A Cognitive Exploration Into Multimodal Metaphor

The conceptual metaphor and metonymy theory have over the last a few decadessought to support the claim that humans’ pervasive use of verbal metaphor andmetonymy reflects the fact that they think and conceptualize the world metaphoricallyand metonymically. However, if the conceptual nature claim is correct, evidencesshould go beyond the verbal mode and extend to other modes of communication ofmultimodal metaphor and metonymy in the area of political cartoons, how the twointeract, and how the different modes interact. Such a study is important in that it paysequal attention to metaphor and metonymy and takes dynamic interaction inconsideration. This thesis met these research aims through an extensive study ofrelevant literature and the implementation of data analysis. The latter was carried outby an identification-interpretation-explanation procedure with the first step based onmodified models of Panther’s (2006) models of metaphoric and metonymic relationfrom a semiotic viewpoint.This research makes a large sum of literature review on conceptualized metaphor,situational metaphor and multimodal metaphor. Based on this foundation, this paperanalyzes the multi-representing types and representing methods in multimodalpolitical cartoons; and elaborately illustrate the significance of culture factor andknowledge background on the producing and comprehending the political cartoons;and then makes an elaborate analysis about several political cartoons on multimodalmetaphor via a large number of experimental research to discuss its significance andrepresenting method. Attention should be given to the generic features of metaphorand metonymy representations like the use of creative v.s. conventionalizedexpressions, directions of mappings, etc.