MULTIMODAL METAPHORS OF SOCIAL ACTORS IN ENGLISH MENTAL HEALTH INFOGRAPHICS

Abstract

This study investigates the multimodal metaphors utilized in conceptualizing social actors within English mental health infographics. Adopting the Metaphor Identification Procedure by the Pragglejaz Group (2007), combined with Bobrova’s (2015) model for identifying multimodal metaphors, the research analyzes ten selected infographics to uncover metaphorical patterns. The interpretation of metaphorical meanings follows Kövecses’s (2017) multi-level view framework, which examines metaphors across four levels: image schema, domain, frame, and mental space. At each level, the analysis unveils the intricate cognitive processes underlying the construction and interpretation of these metaphors. Two dominant metaphors were found: “AN INDIVIDUAL'S MENTAL HEALTH IS A TREE/GARDEN” and “AN INDIVIDUAL'S MENTAL HEALTH IS AN AUTOMOBILE”. These metaphors, recurrent across various infographics, offer distinct conceptualizations of mental health, emphasizing themes of nurturing and growth as well as control and navigation, respectively. This research contributes to the understanding of how metaphors shape discourse surrounding mental health and illustrates the value of the multi-level view in capturing the complexity of metaphorical thinking. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that the schematicity hierarchy framework can be effectively applied to multimodal metaphors, enabling a systematic interpretation of abstract meanings across visual and verbal elements and offering a more comprehensive understanding of metaphor use in contemporary discourse.