¿Luchador viril en una guerra anticuada? — un estudio comparativo del uso de la metáfora en el discurso periodístico contemporáneo cubano

A virile fighter in an old-fashioned war? — a comparative study of the use of metaphors in the Cuban journalistic discourse

In English

Författare

Johanna Hagner

Summary, in English

This paper investigates the use and function of metaphors in the Cuban journalistic discourse today through a comparative study between, on one hand, the official Cuban press and, on the other, the unofficial. With a theoretical framework based on cognitive linguistics’ principles of conceptual metaphors, influenced by critical metaphor analysis, the study aims to understand how metaphors are used to create an image of the political situation in Cuba. Personification, war and travel metaphors are highlighted as important elements in this process, appearing in the official as well as the unofficial discourse. Yet, the application of these metaphors varies distinctly between the two sides: while the official media tends to personify Cuba as a humble, dignified and honorable hero with a goal to keep struggling and maintaining his political values, the unofficial media uses metaphors to question, nuance and ridicule this image, putting emphasis on the rhetorical change in the state run media, the traditional hostile relation between Cuba and the US and the changes that are necessary to achieve democracy.

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