According to Lakoff and Johnson (1980), metaphors involve a mapping of a tangible source domain on an intangible target domain and enable therefore the expression of concepts difficult to verbalise as such. ROMANTIC LOVE is one of these concepts. Indeed, “romantic love is commonly thought of as a mysterious emotion which it is notoriously difficult to pin down. […] Various authors in various disciplines have expressed the view that this is a concept that is difficult to grapple with and define“ (Kövecses, 1986). By analysing the conceptual metaphors used to describe ROMANTIC LOVE in conventionalised language, Kövesces succeeded to describe the constituents and structure of this concept.
Kövecses research on the concept of ROMANTIC LOVE and the cultural variation of metaphor is based exclusively on verbal evidence. As Charles Forceville (2005:69) acknowledged, “in the interest of enriching insights into ideological conceptual metaphors, non-verbal and multimedial representations need to be investigated as well”; mostly in order to break “the vicious cycle of saying that verbal metaphoric expressions are evidence of conceptual metaphors, and then saying that we know that because we see conceptual metaphors expressed in language” (Cienki, 1998). The present paper aims to extend Kövecses research by analysing the visual expression of ROMANTIC LOVE and its cross-cultural variation in comics. Indeed, as Forceville (2005:71) mentioned, “comics are a good source of pictorial data for such a project: unlike, for instance, realistic photographs and live-action films, which are more or less ‘naturally’ mirror real-life manifestations of emotions, comics and cartoons make use of stereotypical exaggerations and of a rudimentary ‘sign-system’ very much like a language”.
In a first part, our paper will show how Kövecses’ characterisation of the concept of ROMANTIC LOVE surfaces visually in the comic Asterix. The second part of this paper aims to explore this cross-cultural variation in the visual domain by comparing the results of the analysis of Asterix to Japanese Manga. Our research will be done on following data: three volumes of German translations of the French comic Asterix Asterix (Asterix als Legionär (Vol. 10), Asterix und Latraviata (Vol. 31), and Obelix auf Kreuzfahrt (Vol. 30)) and the Japanese manga I‘‘s (Vol. 7), Tsubasa (Vol. 13), Natsuki Takaya (Vol. 3). In all of these comics, romantic love plays an essential role.
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
2. KÖVECSES’ CONCEPT OF ROMANTIC LOVE
3. METAPHORS OF ROMANTIC LOVE IN ASTERIX
3.1 LOVE IS UNITY
3.2 THE BODY IS THE CONTAINER FOR EMOTIONS
3.3 LOVE IS A HOT FLUID IN A CONTAINER
3.4 THE PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF LOVE IMPAIR NORMAL FUNCTIONING
3.4.1 LOVE IS UNCONTROLLED POWER
3.4.2 LOVE IS UNCONTROLLED BODY LANGUAGE
3.4.3 LOVE IS INABILITY TO FUNCTION NORMALLY
3.4.4 LOVE IS MAGIC
3.5 LOVE IS A COMPETITION
3.6 LOVE IS HAPPINESS
3.7 LOVE IS KINDNESS
4. PREVIOUS STUDIES JAPANESE MANGA
5. METAPHORS OF ROMANTIC LOVE IN JAPANESE MANGA
5.1 THE BODY IS A CONTAINER FOR THE EMOTION
5.2. THE PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF LOVE IMPAIR NORMAL FUNCTIONING
5.3. LOVE IS HAPPINESS
5.4. LOVE IS DESIRE
5.5. LOVE IS FLOWERS
6. CONCLUSION
Research Objectives and Topics
The primary objective of this paper is to explore the cross-cultural variation of visual metaphors for romantic love by comparing Western comics, specifically the Asterix series, with selected Japanese manga titles. The study aims to determine how conceptual metaphors identified by Kövecses manifest through pictorial signs and runes in different cultural contexts, while investigating whether unique emotional concepts like anxiety and stress are linked to romantic love in Japanese manga.
- Analysis of conceptual metaphors of romantic love in visual media.
- Comparison between Western comic conventions (Asterix) and Japanese manga styles.
- Examination of indexial signs and pictorial runes as modes of visual expression.
- Cross-cultural identification of emotional and metaphorical variations.
Excerpt from the Book
3.4.1 LOVE IS UNCONTROLLED POWER
Furthermore as love increases, its physiological effects increase and these physiological effects impair normal functioning. This conceptual metaphor is illustrated in Asterix in a very creative way. LOVE IS UNCONTROLLED POWER: The strong Obelix loses control of his body and immense power. He is running against trees and so roots them out (figure 10/1) or he is kicking at a tree and so cuts the tree down (figure 11/1). The onomatopoeic use of “Kracks” (fig. 10/2 and 11/2) to visualize the uprooting of trees underlines the intensity of the uncontrolled power.
Summary of Chapters
1. INTRODUCTION: Outlines the theoretical framework of conceptual metaphors, specifically focusing on romantic love and the potential for investigating visual and multimedial representations.
2. KÖVECSES’ CONCEPT OF ROMANTIC LOVE: Defines the central metaphors for romantic love as identified by Kövecses, including the container model, heat, and unity.
3. METAPHORS OF ROMANTIC LOVE IN ASTERIX: Analyzes how various metaphors, such as love as unity, a hot fluid, and uncontrolled power, are visually depicted in the Asterix comic series.
4. PREVIOUS STUDIES JAPANESE MANGA: Reviews existing research on pictorial metaphors of emotion in Japanese manga, noting the specific cultural significance of meteorological phenomena.
5. METAPHORS OF ROMANTIC LOVE IN JAPANESE MANGA: Compares the visual representation of love in manga to the Asterix findings, highlighting unique themes like anxiety, stress, and the nature-based metaphor of flowers.
6. CONCLUSION: Summarizes the study's findings, affirming the universality of certain metaphors while highlighting the culture-specific nuances found in manga versus Western comics.
Keywords
Conceptual Metaphors, Romantic Love, Visual Linguistics, Asterix, Japanese Manga, Pictorial Runes, Indexial Signs, Kövecses, Cross-cultural Analysis, Physiological Effects, Emotional Mapping, Comics Research, Cultural Variation, Metaphorical Expression, Multimodal Metaphor
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this research?
The study focuses on the visual representation of conceptual metaphors for romantic love in Western comics (Asterix) and Japanese manga, testing whether theoretical frameworks developed for language apply to visual media.
What are the central themes discussed in the paper?
The central themes include the mapping of intangible emotions onto tangible source domains, the physiological symptoms of love (like heat or heart rate), and how these are expressed through visual shorthand such as pictorial runes.
What is the primary goal of the authors?
The goal is to extend Kövecses' verbal-based research into the visual domain to observe if and how romantic love metaphors differ across distinct cultural narrative styles.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The authors use a qualitative comparative analysis, examining specific panels and illustrations from chosen comic volumes to identify visual signs and compare them against established conceptual metaphor theory.
What topics are covered in the main section of the paper?
The main section details specific metaphorical manifestations like "Love is Unity," "Love is a Hot Fluid," and "Love is Uncontrolled Power" in Asterix, followed by a comparative study of how similar feelings are depicted in various manga.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Conceptual Metaphors, Romantic Love, Asterix, Manga, Visual Linguistics, Pictorial Runes, and Cross-cultural Analysis.
How does the representation of "love" differ between Asterix and Japanese manga regarding stress?
The authors conclude that while Asterix links love primarily to heat or loss of control, Japanese manga often ties love-related physiological effects to the distinct concepts of anxiety and stress.
What role do "pictorial runes" play in the authors' analysis?
Pictorial runes serve as a specialized visual language (e.g., stars, smoke, dark clouds) that goes beyond realistic depiction to express internal emotional states that might otherwise be difficult to convey.
- Quote paper
- Ellen Thießen (Author), Maria Schnyder (Author), 2009, Conceptual Metaphors of Romantic Love in Western Comic and Japanese Manga, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/181717
