MAKING SENSE OF CARTOONS ON SELECTED #ENDSARS PROTEST IN NIGERIA: A PRAGMATIC ACT APPROACH

Abstract

Pragmatic act approach to linguistic analysis of a text involves exploring the contextual nuances of the text and how they determine the communicative value(s) of such a text. Scholarly works on #EndSARS protest are mostly economic, social and political. Hence, this study is a linguistic contribution to literature on the protest. A total of six randomly selected cartoons from the Guardian, Daily Trust and The Punch newspapers of 2020 are presented and analysed based on the activity and inferences parts of Mey’s (2001) Pragmatic Act theory. Findings of the study predominantly reveal overt and covert expressive acts of ridiculing and berating political leadership of the country under former President Muhammadu Buhari, whom many Nigerians hitherto considered as a messiah, for poor governance. Findings of the study also indicate directive acts of appealing or requesting federal government to disband Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of Nigerian Police Force. Based on its findings, this study concludes that President Muhammadu Buhari’s government performed far below expectations of Nigerians, especially the youth, and this was one of the main causes of the protest. The study equally concludes that peaceful protests are powerful weapons for bringing about good governance.