Analysis of Covid-19 Visual Metaphors in Pakistani Editorial Cartoons

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound global impact, leading to an upsurge in visual representations of its social, political, and cultural implications.Editorial cartoons, known for their concise societal commentary, serve as powerful instruments.This study examines visual metaphors in editorial cartoons from Pakistani English-language newspapers, DAWN and Daily Times, during the peak of the pandemic in 2020.Anchored in Conceptual Metaphor Theory and Visual Metaphor Theory, this research uses a qualitative approach to analyze ten editorial cartoons, identifying and interpreting visual and multimodal metaphors.The study reveals that these cartoons portray COVID-19 through diverse conceptual domains such as a Chinese dragon, death, war, a game, a plague, a conqueror, and forces of nature.These metaphors use visual tropes, cues, and symbols to convey complex ideas about the pandemic.Additionally, the research highlights how local cultural and contextual factors, along with universal symbols, influence the creation and interpretation of these metaphors.The cartoons balance local and global elements, addressing the pandemic on both scales.This study enhances the understanding of visual metaphor use in health and crisis communication, particularly in non-Western contexts, and provides insights into the role of editorial cartoons in shaping public discourse during a public health crises.