An Investigation Into Conceptual Metaphors Denoting “Love” In American And Vietnamese Romantic Novels From 2008 To 2013 . M.A Thesis Linguistics

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES ********************** LÊ THỊ KHÁNH HÒA AN INVESTIGATION INTO CONCEPTUAL METAPHORS DENOTING “LOVE” IN AMERICAN AND VIETNAMESE ROMANTIC NOVELS FROM 2008 TO 2013 Nghiên cứu ẩn dụ ý niệm dùng để biểu đạt “tình yêu” tiểu thuyết lãng mạn Mỹ - Việt từ 2008 đến 2013 M A Major Program Thesis Field: English Linguistics Code: 60220201 HA NOI – 2015 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST – GRADUATE STUDIES ********************** LÊ THỊ KHÁNH HÒA AN INVESTIGATION INTO CONCEPTUAL METAPHORS DENOTING “LOVE” IN AMERICAN AND VIETNAMESE ROMANTIC NOVELS FROM 2008 TO 2013 Nghiên cứu ẩn dụ ý niệm dùng để biểu đạt “tình yêu” tiểu thuyết lãng mạn Mỹ - Việt từ 2008 đến 2013 M A Major Program Thesis Field: English Linguistics Code: 60220201 Supervisor: Huỳnh Anh Tuấn, Ph.D HA NOI – 2015 DECLARATION I hereby certify my authority of the research submitted entitled “An investigation into conceptual metaphors denoting “love” in American and Vietnamese romantic novels from 2008 to 2013” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Hanoi 2014 Lê Thị Khánh Hòa i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To fulfill this study, I own great debt to all my teachers, consultants, friends, and family I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisor, Dr Huỳnh Anh Tuấn, whose wisdom and interesting lectures inspires me to conduct this thesis His encouragement guidance, patience, and support of material from the very initial stage to the final stage in accomplishing this graduation thesis have been invaluable I am greatly indebted to all my lecturers at University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, for their endless enthusiasm and undeniable helpful lectures I would be very grateful to the staff of the Post-graduate Department for their support during the time of studying I would like to send special thank to two consultants Mr Cesar Villanueva, working in California and Mr Myron Baker, studying in Texas for their candid suggestions and encouragement I also want to express my appreciation to my friends, who are always ready to help me whenever I have difficulties Last but not least, my warmest thanks are due to my family, especially my mother and my uncle Phạm Văn Hải, for their unconditional love, support, and forbearance To all of them, I dedicate this study Hanoi, September 2014 Lê Thị Khánh Hòa ii ABSTRACT This study aims at investigating how the abstract concept love is conceptualized in American and Vietnamese romantic novels from 2008 to 2013 The theory of conceptual metaphor suggested by Lakoff and Johnson (1980) and Kovecses (1986) is adopted as the analytical framework in this study 200 samples of metaphorical expressions denoting love were found in American and Vietnamese romantic novels, which were written by native speakers The results show that love can be conceptualized as war, madness/ insanity, magic, physical forces, pains, fire/ heat, a journey, and a nutrient in both languages However, it is easier to find the metaphorical expressions Love is a container in American than in Vietnamese In addition, the results show that there are many expressions conceptualized Love as revenge in American, but it is not the case in Vietnamese The results express the significant of cognitive semantics, which can be applied in teaching, learning, and translating iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Declaration ……………………………………………………………………… i Acknowledgements ……………………………………………………………… ii Abstract ………………………………………………………………………… iii Table of contents ………………………………………………………………… iv PART A: INTRODUCTION 1 Rationale of the study Significance of the study Aims, research questions, and scope of the study Method and Procedures Organization of the study PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER I: Theotical Background and Literature Review Cognitive Linguistics Cognitive Semantics 2.1 Cognitive approaches to grammar and cognitive semantics 2.2 Cognitive semantics: Guiding principles 2.2.1 Conceptual structure is embodied 10 2.2.2 Semantic structure is conceptual structure 11 2.2.3 Meaning representation is encyclopaedic 12 2.2.4 Meaning construction is conceptualization 13 Conceptual Metaphor Theory 13 3.1 Metaphor 13 iv 3.1.1 Traditional theories of metaphors 13 3.1.2 Contemporary theories of metaphors 14 3.2 Conceptual Metaphors 16 3.2.1 Definition 16 3.2.2 Classification of conceptual metaphors 16 3.2.2.1 Structural metaphors 17 3.2.2.2 Ontological metaphors 18 3.2.2.3 Orientational metaphors 19 3.2.3 Conceptual metaphoric domains 21 3.2.3.1 One-to-one domain mapping 22 3.2.3.2 One-to-many domain mapping 23 3.2.3.3 Many-to-one domain mapping 24 Romantic novels 26 4.1 Definition 26 4.2 Classification 26 4.2.1 Historical romance 26 4.2.2 Contemporary romance 27 4.2.3 Paranormal romance 27 Previous studies 28 CHAPTER II: Research Methodology 30 Research design and methodology 30 Data 31 2.1 American romantic novels 31 2.1.1 The lucky one (2008) 31 v 2.1.2 Not another bad date (2008) 32 2.1.3 What I did for love (2009) 32 2.1.4 Last night at Chateau Marmont (2010) 32 2.2 Vietnamese romantic novels 33 2.2.1 Cocktail cho tình yêu (2009) 33 2.2.2 Nhắm mắt thấy Paris (2010) 33 2.2.3 Nếu có linh hồn yêu em (2012) 33 2.2.4 Vẽ em màu nỗi nhớ (2013) 33 Data collection 34 Data analysis 35 Research procedures 40 Reliability and Validity 43 CHAPTER III: Findings and Discussion 44 Quantitative analysis 44 1.1 Structural metaphors 46 1.2 Ontological metaphors 49 1.3 Orientational metaphors 49 Qualitative analysis 50 2.1 Conceptual metaphors denoting love in American romantic novels from 2008 to 2013 50 2.1.1 Love is a container 50 2.1.2 Love is war 51 2.1.3 Love is madness or insanity 52 2.1.4 Love is magic 53 vi 2.1.5 Love is physical forces 54 2.1.6 Love is pains 55 2.1.7 Love is fire or heat 56 2.1.8 Love is a journey 57 2.1.9 Love is a nutrient 58 2.1.10 Love is revenge 58 2.2 Conceptual metaphors denoting love in Vietnamese romantic novels from 2008 to 2013 59 2.2.1 Love is a container 59 2.2.2 Love is war 60 2.2.3 Love is madness or insanity 61 2.2.4 Love is magic 62 2.2.5 Love is physical forces 63 2.2.6 Love is pains 64 2.2.7 Love is fire or heat 64 2.2.8 Love is a journey 65 2.2.9 Love is a nutrient 66 2.2.10 Love is revenge 66 PART C: CONCLUSION 67 Research findings 67 1.1 Similarities 67 1.2 Differences 69 Implications for the study 71 2.1 Implications for teachers 72 vii 2.2 Implications for learners 73 2.3 Implications for translators 73 Limitations and suggestions for further study 74 References 76 Appendices……………………………………………………………………… I viii It wasn’t a simple lover’s quarrel that a few words of apology could repair  Crazy people have a way of finding each other  We have to fight for our relationship  She kept her eyes steady even though her heart was beating like crazy  He was suddenly looking at her as if she was the enemy But the best part of dancing with her was the almost electrical charge he felt   XXIV whenever they touched and the smell of her when he twirled her out of his arms, a mixture of heat and perfume She wanted vengeance She wanted to stab him To torture him and kill him and hurt him as he’d hurt her  “Have you always a loser in love?” That kindled love in her heart He’d ripped her heart from her chest and made a mess of her life She’d loved him with every aching cell    XXV of her body, and getting over him had taken her years She put herself together so beautifully and emanated such confidence that all men regularly fell under her spell  She had never tracked down and followed a strange guy Guys like Lance will always gravitate toward the woman they think is the strongest   XXVI She’d been starved for his love She wanted him In a second, she was transfixed by his performance “I was magnetically drawn to you”, Julian said just above a whisper    XXVII IV Suggestions Apart from the conceptual metaphors mentioned above, how can love be metaphorically conceptualized? Love is unconditional Love is a patient Love is kind Love is material Love is a valuable commodity Love is fishing XXVIII APPENDIX IV QUESTIONS FOR NATIVE SPEAKER I am gathering data for my research entitled “An Investigation into Conceptual Metaphors Denoting “Love” in American and Vietnamese Romantic Novels from 2008 to 2013” Please share your ideas and suggestions by answering the following questions Your sincere and candid responses will be greatly appreciated because they help me compare to my understanding about metaphorical expressions denoting love as well as verify my collected data II Personal Information Please check () the appropriate answer or fill in the blank with appropriate information Full name: Myron Baker Age: 26  Male Gender: □ Female 10 Nationality: American 11 Degree:  BA □ MA □ PhD 12 Major(s):Media Arts & Animation II Types of conceptual metaphors In your opinion, what type of conceptual metaphor the followings belong to? Please check () Conceptual Metaphor Structural metaphors Ontological metaphors XXIX Orientational metaphors Love is physical forces  Love is war  Love is madness or insanity  Love is magic   Love is a container Love is pains  Love is fire or heat  Love is a journey  Love is a nutrient  Love is revenge  III Metaphorical expressions In your opinion, in the following examples, love is conceptualized as….? Please check () the appropriate answer XXX Conceptual Love is… metaphors Magic Physical forces A journey Fire or heat Pains A nutrient Revenge A container Expressions The Georgie who’d once again fallen so stupidly in love  She’d hurt Bram as badly as he’d hurt her It was the perfect revenge  People could see that Julian Alter was consumed by Brooke’s love  Zach had wanted out of his marriage “Easy He’s hot and he War Madness or insanity   XXXI worships me” Every cell in her body was on fire  He had betrayed her, and he deserved to be punished She needed to hurt him, to destroy him, to betray him as he’d betrayed her  Bram addressed the crowd while he fixed her with a hungry lover’s gaze  “Bram and I are passionately in love  “I love you”… “you’re a lunatic”  “I don’t want to fight you, Georgie We’re not enemies”  XXXII I’m beginning to think I need you like I need oxygen  He looked like he was filled with love for her, doting and happy and sweet  A bolt of heat zipped through her body She was going to melt He needed to put the brakes on his relationship with Adele, to slow things down before it really got him in trouble But she didn’t want to look as though she had to track down her date    XXXIII The image of her face came to him, swept him up, seized him, and dragged him until his feet touched bottom I’ve always been dazzled by your crazy hair    She was drawn to him His telephone message had ripped out her heart  His love for her has come to an end?  She was struggling with her feeling of love She had been charmed by him at the first time they met    Once a man has won a XXXIV woman's love, the love is his forever He can only lose the woman And Julian was not definitely an exception Bram and I met accidentally in Las Vegas The sparks flew and we realized how much we’d always loved each other When Elizabeth set her beer on the table, Thibault was struck again by her natural beauty “I couldn’t live through that kind of pain again I promised myself I’d never love another person the way I loved her”     “Would you drive me insane XXXV like you used to?” Brooke was addicted to him and his surprising piano performance  She loved him, and his words sliced at her heart   Love is being stupid together Brooke was deeply immersed in love “She’ your good-luck charm”   XXXVI IV Suggestions Apart from the conceptual metaphors mentioned above, how can love be metaphorically conceptualized? Love is an open door Love is the answer Love is unselfish XXXVII Thank you very much for your contribution! I