AN ANALYSIS OF IRONY IN THE DONALD TRUMP’S POLITICAL CARTOON

Abstract

px; "> <The study examines irony in the Donald Trump’s political cartoons that focus of forms, types, and functions of irony. The study is conducted by applying pragmatic approach. It is done qualitatively based on the irony, discourse and pragmatic theories. Data were collected from the website LA Progressive 2017, 2018, Pinterest 2016, 2017, 2018 and IDM Time 2017, 2018. The writer chose ten cartoons to be analyzed that consist of irony. The results show there are words,
statements delivered in the political cartoons ironically used to criticize Donald Trump’s decisions as the President of United States of America. The criticism that exist in the cartoons reflect the social and political conflicts between USA and Russia, USA and Mexico, race and religion problems, intelligence, and women matters. The types of irony are verbal and situational irony. All of types are found in the cartoons, except conflict between USA and Russia. The functions of irony refer to complicating, ludic, distancing, provisional, oppositional, reinforcing. Then, the cartoons can be effectively way to be used not only to amuse people but also to criticize the government’s policy.
Keywords: irony, pragmatics, types and function, Donald Trump, political cartoon