CONCEPTUAL METAPHOR FOR PORTRAYING DONALD TRUMP IN ENGLISH MEDIA
Keywords:
conceptual metaphor, media discourse, multimodal metaphor, source, targetAbstract
The article puts in focus power of a conceptual metaphor as one of the cognitive mechanisms to create an image of American president Donald Trump in English media discourse. Present analysis captures metaphorical conceptualization of a politician by means of two modes, verbal and non-verbal (visual). Thus, multimodal metaphor not only corresponds to monomodal (conceptual) one, but also elaborates the latter with new sources. Standpoints of the Conceptual Metaphor Theory and the conception of levels of metaphor underlie the principles and methodology of the current research. Experimental findings reveal sixteen conceptual metaphors structured within three domains: POLITICS, LANGUAGE, and BEHAVIOUR. It has been identified that metaphorical associations about Trump’s politics in English media predominantly concern downwards movement (TRUMP’S POLITICS is GOING DOWN), affliction (TRUMP’S POLITICS is A TRAP), damage to the society (TRUMP’S POLITICS is A DESTRUCTIVE FORCE), inefficient governance by treading on the spot (TRUMP’S POLITICS is MOVING AROUND), and desire to power and appreciation (TRUMP’S POLITICS is GREED). Less frequent, though not the least vivid, are images of Trump’s politics as ruin (TRUMP’S POLITICS is DEVASTATION), aggressive policies (TRUMP’S POLITICS is AN ATTACK), and lost grip on real life (TRUMP’S POLITICS is LOSS OF CONTROL). Perceptive metaphor construing the politician’s image in the media involves such sense modality as taste (TRUMP’S POLITICS is TASTE (SOUR)). Lexical correspondences provide support for the metaphorical conceptualization of Trump’s speech as being unclear (TRUMP’S LANGUAGE is INARTICULATE) and deprived of sense (TRUMP’S LANGUAGE is SENSELESS). The article puts into spotlight the fact that a majority of metaphorical associations within the domain BEHAVIOUR reflect contiguity of Trump’s qualities with those of a showman (TRUMP is A PERFORMER), a villain, a devil, or a killer (TRUMP is A BAD PERSON), of a hazardous means of destruction (TRUMP is A DANGEROUS WEAPON), less frequently – of the one who lost the game (TRUMP is A BAD PLAYER). His behavior is also associated with being primordial (TRUMP is AN ANIMAL (MONKEY)).
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