Conclusion

This short Conclusion draws together the major thematic threads of Cartoon Conflicts: Contemporary Controversies and Historical Precedents with a view to the future study of cartoons and caricature. The content of the various chapters is revisited holistically, and questions about the composition and supposed impact of cartoons from past epochs and contemporary moments is considered. So too, the intersections between nationalism and imperialism, debates over the utility of censorship or self-censorship, and the crucial context of liberal-democratic freedom of speech are reiterated as being core to the study of cartoons. As expressions of opinion, commentary on events as they happen, cartoons will inevitably take sides and cause offense to one or other “side” in a debate. That in the twenty-first century this offense is more often associated with the manner in which targets of caricature are depicted, rather than the political or ideological message being advanced, says much about the “identity” politics of the 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s. But does this new need to be fair and careful, eschew the tried-and-true method of stereotype, and take steps to avoid causing offense (however this is constructed) undermine the very purpose and effectiveness of cartooning? Is this the “end of history” for the cartoon as a striking weapon of political discourse?