Portrayals of National Politics in Festivals in Festival Season: A Rhetorical Analysis

Abstract

This study analyzes critical discourse in Cartoon published in the Kantipur, Nagarik, Annapurna Post and Rebublica National Daily newspapers during the time of festival. Cartoons are the illustrative images presented in the form of art but convey real meanings and are easily understood by the audiences if they are familiar with the context. Cartoons portray the juxtaposed message that brings a contrast between the rich and the poor during festivals. Cartoons blame the big heads specially the government than rather addressing the cultural and social values through different perspectives.

Cartoons covering festivals are quite easier to read. The cartoons published during festivals have developed a trend of focusing more on the issues of price hike than on other issues. There are adequate number of cartoons being published in the newspapers, magazines and other forms of print media. However an analytical study on these cartoons has not yet been carried on in Nepal. This study is an attempt to fill in this blank; as it concentrates on how cartoon projects festival time and what message it brings towards the audience. The cartoons in the daily newspapers have helped the people to know more about the political realm as it is easier to get the meaning and have made them aware of the deficiencies and selfishness of the political parties and leaders. When the article cannot be made directly faulting the governance system the political cartoons during the festival season has proved to be adequate for the readers to understand the situation in a whole through rhetorical analysis.