Exploring the Metaphorical Use of TEMPERATURE Domain in Character Descriptions in Susan Cooper’s The Dark Is Rising Sequence: A Cognitive Linguistic Approach

Abstract

This study investigates the metaphorical use of the TEMPERATURE domain in character descriptions within Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising series, adopting the framework of Conceptual Metaphor Theory. Despite extensive scholarly attention to the series from literary and cultural studies perspectives, there is a notable gap in cognitive linguistic analysis. Concerning the TEMPERATURE domain, though it is essential to human experience and metaphorically rich in daily thought and language, there has been limited research on the role of this domain in literary discourse. To fill these research gaps, this study adopted the mixed-methods approach, combining (1) content analysis to examine the relationship between the TEMPERATURE domain, specifically WARMTH and COLDNESS domains, and character types and (2) thematic analysis to explore how these domains describe good and evil characters throughout the series. The findings reveal that both WARMTH and COLDNESS domains are used to describe good and evil characters, with no distinctive domain exclusive to each character type. This challenges the conventional association of warmth with goodness and coldness with evil. Such complexity can be attributed to the deceitful nature of evil characters and the emotional detachment of virtuous characters for the greater good, as demonstrated in the novel series. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the creative use of temperature-related metaphors in literature, offering insights into their role in character construction and thematic development.