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Analysis of the Narrative Types of “Metaphor” in Animated Short Films
Abstract
Keywords
1. Introduction
2. Literature Review
2.1. From Metaphor Rhetoric to Image Relationship in Movies
2.2. Operation Process of the Extension of Metaphor Mapping in Animated Films
3. Research Method
3.1. A Case Study of the Metaphor Rhetoric in Film Images
3.2. Case Study of the Extended Meanings of Metaphor Mapping in Space
4. Discussion
5. Conclusion
Conflicts of Interest
References
Art and Design Review, 2019, 7, 206-224 https://www.scirp.org/journal/adr ISSN Online: 2332-2004 ISSN Print: 2332-1997 Analysis of the Narrative Types of “Metaphor” in Animated Short Films Hsien-Yuan Chiu, Wei-Lin Chu Graduate School of Visual Communication Design, National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, Taiwan How to cite this paper: Chiu, H.-Y., & Chu, W.-L. (2019). Analysis of the Narra- tive Types of “Metaphor” in Animated Short Films. Art and Design Review, 7, 206-224. https://doi.org/10.4236/adr.2019.74017 Received: October 1, 2019 Accepted: November 2, 2019 Published: November 5, 2019 Copyright © 2019 by author(s) and Scientific Research Publishing Inc. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC BY 4.0). http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Open Access Abstract The most presented storytelling medium of animation and film are images. The narrative messages that viewers obtain through images are much more rigorous than those from dictation or narration. Therefore, the means to con- struct story context in an animation narrative is more than the intuitive narr- ative of character language. Message transmission by hints seems to be an important technique of image narrative in a plot. Potential messages involve metaphors in rhetoric. When applied to an image narrative, linguistic tech- niques have gone beyond the scope of literal modification. Meaning the viewers’ cognition and past experiences are also involved in the process of image viewing. Therefore, the metaphors in animated movies are a type of narrative produced by multiple elements, as well as a mode of deduction based on real life. According to the related theories of metaphorical mapping, this study explores the analogical narrative process of images in animation cases, as based on Gentner’s structural mapping theory and the blending theory of Fauconnier and Turner. The results of case study show that, in ani- mated movies, analogies are made through similarities in form, meaning the attributes of source and target are blended as the means of metaphor, where the lens movement also contributes to the metaphor of space on the visual psycho- logical level. In summary, this study is expected to serve as a reference for fur- ther exploration of the metaphoric narrative of animation in the future. Keywords Animated Short Films, Metaphor, Animation Narrative 1. Introduction A metaphor narrative is one of the techniques to describe a plot story, which plays an indispensable role in animated movies. In the film context, in addition DOI: 10.4236/adr.2019.74017 Nov. 5, 2019 206 Art and Design Review
H.-Y. Chiu, W.-L. Chu to the image performance of the main characters, through images, the transmis- sion of hidden messages increases the aesthetic value of the short narrative in the film. At the same time, through the description of a metaphor, the viewers can actively participate in the plot and deduce the story, meaning the image narra- tive constitutes an interactive media. In fact, every animated movie has the ma- nifestations of metaphor narrative, such as Ratatouille, as produced by Pixar Animation Studios (Figure 1), which used black screen and lines to express the various tastes of delicious foods, and the Castle in the Sky, an animation pro- duced by Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki in 2002 (Figure 2), which used two spaces as the hints of human beings’ yearning for an imaginary Utopian and the essence of human nature. From the above, we can see that the director elaborated the characteristics of the event by analogy through the relationship between the scenes, thus, hig- hlighting the importance of metaphors for the rigor of an image narrative. A metaphor is a proper noun in rhetoric, which achieves symbolic links through the process of corresponding patterns by similar psychological analogy (Wen, 2010). There are many related researches on the effect of metaphorical cognition from multiple dimensions, as well as the ways to transmit the meaning by the metaphor from the perspectives of cognitive psychology, semantics, etc. The Source: https://www.comicsbeat.com/michel-gagne-and-ratatouille/. Figure 1. Ratatouille guides through hints in the back lines. Source: https://ciatr.jp/topics/32054. DOI: 10.4236/adr.2019.74017 Figure 2. Another imaginary space beyond reality in the Space Castle in the Sky. 207 Art and Design Review
H.-Y. Chiu, W.-L. Chu DOI: 10.4236/adr.2019.74017 most important classic work Metaphors We Live By, as written by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson, put forward the concept of metaphors in 1980, which held that metaphors not only exist in written expression, but also exist in life, thus, extending the dimensions of metaphor research from linguistics to perceptions, including visual sense, auditory sense, tactual sense, etc. However, in terms of visual sense, in 2008, Charles Forceville proposed a way for images to convey implicit messages, meaning that metaphors may provide non-verbal information through the expression of dynamic images. While a lot of literature has analyzed the image metaphor cases in semiotics and advertise- ments, it is seldom discussed in the field of animation or film. This study takes the metaphor narrative of animation media as the starting point to explore the metaphor technique of image media. The commonly used theoretical basises of the metaphor are: contrast model, feature salience imbalance, conceptual meta- phor theory, blending theory, structural mapping theory, etc. (Wang, 2012). As the purpose of animated film itself is to make viewers feel the link between spe- cific phenomena and practical experience in stylized image manifestations through image narrative, this paper believes that the blending theory and the structural mapping theory are suitable theories for the exploration of the basic framework of image metaphors, where the corresponding image is the metaphor link. Therefore, this study analyzes the symbols and images in animated movies on the basis of the above two theories, and analyzes and summarizes how they are operated and conveyed by rhetorical metaphors and metaphors manifested by image narratives. This study attempts to analyze the expression technique of metaphors in ani- mation by taking the narrative of animated films as the point of penetration, ex- plores the process of metaphoric reference, and deduces the application of rhe- toric in images through literature review. Secondly, this study analyzes the link from the cognition of dynamic images to experience knowledge through a case study of the mapping relationship between multiple attributes and the meanings of images. With award-winning cases as the research samples, this study sum- marizes the forms and techniques of the expression of metaphoric foreshadow- ing in animation image narratives, and analyzes its mapping relationship, in or- der to explore the rigor conveyed by images in animation. The purposes of the study are summarized, as follows: 1) Discuss the application of metaphor rhetoric in animation narratives through literature review. 2) Analyze the image presentation of metaphor narratives in animation and films. 2. Literature Review 2.1. From Metaphor Rhetoric to Image Relationship in Movies Rhetoric itself is a means of description, which makes the text closer to the real life state or enables the reader to perceive the essence of the text. In order to 208 Art and Design Review
H.-Y. Chiu, W.-L. Chu make the description of the text more precise or more rigorous, different refer- ence methods are used in language to express some abstract states, such as “time is money”, “knowledge is power”, etc. The advantage of rhetoric is that it enables the meaning of language to be understood without specifying all the details (Gannon, 2001). Gannon (2001) The point and virtue of particularization is that it enables language comprehension to take place without the need for message to explicitly spell out all the details (p. 12). Metaphoric rhetoric has a specific way of reference in rhetoric. In 1980, Me- taphors We Live By pointed out that metaphors are a part of life that makes ar- tistic expression more diverse. From this, we can see that the technique of me- taphors has been applied in linguistics, as well as an expression approach in real- ity. In the traditional view, metaphor rhetoric can only be used in speech or text, but in fact, metaphors can be expressed by images (Sajaniemi & Stützle, 2007). Sajaniemi, J. & Stützle, T. (2007) Metaphors may appear in several forms. Traditionally they have been verbal, but they can be pictorial, also (p. 457). In view of the above, the purpose of conveying expression through metaphors is to enable the audience to understand its meaning more concretely. Particular- ly in the field of animation or films, the metaphor is an indispensable means of narrative aesthetics, which not only gives the manifestation of abstract meaning, but also motivates the viewers to uncover the context of the story, which makes the narrative context deeply rooted in the hearts of the audience through the hidden relationship. Modern Times, as directed by Chaplin in 1936, begins by describing the back- ground of the working class, and analogizes crowded sheep with workers in the next scene (Figure 3), where the characteristics of sheep and the relationship between the workers in the story describing the same concepts. In the analogy process of a metaphor, the common attributes of analogy provide the key refer- ence points. In the application of a metaphor, there are common similarities between the objects and the base representation, while individual attributes must be left behind in the mapping process (Gentner, 1983). Gentner (1983). If the base representation includes concrete objects whose Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAPilyrEzC4. Figure 3. Analogy between the first and the second scenes of Modern Times. 209 Art and Design Review DOI: 10.4236/adr.2019.74017
H.-Y. Chiu, W.-L. Chu DOI: 10.4236/adr.2019.74017 individual attributes must be left behind in the mapping, the comparison is an analogy (p. 161). It is generally acknowledged that sheep are characterized by obedience, clean- liness, etc. Even the Bible used the metaphor of a shepherd seeking sheep to refer to the relationship between Jesus and the people. In this movie, the traits of workers are obedience to superiors’ orders and continuously working in an un- questioning manner. In The Cambridge Handbook of Metaphor and Thought, Gibbs Jr. and Raymond W proposed that, after the extended meanings are found through the analogical relationship of a Structure-Mapping Engine (SME), it must also go through the following three discrimination steps: 1) the alignment process of literal meaning; 2) projection of the inference from base to target; 3) directional comprehension of the extended meaning of the metaphor. • Metaphor comprehension begins with a symmetric (nondirectional) align- ment process. • If an alignment is found, then further inferences are directionally projected from base to target. • Thus, directionality in metaphor comprehension arises after the initial stage of processing. (Gibbs Jr., 2008: p.112) The literal meaning is the original attribute of the object itself. When it comes to dynamic media, the meaning of the scene can be perceived directly. There- fore, it is necessary to analyze the original attributes of the sheep and workers in this case. This paper believes that the analysis of a single picture is not enough to explain the overall meaning of the scene, but must be inferred through the rela- tionship of the image meaning in the neighboring sequence, i.e. the neighboring scenes in the lens. The traits of sheep and workers are analyzed in Table 1. The table summarizes the relationship between the original attributes and ar- tistic conception. The form, quantity, and composition of the original attributes are expressed with similar techniques; therefore, viewers can easily identify the Table 1. Attribute analysis of sheep and workers. Analysis item Sheet Works Original attributes Lifestyle Traits Moving in herds Operating in groups Aimlessly obedient; only moving forward when driven by shepherds Operate in accordance with instructions from superiors, lack thinking ability, and act in accordance with instructions Guide Shepherd Boss Image composition Moving forward in a herd Moving forward in a group Lens description Artistic conception analysis The first scene of the movie, followed by the scene of the workers approaching the work place The second scene of the movie, followed by continuous scenes of a large number of workers going to the work sites of the factories, clocking in, etc. 210 Art and Design Review
H.-Y. Chiu, W.-L. Chu strong correlation between the two scenes. According to Eco’s point of view, a symbolic communication system is a communicational framework that conveys the “code”, which is regarded as the transference of symbolic messages in commu- nication, and shares some properties during the transference (ECO, 1976). ECO (1976). Therefore a non-significant system is called a “code” by a sort of metonymical transference, being understood as part of a semiotic whole with which it shares some properties (p. 38). Accordingly, in the case, messages have already been transformed in the form of symbolic representation, while the individual attributes have been left behind in the metaphor mapping, as described by Gentner. Furthermore, in the meta- phoric relationship, the extended meanings associated with the original attributes must be searched; however, in film semiotics, the extended meanings can be di- vided into denotation and connotation. Denotation refers to the entire narrative, including the presentation of narrative elements, the description of people, things, objects, time, and space, all of which are the scope of discussion of deno- tation (ECO, 1990). According to the analysis of the above table, denotation is also the intuitive discrimination of the original attributes, as well as the basis of the metaphor. Connotation, on the other hand, refers to the overall meaning arising from the denotative symbols, as proposed by Metz in the case of Que viva México (Metz, 1964). Metz (1964). Le langage esthétique a pour signifiant la totalité signifiante-signifiée d’un langage premier (l’anecdote, le motif) qui vient s’emboîter en lui (p. 83). Summarizing the theories proposed by Gibbs Jr. and Raymond W, as well as the denotation and connotation mentioned above, denotation in extended meaning refers to the expression of literal meaning (original attributes). It is worth noting that, according to literature, a metaphor as a narrative is a dis- crimination based on a general phenomenon. In short, a metaphor narrative is not defined only on the basis of a single phenomenon; instead, it conducts ele- ment analogy based on the narrative content in the sequence of the scenes. By editing of the same lens position and composition, Chaplin described the sheep-like state of the workers directly from form similarity, implying that the workers are forced to work aimlessly. He also showed the common relation- ship between the workers and the sheep, and highlighted their similarities through the pattern and signifier of video pictures. The above analysis con- firms the extended meanings described by Gibbs Jr., Raymond W, and Eco, meaning the metaphor is a very important foundation for the nature of origi- nal attributes. Furthermore, metaphorical performance is a comprehensive target and base of the whole (Wang, 2012). Therefore, this paper analyzes the mapping relationship and the signifying process of extended meanings in the next chapter. 2.2. Operation Process of the Extension of Metaphor Mapping in Animated Films One theory of the denotation of metaphors to make deductions using the space 211 Art and Design Review DOI: 10.4236/adr.2019.74017
H.-Y. Chiu, W.-L. Chu DOI: 10.4236/adr.2019.74017 blending theory, as proposed by Fauconnier and Turner, which states that hid- den messages are formed by mapping between two different inputs into the final blended space (Fauconnier & Turner, 2008). Secondly, Gentner’s exposition put forward that the process of mapping comparison in metaphors is divided into three stages: first, breaking down and analyzing similarities between sources and objects to make preliminary matching of their relationship; secondly, combining cluster models (called “kernels”) into structures for comparison; and thirdly, di- viding the combined kernels into one or more maximal structures as the result (Markman & Gentner, 2000). Stage 1: Local matches. Stage 2: Structural coalescence into consistent mappings. Stage 3: Small structures combined into maximal interpretation; candidate in- ferences (Markman & Gentner, 2000: p. 508). Gentner further proposed the principle of analogy in two domains: analogy shall be based on the relationship between the source and the object, rather than just the attributes of the objects; the specific relationship is determined by the overall analogy system (Gentner, 1983). Gentner (1983). Two mapping principles are described: (a) Relations between objects, rather than attributes of objects, are mapped from base to target: and (b) The particular relations mapped are determined by systematicity as defined by the existence of higher-order relations (p. 155). Both the blending theory and the mapping theory are metaphor theories based on the mapping of corresponding attributes. In the analysis of animated movie metaphors, the corresponding relationship between phenomena must be explored and summarized using the mapping concept. The author summarizes the analysis of the two theories in Table 2 for subsequent theoretical construction. Both the blending theory and structural mapping theory discuss the analogy process of metaphoric analogy, and their viewpoints reveal two metaphor traits: first, the blending theory emphasizes that, besides the mapping of original attributes, other channels are also involved in the process to construct the final blended space; the mapping theory explains that the analogy is made based on the screened concepts and combined in the mapping process. To sum up the above theories, a metaphor is a process of analogy by selecting suitable elements, and then, combining the relevant experience or associative concepts with the source and target domain. Therefore, to induce metaphorical conditions, this paper made a case study based on the theoretical model to explore the tech- niques in animated movies. 3. Research Method 3.1. A Case Study of the Metaphor Rhetoric in Film Images Balance is a silent animated short film that won the 1989 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. Directors Christoph Lauenstein and Wolfgang Lauenstein constructed a space to maintain a balance of gravity, as based on the 212 Art and Design Review
H.-Y. Chiu, W.-L. Chu Table 2. Comparison between the blending theory and structural mapping theory. Name of the theory Blending Theory Structural Mapping Theory Representative scholar Fauconnier and Turner Genter Viewpoints of the theory Model of the theory Two distinct input spaces are mapped into a Generic Space, which contains the original attributes of the two sources. Moreover, a blended space leaves its own attributes, and also contains other associative concepts to make it produce a richer blending space. The main concepts of source and target are filtered and integrated one by one in the attribute structure, and then, the attribute relationship of the metaphor is obtained by matching the concepts of the source and the target. Common viewpoints The two theories construct the theoretical analogy model by the mapping process, and emphasize that the process of the analogical relationship must be mixed with elements other than two attributes. The construction process is not simply a matching of the relationships between the two attributes. Different viewpoints The blending theory has two different inputs, indicating that the mapping relationship does not point to a single meaning, but produces new meaning by the blending the two inputs; the structural mapping theory interprets the corresponding relationship as mapping to a specific target, indicating that they have a single-point specific metaphor relationship. concept that the surviving characters must maintain balance between each other. The treasure box in the narrative implies the benefit or power, etc. desired by people. The process of fighting between the characters reveals different aspects of human nature, while the symbols of the treasure box and unbalanced space are metaphoric references to interests and environments in real life. The author deduced the metaphoric elements in the plot, as shown in Table 3. The cognition of a metaphor is not random, but based on the experience of natural phenomena, or social or cultural cognition, which is enough for metaphor cognition (Lakoff & Johnsen, 2003). Lakoff, G. & Johnsen, M. (2003). Such metaphorical orientations are not arbi- trary. They have a basis in our physical and cultural experience (p. 15). Furthermore, language is a system of social symbols, while speech is the me- thod of expression that individuals reorganize according to broad vocabulary (Chi, 1992). As the meaning of treasure box in experience is wealth, money, as- sets, resources, rights, interests, etc., after screening out the most reasonable metaphoric reference of the narrative content according to the broad sense, this paper conducted clustering and matching according to Gentner’s theoretical model (Figure 4). 213 Art and Design Review DOI: 10.4236/adr.2019.74017
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