The main aim of caricature is to_______?

1. Analyze the question The question asks about the main aim of caricature, a literary and artistic device.

2. Explain the concept A caricature is a portrayal of a person, group, or thing in which certain features or characteristics are deliberately exaggerated or distorted. It is common in satire, political cartoons, and comic writing. Examples include the exaggerated characters in Chinua Achebe's A Man of the People or political cartoons in Nigerian newspapers.

3. Work through the options

• A. Describe: Description is a general purpose of narration. Caricature distorts rather than simply describes.
• B. Expose: Caricature can reveal faults, but exposure is more the aim of satire in general.
• C. Emphasise: Exaggeration does emphasise features, but emphasis is the technique, not the ultimate aim.
• D. Ridicule: The exaggeration is used to mock or make fun of the subject, often to criticise vices, follies, or weaknesses. This is the main purpose.

4. Answer Emphasis is the means (exaggeration), and ridicule is the end (the aim). ridicule**.

5. Exam tip Watch for the difference between technique and purpose. Caricature exaggerates (technique) in order to ridicule (purpose). If a question asks about the "aim" or "purpose" of a device, pick the effect on the target rather than the method used.