominance they have over
receivers. Blue is rated as the best colour for
promoting calm. Therefore, they dress formal blue
suites. The guns are black. It is considered as a very
formal, elegant, and prestigious colour. It could give
the feeling of perspective and depth. The background
of the image is white to express completion and
perfection. Trump's tie is red because red is an
emotionally intense colour which attracts the
receiver's attention. It has very high visibility and brings
images to the focus. Lue He's tie is yellow to denote
optimism, youthfulness, prosperity, and fresh energy.
Volume 04 Issue 10-2024
110
American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research
(ISSN
–
2771-2141)
VOLUME
04
ISSUE
10
P
AGES
:
94-113
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
Image
We continue to make our coronavirus coverage free to
everyone at www.vnews.com/coronavirus. If you
believe local news is essential, please consider
subscribing or making a donation today. Learn more at
the links below. Cartoonists have been keeling over in
startling numbers
—
down from almost 200 just 20
years ago to fewer than 90 today. The poisonous
fumes laying us low are the byproduct of the corporate
culture that has engulfed newspapering during the
past two decades. It is a bottom-line cult of efficiency
that threatens not just my own profession but the
integrity of journalism and hence the unruly spirit of
democracy.
Placement of Sign
They are facing each other to signify an equal power.
Placing the symbols 'the two guns' upper the shaking
hand shows that the real relationship between them is
based on struggle. Guns have priority on the shaking
hands to signify that they are enemies and the
agreement is fake. They are frenemies.
Given and New
The element, which is not yet known in this caricature,
is the sentence. It is the New in this caricature while
what is given (heard, seen) is the image of the other
people by their gathering. It is known without reading
its name, known from its photo. It doesn't need a look
to be understood.
Visual Modality
This caricature contains realistic photo of human
image. It has a photo of the two presidents and other
people. It has high modality since it has realistic photo
that exists in the around areas.
Ideal and Real
The central part of this caricature is the ideal. It consists
of the picture of the two presidents. They are the ideal
for people. The right side provides unrealistic photo of
people.
Framing
The disconnection is not observed between the
photographed people and the image from the preview
of framing. There is no separation between these two
images through frame lines. The absence of framing
stresses group identity and connection between the
two presidents and the other people on the right side.
The Size of Frame and the Social Distance
The photographed people are depicted in a personal
way. The caricaturist shows the whole div of all the
characters. The receivers could see all their bodies. This
means that there isn't an intimate relation between the
image and receivers. The image of them is shown at
open distance.
Volume 04 Issue 10-2024
111
American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research
(ISSN
–
2771-2141)
VOLUME
04
ISSUE
10
P
AGES
:
94-113
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
Power and Angle
This caricature is photographed from a low angle. It has
a symbolic power over receivers. Low angle shows the
power of represented object in caricature over
viewers. Donald Trump is not looking straight forward
towards receivers or the other president. The point of
view is not of equality. There is a power difference
involved in this caricature.
The Image Act and Gaze
When participants look at the viewers, it means that
there is a connection between participants and
receivers. The presidents and the other people are not
looking directly at the receivers. So, the connection is
not established.
Words
Bold and Capitalization
This sample does not contain a long text. There is only
one clause in this ad. The clause is I GIVE CREDIT TO
CHINA TO DO THEIR BUSINESS. They are written in
black colour except the words FOR THE to indicate that
not any way of doing their business is permissible. The
connection between the picture and the text directs
the readers towards correct understanding of the
caricature.
Formal and Informal Language
This caricature uses informal language to convey
meaning for the receivers. It uses language that is of
equal power to all receivers. This caricature used
informal and everyday syntax, words, language, and
terms to utilize the communicating meaning within
political message. There is a high effective involvement
between the participants who are the politicians
standing negatively behind the presidents and the
presidents themselves.
Colour
The suits of all participants are black which symbolizes
strength, formality and authority. The background of
the caricature is white. It is called saturated or "pure"
manifestation of a colour to its softest. The existence
of this colour indicates the validity of Trump's speech
which is supposed to be truthful. The white colour is
used in this caricature to affect people's idea about
whiteness. The tie and the flag are red. Red is a very
emotionally intense colour. It has very high visibility
and brings text and images to the foreground. It is used
by the caricaturists to stimulate people to make quick
decisions. It is regarded as perfect colour to attract the
attention and focus. The ties of the other participants
are coloured blue. Blue is rated as the best colour for
promoting calm. It is richly textured with different
tints and shades, as in paintings.
CONCLUSION
Volume 04 Issue 10-2024
112
American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research
(ISSN
–
2771-2141)
VOLUME
04
ISSUE
10
P
AGES
:
94-113
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
The analysis of the caricatures has focused on the
communicative event in the selected data- i.e., the
visual aspect. The visual devices which are used in the
analysis of the data are images, words, and colours.
The results of this study show that images, words, and
colours used in the data are indicative components.
Those three components contribute together to clarify
and translate the idea of the caricature in a clear and an
interesting way. They show, for instance, the interview
of the two presidents (Trump and Liu He) in the
analysed caricature with a funny way showing the
implicit message which is hidden throughout (image,
word and colour) of the caricature. Concerning
colours, for example, the colour red reflects power and
dominance of the entity that have this colour, while the
colour blue reflects peace and calm of the entity.
In a multimodal text, the visual mode is not an
autonomous entity that operates independently of the
verbal mode (i.e., language); these two different
semiotic modes share common grounds, which vary
between one culture and another. Visual and linguistic
modes are meaningful semiotic systems. This enables
one to perceive visual semiotics in parallel to language
rather than treating them as separate entities.
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American Journal Of Social Sciences And Humanity Research
(ISSN
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2771-2141)
VOLUME
04
ISSUE
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:
94-113
OCLC
–
1121105677
Publisher:
Oscar Publishing Services
Servi
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