The Cognitive Construction of Yank's Identity through Deliberate Metaphors: A Cognitive Perspective

Xiaohan Dou; Yun Li

doi:10.47297/wspiedWSP2516-250024.20250908

PDF
Export
Share
Collection
Album

The Cognitive Construction of Yank's Identity through Deliberate Metaphors: A Cognitive Perspective

Volume 9, Issue 8

Views: 0 Downloads: 0

The Cognitive Construction of Yank's Identity through Deliberate Metaphors: A Cognitive Perspective
The Cognitive Construction of Yank's Identity through Deliberate Metaphors: A Cognitive Perspective
Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong, 266590, China
Vol. 9, Issue 8, Pages: 105-109(2025)
Published：31 August 2025
DOI：10.47297/wspiedWSP2516-250024.20250908
Accepted：

Scan QR Code

Dou Xiaohan,Li Yun.The Cognitive Construction of Yank's Identity through Deliberate Metaphors: A Cognitive Perspective[J].Journal of International Education and Development,2025,09(08):105-109.
DOI：

Dou Xiaohan,Li Yun.The Cognitive Construction of Yank's Identity through Deliberate Metaphors: A Cognitive Perspective[J].Journal of International Education and Development,2025,09(08):105-109. DOI： 10.47297/wspiedWSP2516-250024.20250908.

摘要

Abstract

Deliberate metaphor

as an emerging theory in the field of metaphor research

revises and advances the cognitive-oriented approach to metaphor studies

injecting new vitality into the analysis of metaphors in literary texts. Grounded in deliberate metaphor theory

this study takes Eugene O'Neill's classic play

The Hairy Ape

as the subject

constructing a corpus to explore the role of deliberate metaphor in the cognitive construction of the protagonist Yank's identity. The study employs NVivo11 to identify deliberate metaphors

in the text and AntConc (ver. 4.0) to analyze the corpus

revealing how Yank's identity is shaped through two interconnected themes: the pursuit of belonging and the exploration of self-worth. These themes not only reflect Yank's identity crisis in the modern industrial society but also demonstrate his profound self-conflict. The findings show that deliberate metaphors are not merely rhetorical tools; they deeply influence Yank's self-perception and play a crucial role in his quest for belonging and recognition. This research could provide new perspectives for understanding the cognitive function of deliberate metaphors in drama and other literary texts

offering valuable insights for future in-depth metaphor studies.

关键词

Keywords

references

Lakoff G. , & Johnson M . ( 1980 ). Metaphors We Live By [M ] . Chicago : University of Chicago Press .

Sun Y . ( 2022 ). A Tour of Contemporary Metaphorology with Retrospect and Meditation: On the 40th Anniversary of Metaphors We Live By . Journal of Zhejiang Gongshang University , ( 04 ), 5 – 16 .

Steen G . ( 2008 ). The paradox of metaphor: Why we need a three-dimensional model of metaphor . Metaphor and Symbol , ( 04 ), 213 – 241 .

Steen G . ( 2023 ). Slowing Metaphor Down: Elaborating Deliberate Metaphor Theory [M ] . Amsterdam/Philadelphia : John Benjamins .

O'Neill E . ( 1995 ). The Hairy Ape . Dover Publications . (Original work published 1922 ).

Steen G . ( 2017 ). Deliberate metaphor theory: Basic assumptions, main tenets, urgent issues . Intercultural Pragmatics , ( 01 ), 1 – 24 .

Beger A . ( 2019 ). The contested notion of 'deliberate metaphor': What can we learn from 'unclear' cases in academic lectures? Yearbook of the German Cognitive Linguistics Association , ( 01 ), 51 – 66 .

Fan Z . Q . ( 2021 ). The challenges and prospects of deliberate metaphor theory. Foreign Language Learning Theory and Practice , ( 02 ), 1 – 10 .

Zhang W. , & Wang S . H . ( 2020 ). The Cognitive Power of Deliberate Metaphors in the Reports of COVID-19 Outbreak. Journal of Tianjin Foreign Studies University , 02 , 114 – 127 , 161 .

Lu W. Z. , & Chen H . ( 2020 ). A Study on English Translation Strategies of Metaphors in Key Terms of China in the New Era . English Studies , ( 02 ), 136 – 145 .

van Wolde E . ( 2020 ). A network of conventional and deliberate metaphors in Psalm 22 . Journal for the Study of the Old Testament , ( 04 ), 642 – 666 .

Altaher B . ( 2016 ). A Modern Tragic Hero in Eugene O'Neill's The Hairy Ape . Social Science Electronic Publishing , 4 .

Karagöz C . ( 2023 ). The Modern Tragic Animal in the Zoo: A Zoocritical Reading of The Hairy Ape . English Studies in Africa , 66 ( 2 ), 81 – 92 .

Liu H . ( 2010 ). Yank's Tragedy from the Perspective of Ecological Ethics . Foreign Literature Studies , ( 03 ), 138 – 145 .

Huang T . R . ( 2018 ). A Trauma Theory Perspective on the Protagonist Yank in The Hairy Ape. Drama Literature , ( 02 ), 118 – 122 .

Wang Y . F . ( 2018 ). Faith, Confusion, Disillusionment: Yank's Psychological Crisis through the Lens of Expressionist Techniques in The Hairy Ape. Drama Literature , ( 04 ), 72 – 76 .

Reijnierse W. G. , Burgers C. , Krennmayr T. , & Steen G . ( 2018 ). DMIP: A method for identifying potentially deliberate metaphor in language use . Corpus Pragmatics , ( 02 ), 129 – 147 .

Alert me when the article has been cited

Submit

Contemporary Chinese Literature in the International Education Curriculum:Cultural Communication and Identity Construction Strategies

The Strategic Application of Medical Humanistic English Corpus in Public Health Education

Comparison of the Positive and Negative Meanings of Chinese and English Animal Idioms Based on the Corpus

Study on the Construction and Application of Multimodal Academic English Teaching Model Based on Corpus

Analysis of Corpus Linguistics and English Language Teaching Methods

Related Author

Xinya Huo School of Humanities and International Education, Xi'an Peihua University

Jing Lu

Yaxin Chen

Shaofan Wang