A Cognitive Semantic Study of Conceptual Blending in Selected Political Caricatures Used in American Election Campaign in 2020

Abstract

This study is intended to investigate the efficiency of Fauconnier and Turner's (2002) Conceptual Blending Theory to account for the construction of meaning in English political caricatures. The study aims to find out whether or not the viewer can infer the cartoonist's intended message by connecting the available mental inputs. It also aims at finding out whether or not the blending process covers the image, the verbal text, or both. The study aims to achieve the aims of the study, two types of procedures have been adopted: theoretical and practical. The first consists of presenting a theoretical framework of the adopted theory including its principles, mechanism, etc. The second consists of selecting a sample of political caricatures used in American presidential election campaign in 2020. The caricatures are quoted from three American newspapers: Newsday, Pittsburg Post-Gazette, USA Today. Three caricatures are about the Democratic candidate Joe Biden. The findings of the study show that conceptual blending theory and its mechanisms can account for meaning construction in political caricatures, and can enable viewers to infer their intended messages. It is also concluded that blending in political caricatures is mainly image-based rather than text-based.