Conceptual Metaphors of Knowledge in The Names by Don DeLillo
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1610.28Keywords:
conceptual metaphors, knowledge, ontological metaphors, structural metaphors, literary discourseAbstract
This study examines the conceptualization of knowledge through metaphors in The Names (1982) by Don DeLillo, drawing on the framework of Lakoff and Johnson (1980). Focusing on ontological and structural metaphors, it investigates how metaphorical patterns construct the author’s perspective on knowledge. The study employs a primary qualitative mixed-method approach to analyze metaphorical expressions in the novel. The findings identify nine major conceptual metaphors of knowledge, including: (1) KNOWLEDGE IS AN OBJECT; (2) KNOWLEDGE IS A CONTAINER; (3) KNOWLEDGE IS A SUBSTANCE; (4) KNOWLEDGE IS AN ENTITY; (5) KNOWLEDGE IS A POSSESSION; (6) KNOWLEDGE IS A SYSTEM; (7) KNOWLEDGE IS A CODE; (8) KNOWLEDGE IS A STRUCTURE; and (9) KNOWLEDGE IS A NETWORK. These results contribute to a deeper understanding of how knowledge is linguistically and conceptually structured in literary discourse.
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