Fatimah Khudhair Hassoon
Department of English, College of Education for Women, University of Baghdad, Iraq
This study analyzes the use of conceptual metaphors in two American war novels, The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli and A Quiet Cadence by Mark Treanor, to explore how gender influences metaphorical representation of war. Drawing on Lakoff and Johnson’s (1980) model of conceptual metaphor, the research addresses three key questions: how is war conceptualized metaphorically in each novel concerning gender, what similarities and differences exist between male and female authors in their metaphorical styles, and how does gender affect these stylistic choices? The analysis reveals that both authors utilize metaphors to convey the horrors and moral ambiguities of war, yet they exhibit distinct cognitive frameworks shaped by societal norms. Soli employs metaphors related to caregiving and connection, while Treanor focuses on violence and endurance. These findings underscore the impact of gender as a stylistic variable in literature, contributing to a deeper understanding of how war is represented through language.
Keywords: Cognitive Stylistics, Conceptual Metaphor, War Novels, Gender Studies
The above abstract is a part of the article which was accepted at The 10th International Conference on Languages, Linguistics, Translation and Literature (WWW.TLLL.IR), 1-2 February 2025, Ahwaz.
