Distinctive features of metaphor and simile in imagery of R.L. Stevenson

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Distinctive features of metaphor and simile in imagery of R.L. Stevenson

Taraz State Pedagogical Institute

Dzholchibekova K.Zh., PhD of foreign languages.

In this research work we try to illustrate the role of metaphor and simile in extracts. We stressed on imagery titled “Strange case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde”, which was written by famous Scotland writer, the author of world adventure stories and novels, the biggest representative of English neoromantism, Robert Luis Stevenson. When we hear this name, we automatically imagine ourselves “Treasure Island”. In 1886 the book was published, in 1888 it was translated into Russian. The metaphors and similes are lavish in this book, however it is hard to find out these stylistic devices, because it was written in classical style. D.Davidson tried to systemize the interpretation in his article titled “The theory of metaphors” in 1990. B.V. Tomashevsky in her book “Stylistics and versification”, which was published in 1959, Ortony Andrew in his “The role of similarity and in Similes and Metaphors”, which published in 1993 and another linguists tried to systemize interpretation of simile. Using their theories we tried to define metaphors and similes of R.L. Stevenson's imagery.

First, we offer you extracts with metaphors and similes from his imagery revealing them. Look.

1. “…so that the shop fronts stood along that thorough fare with an air of invitation, like rows of smiling saleswoman.”

Simile with unexpected comparison describes the way how the shop fronts stood. In his extract there are two similes: a) “the shop fronts stood with an air of invitation”, describes the action. How did the shop fronts stand? With an air of invitation. b) “An air of invitation, like rows of smiling saleswoman”, describes the object. What kind of invitation? Like rows of smiling saleswoman.

2. “the street shone out in contrast to its dingy neighborhood, like a fire in a forest.” It is simile, predicate is revealed, introduced by preposition in comparative phrase like. “Shone out, like a fire in a forest.” Frequently, when predicate is described in comparison with another phenomena or object, simile is used.

3. “All lighted up as if for a procession and all as empty as a church till.”

In one sentence there are two similes. “All lighted up as if for a procession”, simile is introduced by conjunction in comparative clause as if, described circumstance of an action. “All as empty as a churchtill”, introduced by preposition in comparative phrase as….as, compared two different objects.

4. “It wasn't like a man; it was like some damned Juggernaut.”

There can be confusion with like, being bowed to metaphor or simile. It is faux simile. We will attempt to prove it. Taking under consideration I.Gurova's interpretation as metaphor, let us look at the whole extract:

“All at once, I saw two figures: one a little man who was stumping along eastward at a good walk and the other a girl of may be eight or ten who was running as hard as she was able down a cross street. Well, sir, the two ran into one another naturally enough at the corners; and then came the horrible part of the thing; for the man trampled calmly over the child's body and left her screaming on the ground. It sounds nothing to hear, but it was hellish to see. It wasn't like a man, it was some damned Juggernaut.”

The words like or as are widely known hallmarks of the simile, but there are so many faux similes bearing these hallmarks that further appraisal is always necessary. According to extract we see that the man was so awful, that's why the author substituted him with Juggernaut. Metaphor is more powerful than simile, so, it is suitable to define it as a metaphor.

Juggernaut is a term, which is used to describe appeared invisible power, showing to somebody, who possesses through all troubles unmentioining the difficulties. One of the names of Krishna, which means “Chief of the world”. However, R.L. Stevenson used this term in negative meaning as a mutant and awful man. Sometimes, we will build both a metaphor and a simile from same parts, showing how incredibly close these two stylistic devices are. Perhaps this is due to the fact the word like means both similar and the same.

Some sources define simile as an explicit comparison introduced by such words like, as… as, as though, but this definition is not enough, it is not full. We would offer such definition as simile is an explicit comparison of two objects belonging to different classes and with limited meaning, if it is introduced by like, there should be further explanation of their similarities. In the example above we see that man and Juggernaut belong to one class, this is another reason of considering it as a metaphor.

5. “It was but for one minute that I saw him, but the hair stood upon my head like quills.” juggernaut metaphors stevenson stylistic

Somebody considers it as simile, but indeed it is set expression, which means to be afraid of something.

6. “An ivory-faced and silvery-haired old woman”, hyphenated metaphors close to epithet. There is implicit comparison. Simple metaphor is revealed.

7. “Stood huddled together like a flock of ship.”

It is a metaphor based on logic motivation. Dead metaphor, because this term widely used in our society, it is mundane, it is not new for us. Look at the whole extract: “The hall, when they entered it, was brightly lighted up; the fire was built high; and about the hearth the whole of the servants, men and women, stood huddled together like flock of sheep.” The author implies that men and women are a flock of sheep. This type of metaphor also can be complex and compound.

8. “Blank silence followed, no one protesting; only the maid lifted her voice and wept loudly.”

It is implicit metaphor, the full subject is not explained, but is implied from the context of the sentence. They may still be found within colloquial contexts.

9. “Hold your tongue! Pool said to her, with ferocity of accent that testified to his own jangled nerves; and indeed, when the girl had so suddenly raised the note of her lamentation, they had all started and turned towards the inner door with faces of dreadful expectation.”

Hold your tongue is a dead metaphor, with a ferocity of accent that testified to his own jangled nerves is a dormant metaphor, where the connection between the vehicle and the subject is not clear, raised the note of her lamentations an active metaphor, they had all started and turned towards the inner door with faces of dreadful expectation is a simile based on emotive motivation. There metaphors based on logic motivation, they are imagery expressions.

10. “The cook, crying out Bless God! It's Mr.Utterson, ran forward as if to take him in her arms”. Simile is based on emotive motivation, described the action.

11. “Well, when that masked thing like a monkey jumped from among the chemicals and whipped into the cabinet, it went down my spine like ice.”

Masked thing like a monkey is a simile, is emotionally motivated imagining in front of his eyes, it went down my spine like ice is a simile, is motivated by emotions.

12. “With ape-like fury, he was trampling his victim”, simile which includes itself a metaphor. Ape-like fury is a dead metaphor. With ape-like fury, he was trampling. This part answers to question how he was trampling. A simile, which introduced by the word with describes the predicate, the action.

13.“At one table, there were traces of chemical work, various measured heaps of some white salt being laid on glass sources, as though for an experiment in which the unhappy man had been prevented.”

A simile is introduced by the conjunction as though, describes the predicate on emotion.

14.“I never saw a circle of such hateful faces; …, with a kind of black sneering coolness-frightened to,…, really like Satan.”

Face is really like Satanis a simile with explanation, introduced by the preposition in comparative phrase like, is created emotionally, and describes an object.

15. “His friends were those of his own blood or those whom he had known the longest; his affections, like ivy, were the growth of time, they implied no aptness in the object.”

Friends of his own blood are a dead metaphor. His affections were the growth of time, like ivy is a metaphor is created logically. It is an active metaphor. There ivy is a plant, which grows on suitable surface for climbing, including trees, natural rock outcrops.

So, there are given above fifteen extracts, which includes similes and metaphors from R.L. Stevenson's imagery. There are only fifteen extracts, but includes itself much more similes and metaphors, they are variab le, lavish. For making a conclusion it is enough to analyze the given extracts above. There we see the peculiarities of author's style and his representing of stylistic devices as metaphor and simile. The given imagery is classic, that why every line includes itself many stylistic devices. Metaphors and similes are frequently complex. The originators peculiarity is that he used several metaphors and similes in one sentence, one simile includes another one. And simile includes itself a metaphor, while metaphor includes itself an epithet. Dead and active or live metaphors are also bountiful.

Wide readership could have a confusion while interpreting the stylistic devices introduced by like, because this word is used in set expressions, in metaphor, in simile. If we know the rules, which we offer you, it will be easy to differentiate them. The rule is simple, look, if the stylistic device introduced by the word likeis created emotionally that is a simile, if it is created logically, that is a metaphor.

The obvious peculiarity of R.L. Stevenson of representing metaphors and similes is that he frequently used the preposition with. In former theories of simile and metaphor such phenomena doesn't exist. May be this is the main peculiarity of R.L. Stevenson of representing his own metaphors and similes. The differences between them are also on their created motivations as logic and emotive, is the same as in metaphors and similes with like. The frequencies of such devices look at the diagram below. There are also our own tables of classification of metaphor and simile. Classification of metaphor is according to structure and concept. Classification of simile is according to its type of description and introducing words. As similes describe object or predicate, in our classification there are two types of simile: objective and predicative.

Absolute metaphors in some sources are called paralogical or antimetaphor. There is also non-absolute metaphor, for example box - house. Compound, extended, complex metaphors are close to each other. Active metaphor is also called as live metaphor. Extended metaphor is also called as conceit.

So, R.L. Stevenson used dead metaphors as well as active metaphors. Similes and metaphors are complex enough. He used conjunctions like and with both in metaphor and simile. According to sense of extracts similes are emotionally motivated and metaphors are logically motivated.

REFERENCES

1. Stevenson. R.L. 1886. Strange case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde. UK. ISBN 0-553- 21277-X

2. Eфимов А.И. Стилистика художественной речи. Москва. 1961. 519с.

3. Томашевский Б.В. Стилистика. Л.:Наука. 1983.- 288с.

4. Ушакова Е.М. Лингвистический аспект в изучении симиле. Ставрополь.

1967. c5-50

5. www.metaphor-encyclopediaarticleandmorefrommerriam-webster

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