powerful, destructive, ruthless in the way that the government is ready to consume all dissented elements (“runs this country and simultaneously to crush then Buddhists’’). The war is also portrayed as a huge complicated machine in the sense that social renovation requires countless jobs to complete (“a massive job of social engineering”). when being conceptualized as a grinding machine (“In the grinding struggle against the Communist”), some other attributes of the war are stressed: tediousness, endlessness, exhaustion, erosion of strength, morale, support, belief, trust. - Particular ideologies underlying metaphor choices at MS level (RQ3) The metaphor THE VIETNAM WAR IS A MACHINE are more frequently used during the 1963-1967 period, when a series of horrifying events happened (presidential assassinations, self-immolations, bombing campaigns, search and destroy operations) and the war was prolonged with no end in sight.
The metaphor is the right choice to bring an image of a complicated, inhuman and endless war to the audience. In the context of increasing manipulations, violent actions and American’s direct involvement in the War marked with first deployment of ground troops in 1965, via the source domain of a MACHINE, war correspondents are likely to warn that the war is becoming unstoppable. Just like a machine which is very hard to control or stop once it is set into motion due to its momentum, a war tends to feed itself by violence after violence, by power systems as well as human greed and fear benefiting from its operation. Justifiably, the war will be uncontrollable, expanding and dragging us all into its nonstop escalation just like a grinding machine breaking all materials in its rotation.
Compared with the previous metaphors (JOURNEY, BUSINESS), the concept of MACHINE is more blunt in the sense that it brings the ugly face of the war to the audience, arousing terrifying emotions and predicting traumatic results. * Pattern 3: THE VIETNAM WARIS A HEAVY LOAD - Construal of metaphor at four conceptual levels Image schema: An entity is blockage Domain: N. THE VIETNAM WAR IS A HEAVY LOAD 159 Frame: N. Suffering from a tiring war is experiencing a heavy load N.
Prolonging the war is pulling something heavy N. The war draining economics is a heavy load exhausting a person N. Leaving strong impression is leaving a clear trace Mental space: N. The difficulty the peasants suffer from the Vietnam war is the heavy load someone has to carry N.
Making the Vietnam War last longer than necessary is pulling something heavy with difficulty N. The war draining the economics in North Vietnam during the Vietnam war is a heavy load exhausting a person N. The Vietnam War leaving strong impression on America is a heavy load leaving a clear trace * More evaluations related to this metaphor can be found in four conceptual levels. Image schema: The Vietnam War as a heavy load hindering activities during the wartime (farmer’s life, military progress, economic development) generate the conceptual pattern of BLOCKAGE.
This concept signals the stagnation situation and oppressive atmosphere of the war. Domain: The source domain of A HEAVY LOAD emphasizes the pressure, slow pace, energy erosion, long-lasting impact and simultaneously conceals brutality, quick changes, calculated strategies of a war. Frame: Being experienced in terms of a heavy load, the war emerges as an obstacle which causes suppression, slowing down, exhaustion and obsession to all related participants (suffering from war — experiencing heavy load, prolonging war — pulling a heavy load, war draining economy — heavy load exhausting a human, leaving strong impression — leaving a clear trace) - Particular ideologies underlying metaphor choices at MS level (RQ3) This metaphor appears scatteringly throughout the war. With the concept of A HEAVY LOAD, the journalists strengthen the idea that the war affects both sides (Vietnamese farmers’ tiring life, American’s slow military progress, devastating economy in North Vietnam, lasting impact on Americans’ physical and mental health).
160 We are both inescapable victims of the war, no real winners. Just like the concept of MACHINE, with A HEAVY LOAD, journalists are more direct to show their anti-war attitude in the sense that the war does not bring any good things to both sides. THE VIETNAM WAR ISANATURAL PHENOMENON Based on the specific ideological messages, the specific-level metaphors in this section are categorized into two groups: (1) THE VIETNAM WAR IS A NATURAL PHENOMENON (which encompasses A NATURAL PROCESS, NATURAL DISASTER, WEATHER PHENOMENON, HEATING PROCESS) and (2) THE VIETNAM WAR IS THE SHADOW OF AMERICAN PRESIDENTS. * Pattern 1: THE VIETNAM WAR IS A NATURAL PHENOMENON - Construal of metaphor at four conceptual levels Image schema: An entity is a process Domain: THE VIETNAM WAR IS A NATURAL PHENOMENON P.
THE VIETNAM WAR IS A NATURAL PROCESS P. THE VIETNAM WAR IS A NATURAL DISASTER P. THE VIETNAM WAR IS A WEATHER PHENOMENON P. THE VIETNAM WAR IS A HEATING PROCESS Frame: P.
Obscuring the progress is making scene unclear P. A sad situation is a shadowy landscape P. Hiding the nature is making scene unclear to see P. Being eliminated is being sinking in P.
Ending an organization is dissolution P. Being unable to function is being unable to move P. Understanding the real situation is seeing scenes clearly P. Fighting is natural reactions P.
Troops’ attacking is storm’s striking P. An event is a typhoon P. Small arms fire is a destructive kind of natural phenomenon P. A person taking all the blame 1s a strip of metal taking all the electricity P.
Human separation is a cracked object P. A large amount of destruction is a large mass of materials 161 P. More difficult/ significant war is more diverse/ colder climate P. Fear is coldness P.
Hopeless military situation is unpleasant weather P. Changes in a war situation are different kinds of weather P. Social transformation is complete climate change P. The tense stage is the high temperature Mental space: P.
Unnecessary secrecy leading to American public not knowing about the war is a thick cloud making scene unclear to see P. The Buddhist crisis leading to the sad situation in the Vietnam War is the dark cloud making the landscape more shadowy P. Posing the dilemma as one between civilian and military rule leading to hide the basic aimlessness in the Vietnam War is a foggy day making scene unclear to see P. The Diem government’s being eliminated is some liquid going down into another substance P.
The military leaders’ ending a provisional civilian legislature is someone making a solid becoming a liquid P. Thieu government being unable to function normally because of numerous problems is an object being unable to move because of its frozen state P. Upsetting events related to the Vietnam War making Americans understand the real situation in the Vietnam War is light making dark scenes clear to see P. The fight between opponent forces leading to the defeat of either side in the Vietnam War is the chemical and physical reactions resulting in the destruction or changes in substances P.
The Diem government suddenly attacking Buddhist pagodas in the Vietnam War is a storm striking a place P. The quiet on the Far Eastern front is the eye of a typhoon P. Small arms fire in the Vietnam War is the rain of ice balls P. McNamara taking all the blame in the Vietnam War is a strip of metal taking all the electricity to the ground in a storm P.
Americans being separated and shocked by the slaughter at Mylai in the Vietnam War is an object being cracked and moved backwards and forwards quickly P. A large amount of destruction on Hanoi and Haiphong happening at the same time in 162 the Vietnam War is a large mass of materials in an avalanche P. The more difficulty/ significance in the Vietnam War compared with other places during the Cold War is the more diverse/ colder climate compared with others of the same cold climate zone P. The Americans’ fear when starting considering the change of the Diem government is the feeling of coldness when standing on the brink P.
Americans’ hopeless military situation is unpleasant weather P. The changes in the situation of the Vietnam War are different kinds of weather P. The situation of transformation in American society which is caused by the Vietnam war is the complete change under the impact of climate P. The tense stage in the Vietnam War is the period of high temperature in a heating process * This metaphor implies some evaluations at four conceptual levels as follows.
Image schema: The natural phenomena are characterized with changes (from unclear to clear scene, merging with other substance, changes in state, weather development and diversity, temperature increase. This feature generates the mental pattern of PROCESS which is a dynamic system and its operation is hard to be interfered by outside factors. Domain: The metaphor portrays the war as a complex event with many factors, groups of participants, stages, influences, viewpoints of a war. These numerous components, in order to co-exist in one system, need interact with each other according to its own principles.
It also obscures the active role of participants, the win-lose nature and atrocity of a war. Frame: A war as a process is elaborated by natural changes (hiding the nature — making scene unclear to see, ending — dissolution, fighting — reactions), destructive consequences of natural disasters (attacking troops — striking storm, human separation — cracked object), development of weather patterns (difficult war — more diverse climate, fear- coldness, hopeless situation — unpleasant weather, social transformation — climate change, tense stage — high temperature) - Particular ideologies underlying metaphor choices at MS level (RQ3) The source concept of NATURAL PHENOMENON occurs in every year of 163 the 1962 — 1973 war period. Hence, it characterizes a stable nature of the war without changes at different times. Just like a natural phenomenon with a series of reactions one after another, the war seems to be a system operating on its own rules.
It must include different stages —commence, escalation, fluctuation, aftermath and multiple interrelated factors. With this feature, journalists appear to persuade that the war is not easy to direct or control. It may change the situation like a natural phenomenon, cause deadly consequences like a typhoon, an earthquake, an avalanche, a fire, bring in unpredictable progression like weather changes. Hence, it is imprudent to think that the victory is quick and easy.
The Vietnam War is definitely a long and difficult struggle. As well, it is pointless to become so worried about the outcome of each battle and anxious about the final result because the war situation changes all the time. The war may go in many unexpected directions, so all related people need to be alert, patient and well- planned for next steps. THE VIETNAM WAR IS A NATURAL PHENOMENON can be considered as an objective evaluation of the war and it helps in building a calm view of the war for all American participants and observers.
Nevertheless, it also conveys a reminder of the war’s destructive impacts in the similar way as natural disasters destroy human life. * Pattern 2: THE VIETNAM WAR IS THE SHADOW OF AMERICAN PRESIDENTS - Construal of metaphor at four conceptual levels Image schema: An entity is superimposition Domain: THE VIETNAM WAR IS THE SHADOW OF AMERICAN PRESIDENTS Frame: P. The associated influence is the sticking shadow P. Reducing lively feelings is darkening body P.
The associated influence is the shadow behind P. The affecting influence is the following shadow Mental space: P. The influence of the Vietnam War being associated with the American president is the 164 shadow of American president sticking onto them P. The thoughts on the Vietnam War reducing Nixon’s lively feelings in the vacation is president’s shadow darkening himself P.
The influence of the Vietnam War being associated with the American presidents is the shadow of American presidents coming behind them P.
