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An Analysis of Interpersonal Metaphor in Emma

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Language and Cognitive Science / 2017,3(1)：91−120 / 2017-08-26 795 700

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• Authors: Ziping      Yao     
• Information:

  Guangxi University for Nationalities

• Keywords: metaphor of mood; metaphor of modality; Emma’s speech
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• Abstract: Interpersonal metaphor is an aspect of Halliday’s Systemic Functional Grammar and is mainly realized by metaphors of mood and metaphors of modality. In recent years, some scholars in China have explored interpersonal metaphor in texts like advertisements, news, and speeches. But little research has been done on the function of interpersonal metaphors in character utterances in a novel. Therefore, this study uses systematic statistics and classification to analyze the employment of interpersonal metaphor in the speech of the protagonist Emma in the novel of the same name to reveal her character and social skills and thus show the meaning of interpersonal metaphor in communications. All Emma’s utterances in the novel are collected and those containing interpersonal metaphors are selected, classified, and analyzed. The study demonstrates that interpersonal metaphors abound in Emma’s interactive communications and perform different communicative functions. The analysis of the interpersonal metaphors in Emma’s speech reveals that Emma is smart, decent, and polite, but she sometimes also behaves in a strong-willed, prejudiced, and self-centered way. This study demonstrate the explanatory power of interpersonal metaphor, providing a new appreciation of Emma and other literary works, as well as providing a reference for adopting suitable strategies in communications.
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• DOI: https://doi.org/10.17923/LCS201703004
• Cite: Ziping Yao．An Analysis of Interpersonal Metaphor in Emma［J］．Language and Cognitive Science，2017，3（1）：91−120．