CONCEPTUAL METAPHOR “DEATH IS ARTWORK” IN DETECTIVE NOVELS OF THOMAS HARRIS

DOI: 10.18173/2354-1067.2024-0023

Abstract

Since the last decade of the twentiethcentury, some literary researchers have appliedcognitive science to literature to reveal hiddenvalues in literary texts. In particular, conceptualmetaphor is a useful tool to help researchersdiscover the aesthetic and intellectual values inliterary works. This article studies the conceptualmetaphor denoting death in the detective novels ofThomas Harris. Surveying indirect expressionsdenoting death helps form a mapping modelbetween death and artwork. The article focuses onclarifying the unique values of Harris’ detectivenovels related to the concept of death in theantagonist's cognition, studying the conceptualmetaphor death is artwork, thereby highlightingthe writer's creative ability as well as the messagesin the novel. In doing so, studying the conceptualmetaphor “death is artwork” in Thomas Harris'snovels contributes to bringing a new perspectiveeliminating the prejudice that detective literature isonly a literary genre for "amusement".