scholarly journals Conceptualizing Trauma in Don DeLillo’s Falling Man

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-131
Author(s):  
Daban Q. Jaff ◽  
Yasir A. Al-Jumaili
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Traumatic Experiences ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Metaphorical Language ◽  
Conceptual Structures ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
George Lakoff ◽  
Mapping Process ◽  
Falling Man

This paper explores the mapping process which is used to conceptualize trauma in one of the post-9/11 novels, namely DeLillo’s Falling Man. The paper focuses on how the traumatic experiences are represented through metaphors. Although many previous studies have attempted stylistic investigations to DeLillo’s novel, very little research approached its metaphorical language. As far as trauma experience is concerned, most of the previous studies discussed these experiences thematically (Kensiton and Quinn, 2008; Gray, 2012; Pozorski, 2014; Keeble, 2014). This study, therefore, offers a stylistic examination of the metaphors of trauma which are used to communicate the negative mental experiences in this novel. It examines the conceptualization of traumatic experiences encountered by the main characters as they are exposed to disturbing events. The study applies insights from Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson (1980; 2003) to selected metaphors from the novel. The application of conceptual metaphor theory allows better understanding of how the abstract state of trauma is conceptualized and communicated through the course of the novel. The experience of trauma is represented variously in this novel, sometimes it is communicated through idiosyncratic metaphors (Moncef, 2016) and sometimes it is represented through using conventional metaphors. The study also examines the mapping process to see how conceptual structures are selected from different source domains and mapped onto the domain of the abstract state of trauma to convey the effects of these distressing experiences.

scholarly journals The Conceptualization of Immigration in Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-78
Author(s):  
Jahida Nuradin Yousif ◽  
Yasir Allawi Al-Jumaili
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Target Domain ◽  
Cognitive Approach ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Immigration Process ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
George Lakoff ◽  
Mapping Process ◽  
The Way

This paper attempts to analyse the metaphorical representation of immigration in Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel The Namesake (2003). It aims to explore the way in which the process of immigration is conceptualized in terms of experiences from other domains. Lahiri as the second generation of immigrants is brought up in the family that experienced the process of immigration. However, the notion of immigration among Lahiri’s critics is explored, but a few number of researches approached its metaphorical language, whereas the current paper investigates immigration in terms of the stylistic investigation of immigration metaphors in the light of cognitive approach. This study also examines the mapping process, which is used to conceptualize immigration in the novel.  It applies insights from Conceptual Metaphor Theory by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson to the linguistic expression that underlie conceptual metaphors that are selected from the novel. In addition, it identifies all the source domains that are used in the selected expressions to represent the target domain of immigration, through the mapping process. The immigration process in Lahiri’s The Namesake is compared to ‘ sort of lifelong pregnancy’, ‘perpetual wait’, ‘ constant burden’, ‘free’, and ‘ packing a pillow and a blanket’. The selection of the conceptual metaphor theory provides a deeper understanding of the way the process of immigration is represented. 

scholarly journals A Cognitive Approach to the Metaphors of Postpartum Depression in Elif Shafak’s Black Milk

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-44
Author(s):  
Yasir A. Al-Jumaili ◽  
Shaymaa F. Hasan ◽  
Safeen N. Arif
Keyword(s):  
Postpartum Depression ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Target Domain ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Cognitive Approach ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Conceptual Structures ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
George Lakoff ◽  
Domain Mapping

Despite the fact that postpartum depression has been explicitly referred to in Elif Shafak’s novel Black Milk (2007), there are many implicit references to this negative mental state. This paper aims to examine the metaphorical representations which are used to conceptualize the experience of postpartum depression. The study attempts to understand how the experience of postpartum depression is metaphorically constructed and conveyed via the use of conceptual metaphors. This study differs from previous studies which examined Shafak’s Black Milk; the current study attempts a cognitive approach to its metaphorical language. The study applies insights from Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson (1980; 2003) to selected metaphors from Shafak’s novel Black Milk. The study is the first of its kind; it offers a stylistic examination of the metaphors of postpartum. The application of conceptual metaphor theory, in our opinion, serves as a useful tool that allows better understanding of how the abstract state of postpartum depression is understood and communicated through the course of the novel. The study also discusses the cross-domain mapping process to see how conceptual structures are selected from different source domains and mapped onto the target domain of postpartum depression to unveil the negative effects of this distressing experience.

scholarly journals “One, Two, Many = One too many?” Conceptualizations of mother tongue

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-157
Author(s):  
Anne Golden ◽  
Toril Opsahl ◽  
Ingebjørg Tonne
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Traditional Use ◽  
Metaphor Theory

In this article, we analyze the use of the term ‘morsmål’ (‘mother tongue’) in official Norwegian documents and in media texts to identify if and how its conceptualization has changed in the era of increasing globalization. Our point of view is explorative. When examining our data, we highlight the importance of reflecting openly about the instability of powerful concepts. We highlight two partly conflicting conceptualizations that we name the ‘traditional use’ and the ‘novel use’, respectively. Building on critical discourse analysis and conceptual metaphor theory we explore how the conceptualizations reveal certain aspects of ideologies and the potential management of multilingualism in society. A broader understanding of how conceptualizations of mother tongue(s) are played out in the Norwegian context may contribute to the dialogue about multilingualism as it is understood and recognized across diverse contexts.

scholarly journals Analysis of Political Metaphors in Donald J. Trump’s State of the Union Address in 2020

2021 ◽  
pp. 69-73
Author(s):  
Tang Bingyu
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
The State ◽  
The Political ◽  
Cognitive Analysis ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
State Of The Union ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
George Lakoff ◽  
The Masses ◽  
The Relationship

On the basis of Conceptual Metaphor Theory proposed by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson, this paper conducts a cognitive analysis of conceptual metaphors in Donald J. Trump’s State of the Union Address in 2020, aiming to explain the metaphors in the State of the Union Address, reveal the political intentions hidden behind the metaphors, and construe the relationship between politics and metaphor. It is found that the metaphors in this State of the Union Address are: CONFLICT metaphors, BUILDING metaphor, JOURNEY metaphors, ORIENTATIONAL metaphors, and PLANT metaphors. Through the analysis, this paper concludes that conceptual metaphor has the function of persuading the masses and shaping the image of politicians. At the same time, this paper also finds that politics restricts the choice and application of metaphor.

The Body as Metaphor

2019 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-39
Author(s):  
Gregory E. Sterling
Keyword(s):  
Jewish Community ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
The Body ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Dual Nature ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
George Lakoff ◽  
Body And Soul ◽  
Mark Johnson

AbstractThis essay considers Philo of Alexandria’s metaphor in which he used the dual nature of embodied existence (body and soul) to argue that both literal and allegorical readings are legitimate. It examines the metaphor in the framework of Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CTM) developed by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson that argues that experience is the key to meaning. A metaphor occurs when we apply a pattern that we have observed in one setting (gestalt) to another. In this case, Philo has drawn on a Platonic/Stoic understanding of being human and applied it to contested hermeneutics within the Alexandrian Jewish community in an effort to maintain a sense of unity among two groups. The metaphorical experience is the recognition that Scripture is polyvalent in the same way that being human is.

The structure of our concepts: A critical assessment of Conceptual Metaphor Theory as a theory of concepts

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peer F. Bundgaard
Keyword(s):  
Meaning Making ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Specific Domain ◽  
Conceptual Metaphors ◽  
Cross Domain ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
George Lakoff ◽  
Experimental Findings

Abstract George Lakoff and Mark Johnson’s Conceptual Metaphor Theory is by and large a theory of what (abstract) concepts are, how they are structured, and how this structure is acquired — i.e., by mapping of structure from one more concrete or sensory-motor specific domain to another more abstract domain. Conceptual metaphors therefore rest on “cross-domain mappings.” The claims to the effect that our abstract concepts are metaphorically structured and that cross-domain mappings constitute one of the fundamental cognitive meaning-making processes are empirical and can therefore be put to the test. In this paper, I will critically assess Conceptual Metaphor Theory as a theory of concepts in light of recent experimental findings. Many such findings provide evidence for the psychological reality of cross-domain mappings, i.e., that structure activated in one domain actually can perform cognitive tasks carried out in another domain. They do not, however, support the claim that the structure of our (abstract) concepts is still metaphorical, as Lakoff and Johnson claim — that is to say, that our mind actually does perform cross-domain mappings when we process conventional conceptual metaphors such as “Death is Rest” or “Love is a Journey.” Two conclusions can be drawn from this: (1) it is necessary to distinguish between cross-domain mappings (which are psychologically real) and the metaphoric structure of our concepts (which is not, in the sense that such concepts do not any longer activate cross-domain mappings when processed); (2) Conceptual Metaphor Theory is not an adequate theory of concepts. I will therefore sketch another more viable theory of concepts where the structure of our concepts is defined as the full ecology of their situations of use, which includes the kind of situations (objects, agents, interactions) they apply to and the kind of emotional, cognitive, bodily, and behavioral responses they elicit. On this view, the contents of our concepts are to be considered as vague predicates, with vague extensions, which take on a specific form in their situation of use.

scholarly journals On the neo-Vedanta as reconceptualised by Vivekananda in his Complete Works: A cognitive linguistic analysis in light of Conceptual Metaphor Theory

Literator ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Suren Naicker
Keyword(s):  
Representative Sample ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Linguistic Analysis ◽  
Religious Discourse ◽  
Cognitive Semantics ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Identification Procedure ◽  
Source Domain ◽  
Metaphorical Language ◽  
Metaphor Theory

This article investigates the use of metaphorical language in The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda (henceforth CW). Vivekananda is one of the most important modern-day Hindu scholars because his interpretation of ancient Hindu scriptural lore has been very influential. Vivekananda’s influence was part of the motivation for choosing his CW as the empirical domain for the current study. AntConc software was used to mine Vivekananda’s CW for water-related terms, which seemed to have a predilection for metaphoricity. Which terms to search for specifically was determined after a manual reading of a sample from the CW. The data were then tagged using a convention inspired by the well-known Metaphor Identification Procedure – Vrije University (MIPVU). Then, a representative sample of the data was chosen, and the metaphors were mapped and analysed thematically. Five of these are referred to in this article, but special emphasis is placed on the theme of the Vedanta philosophy as the basis for neo-Hinduism, which has become synonymous with contemporary Hinduism, with Yoga as the practical wing, and Vedanta as the ideological basis for the practice; this aspect is expounded upon in more detail. The study’s main aim was therefore to investigate whether Hindu religious discourse uses metaphors to explain abstract religious concepts in a specific way, and indeed one of the main findings was the pervasiveness of water as a source domain. Hence, the key finding in this article is that neo-Hindu thought, as reconceptualised by Vivekananda, relies heavily on the water frame (as is convention in the field of Cognitive Semantics, conceptual domains are written in upper case, including hypothetical frames and conceptual metaphors), which is not as pervasive in other religio-philosophical traditions.

scholarly journals A Cognitive Linguistics Study to Reveal the Concept of Death of Indonesian Indigenous Tribe

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 2626-2634
Author(s):  
Nirwanto Maruf ◽  
Rita Tanduk
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Data Analysis ◽  
Cognitive Linguistics ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Eternal Life ◽  
Oral Discourse ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
George Lakoff

Despite of many previous studies related to conceptual metaphor have been conducted since George Lakoff and Mark Johnson have introduced their work known as Metaphor We Live By in 1980, but none of them have analysed oral discourse as their corpus. This study aims to reveal the concept of death belonging to one of the Indonesian indigenous tribes located in Sulawesi Island called Kajang tribe. The Kajang tribe has an ancient oral discourse which delivers orally from generation to generation known as Pasang ri Kajang, and it is full of metaphorical expressions. This present study employs the conceptual metaphor theory (CMT) introduced by Lakoff and Johnson (1980, 2003), and the approach of conceptual metaphor analysis (CMA) by Charteris Black (2004) to reveal the concept of death found in Pasang ri Kajang. This qualitative research obtained the data through semi-structured interviews, field observation, recording, and note-taking. The conceptual metaphor techniques comprising three CMA stages, namely identification, interpretation, and explanation, were used for data analysis. The results of the study indicate that the concept of death as found in Pasang ri Kajang is DEATH IS A JOURNEY. This conceptual metaphor gives a detailed description of death as a journey of the soul to the hereafter. This research concludes that people of Kajang believes only good souls are rewarded with eternal life (Karakkang) and extraordinary wealth (Kalumannyang kaluppepeang) in the hereafter (ahera). 

Integrating constructional semantics and conceptual metaphor

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Linguistics ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Conceptual Structure ◽  
Unified Model ◽  
Cognitive Grammar ◽  
Frame Semantics ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Conceptual Structures ◽  
Metaphoric Language ◽  
Metaphor Theory

Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) aims to represent the conceptual structure of metaphors rather than the structure of metaphoric language. The theory does not explain which aspects of metaphoric language evoke which conceptual structures, for example. However, other theories within cognitive linguistics may be better suited to this task. These theories, once integrated, should make building a unified model of both the conceptual and linguistic aspects of metaphor possible. First, constructional approaches to syntax provide an explanation of how particular constructional slots are associated with different functions in evoking metaphor. Cognitive Grammar is especially effective in this regard. Second, Frame Semantics helps explain how the words or phrases that fill the relevant constructional slots evoke the source and target domains of metaphor. Though these theories do not yet integrate seamlessly, their combination already offers explanatory benefits, such as allowing generalizations across metaphoric and non-metaphoric language, and identifying the words that play a role in evoking metaphors, for example.

Metaphor in the Minor Prophets

2021 ◽  
pp. 84-100
Author(s):  
Carol J. Dempsey
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
First Century ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor Theory ◽  
Human Relationships ◽  
Metaphorical Language ◽  
Figures Of Speech ◽  
Metaphor Theory ◽  
Figure Of Speech ◽  
Work Done ◽  
Minor Prophets

This essay explores metaphor in the Minor Prophets, one of many figures of speech in the Minor Prophets. This figure of speech has the power to capture and affect the human imagination. Many of the metaphors found in the Minor Prophets depict human–divine relationships, human–human relationships, and in rare instances, human–nonhuman relationships. Bible scholars typically study metaphor theory and the different kinds of metaphors found in the Minor Prophets. Only a few Bible scholars venture into the realm of cognitive linguistic and conceptual metaphor theory. After commenting on the development of metaphor and metaphor theory, the essay highlights work done in this area by Bible scholars. Central to the discussion is the metaphorical language for the Divine. The essay concludes with a clarion call to study the Minor Prophets in the context of the present-day, globalized, twenty-first-century world that offers readers new metaphors, especially as they pertain to the Divine.

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