A Comparative Study On Character Construction From The Perspective Of Multimodal Metaphors ——A Case Study On The Chinese Andamerican Versions Of Mulan

Hua Mulan is a representative character in Chinese ancient folk tales.Many films and television works have been produced about this character.Established studies mainly focus on the analysis of the characterization from the perspective of cross-cultural communication and more minor from the perspective of multimodal metaphor to explore the characterization construction.Based on the theories of conceptual metaphor and multimodal metaphor,this dissertation takes the two films made in different countries-Mulan（2009）and Mulan（2020）as the research objects.The metaphorical expressions of the character construction of Mulan in the two films are analyzed from the prospective of visual metaphor and auditory metaphor.The similarities,differences,and motivations of the metaphorical expressions in constructing the character in the two films are compared according to conceptual metaphors（ontological,structural,and orientation metaphor）.Relying on both documentary and descriptive research methods,the purpose of this dissertation is threefold: The first one is to investigate how the character of Mulan is constructed in Chinese and American films from the perspective of multimodal metaphors.The second one is to analyze the similarities and differences in the metaphorical expressions used in portraying the character of Mulan.The third one is to explore the reasons for these similarities and differences.The research results show that the two versions of the film use the characters’ body language,such as facial expressions and hand movements,as the source domain to map the characters’ inner state.Costume materials,props,colors,and different environmental imagery can also map the characters’ identities,personalities,and psychological conditions.Both versions of the film use pure music played by musical instruments to map the ambiance in terms of aural metaphors.At the same time,the application of metaphors in the dubbed dialogues greatly sharpens the characters’ images.Because of the similarities between the Chinese and American national spirits and the life choices of Chinese and American women,the characters constructed in the two films have much in common with each other;for example,both Hua Mulans are characterized by "loyalty," "courage" and "filial piety." Through a comparative study of "Hua Mulan" in Chinese and American films,this dissertation summarizes the two selection factors that influence the construction of character images: different geographical environments and cultural uniqueness.In addition,different modalities result in the different choices of conceptual metaphors.Both films mostly use ontological metaphors for character mapping constructions,while structural and orientation metaphors are less frequently used.For example,in different cultural backgrounds,the American version of the film highlights the protagonist’s pursuit of individuality and values of being.In contrast,the Chinese version focuses on the growth and emotional changes of Hua Mulan.Both of these two films can highlight these cultural characteristics.