What is it about?
I decided to explore the topic of whaling due to the remarkable success of anti-whaling activist NGOs in their global social campaigns, as well as the contentious and politically charged nature of the issue. These characteristics of whaling controversy give rise to two different types of media, namely, anti-whaling advertisements and political cartoons. These two media, in turn, provide a unique lens for analysis. By examining the nuanced use of language and imagery in advertisements and political cartoons, I wanted to find out how much the way people perceive this controversial and complex social issue is influenced by the type of medium they're using. As I scrutinize the similarities and differences in metaphors, metonymies, and other meaning-making tools like irony and hyperbole, I discovered significant distinctions in the intention behind the selection of metaphors. Specifically, the preference for certain evaluative metaphorical expressions in one genre over another. Each is designed to have a distinct impact on its intended audience.
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Why is it important?
This research promises insights into the strategic use of language and imagery in shaping public perceptions of controversial social issues, particularly within the context of whaling.
Perspectives
Exploring the combination of text and images in a cross-genre comparative study adds a fun and dynamic element to the research process. Unraveling the intricate web of metaphors and metonymies within the context of whaling has proven to be not only academically engaging but also personally fascinating.
Xiaoben Yuan
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This page is a summary of: Metaphors and metonymies in the multimodal discourse of whaling, Metaphor and the Social World, January 2023, John Benjamins,
DOI: 10.1075/msw.22008.yua.
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