Simile as a picture of the world



Simile as a multidimensional phenomenon is of interest for a number of scientific fields. In logic and psychology, in linguistics and literary criticism there has been developed a long tradition of analysis of simile in the most various aspects. However, there is still the interest in this phenomenon, which is probably due to the specific role of simile in the processes of human cognition of the real world. The purpose of this article is based on the analysis modern fiction to reveal the role of simile in representation of artistic pictures of the world of the late XX ^th — early XXI ^st centuries and exploring the problem of modelling of cognitive aspects. In particular, it outlines the semantic space «age» according to the data of dictionaries: determine the boundaries, composition, semantic relationships between vocabulary groups and elements; generalize the conceptual content of the age parameter in the English and the Uzbek languages picture of the world based on the analysis of lexico-semantic field «age» and the content of speech units, including information about age and conclusions based on careful analysis of the materials in two different systematic languages — English and Uzbek and lays the foundation for future cognitive research. It is especially important to study the features of the functioning of simile in modern fiction, which is the reflection of formed national aesthetic tradition on a present stage.

Keywords : processing, comparison, constant comparison, channels of perception, cognitive, emotiveness, expressiveness, verbal units, cognitive ability.

Сравнение как многоаспектное явление представляет интерес для ряда научных направлений. В логике и психологии, в языкознании и литературоведении сложилась давняя традиция анализа сравнения в самых различных аспектах. Однако интерес к этому явлению все же сохраняется, что, вероятно, обусловлено специфической ролью образного сравнения в процессах познания человеком реального мира. Цель данной статьи — на основе анализа современной художественной литературы выявить роль сравнения в репрезентации художественных картин мира конца XX — начала XXI веков и исследовать проблему моделирования когнитивных аспектов сравнения. Исследуется проблема моделирования когнитивных аспектов сравнений. В частности, очерчивает семантическое пространство «возраст» по данным словарей: определить границы, состав, смысловые отношения между словарными группами и элементами; обобщить понятийное содержание параметра возраста в картине мира на английском и узбекском языках на основе анализа лексико-семантического поля «возраст» и содержания речевых единиц, включая сведения о возрасте и выводы, основанные на внимательном анализе материалов на двух разных систематических языках — английском и узбекском, заложить основу для будущих когнитивных исследований. Особенно важно изучить особенности функционирования образных сравнений в современной художественной литературе, являющейся отражением сформировавшейся национальной эстетической традиции на современном этапе.

Ключевые слова: обработка, сравнение, постоянное сравнение, каналы восприятия, когнитивность, эмотивность, экспрессивность, глагольные единицы, познавательная способность.

1. Introduction

The opportunity to study the mental structure of the human mind through language has fascinated many researchers, and these studies have retained their scientific relevance. By the end of the 20th century a theoretical approach of cognitive science had begun to improve and spread heightening the interest of linguists such as Lakoff G. (1982), Johnson M. and Teun Adrianus van Dijk (1985) who published their works on cognition. “Сognitive linguistics studies language as a cognitive ability, and this is the first important difference of this scientific direction.” [Boldrev N. N. 2021: 23] Specialists in the field of information theory, artificial intelligence, psychologists also drew attention to the fact that language occupies a very special place in the processing of information coming to a person. Currently in the linguistic literature there is a significant number of studies of structural-semantic and cognitive nature, considering the mechanisms of formation of a comparative structure and features of the functioning of comparison in the language and in the literary text. The subject of comparison, being a mandatory component of the structure simile, reflects the most significant for contemporary artistic perception of the world in the sphere of figurative comprehension of reality. Lexico-semantic analysis of language units representing the subject comparisons in comparative constructions of modern literary texts, allows to identify cognitive spheres that are comprehended modern artistic consciousness.

2. Main body

As the study showed, the subject of comparison in modern literary texts are extra linguistic entities related to the anthropological conceptual area. In anthropological sphere the subject of comparison is “a person”. Semantic, involving the analysis of meanings (primary and private, primary and secondary, neutral and evaluative, direct and metaphorical) of language units, the construction of a lexico-semantic field based for creating a generalizing cognitive-semantic model of the concept ‘age’.

As representatives of the object of comparison of the anthropological sphere are nouns and pronouns that name a person. As the analysis showed, the highest frequency of use as representative of the object of comparison of the anthropological sphere have lexemes that name a specific person. Among them are the following groups:

A) proper names :

Efraim and Roberta were talking nonstop about hand presses, newsprint, printer’s ink, and the temporary building for the weekly publication which would become a daily in no time, they predicted, spouting their lines like well-trained actors on stage . (4, 209)

Yoqtirmaganligini Mulla Obidning o'ziga ham ochib aytadi: “ Oshnam, toshdek og'ir, puflangan meshdek dimsan , bir kuni paqqa yorilib o'ligingga ega bo'lmasalar shu”, deydi. (2, 101)

B) pronouns:

I pass, like night , from land to land;

I have strange power of speech;

(3, 85)

Turar u go’dakday beg’ubor kulib,

Balki kulgisi ham bizdan meros bu.

(1, 10)

Analysis of common nouns denoting a person, makes it possible to reveal that, from the point of view of semantic features, verbal units of this group have relational and functional values and are distributed among the following micro-groups:

a) the name of the person according to the physical, physiological condition,

property, action;

b) the name of the person by profession, specialty, occupation, the nature of the activity and related actions, relationships;

c) the name of the person in relation to race, nationality, as well as to territory, to the place of residence;

d) name of a person by social property, by social state, action, function, personal and social relations, connections;

e) by intellectual state, property, quality.

Among the contexts of contemporary literary texts, which are comparative constructions in which the subject comparison is represented by nouns-names of persons, the most widespread are sentences where they use verbal units of the first group. In them, the object of comparison can be represented by such verbal units as girl, girl, boy, man, woman, old man. Even though the quantity lexemes included in this group are small, comparative constructions, in which such agents are used, as already noted, are quite frequent. For example:

A small thin woman , she lies on the floor, in a white cotton nightgown, her graying hair spreading like mildew over the rug ; (8, 116)

Ayol hohlasa, bahordek yashnab, borliqni gulu giyohga burkaydi. Ba’zida o’z g’ururi, nomus ori, Vatan, farzand himoyasi uchun jonini, qahrini ham ayamaydi. (12, 67)

The men looked like tiny toy soldiers . But they were firing! My brother’s Keeper”. (7, 26)

Hozir yaxshi erkaklar tiqilib yotibdi! Har qadamda uchraydi. Tegaman, desangiz bas, yelimday yopishib olishadi. (13, 83)

Less frequent are contexts in which the object of comparison receives linguistic representation with the help of nouns, naming a person by profession and occupation

He makes noises like a good operator , and I hear he has a good reputation. (7, 103)

Яна далаларнинг шовқини тинди,

Яна рақоссадек тинди момиқ қор.

(1, 85)

Names of a person in terms of his belonging to one or another race, nationality, and also in accordance with the territorial sign represent the subject of comparison in the following comparative designs:

“…….. — like the Indians and the white men are going to burn each other,” Jordon finished her sentence, then added a clencher, “like Satan does!” (6, 102)

Aslida-ku baringiz bir o’zbeksiz ,

Bir yurt o’g’li, bir uzukka ko’zdeksiz . (10, 193)

Next less common are contexts in which the subject of comparison is indicated by nouns-names persons in terms of social status, social property, in according to personal and social relations, connections. For example:

Two of the wives in their blue dresses and veils hold her by the arms, as if she needs it; she has a tight little smile on her face, like a hostess at a party she’d rather not be giving. (8, 125)

Mayli, yursangiz ham darvishday kezib,

Bo’ylab chiqsangiz ham mayli jahonni,

Faqat bir o’tinch bor, bergaysiz chizib,

Onamiz suvrati — O’zbekistonni

(1, 89)

However, much more often the image of comparison, correlated with anthropological sphere, is associated with certain typical human characteristics. At the same time, within the framework of the analyzed material the following thematic subgroups of lexical units are distinguished, representing the image of comparison.

1. Man as a living being. physical, physiological human condition. Comparative constructions of this group represent the image of comparison that characterizes a person:

A) by age parameters:

Lurel’s manner went quite to pieces; she absented herself like a child that has asked, ‘May I get down? ’ her chin dropped, her eye wandered, once or twice she looked up at the brim of her hat. (4,115)

O’ksib-o’ksib yig’ladim men,

Misli til bilmas go’dak ,

Onaizor ko’kragidan

Ayrilib qolgan behos.

(1, 57)

The concept of age is based on the most important categories for a person, therefore, its content structure, in addition to the conceptual component, has figurative and value components, which together express the national and cultural specificity of the perception of reality. The age parameter is interpreted as one of the main ones in the formation of attitudes towards a person, opinions about his abilities, desires, actions, therefore, special attention is paid to the assessments of age periods, people at a particular stage of life, embodied in the language, as well as stereotypical ideas about age. Stereotypes, reflected in language and speech, impose restrictions on the use of certain constructions, lexical units and determine certain communicative and normative obligations of the participants in communication.

The creation of an “age” portrait of a person both in the “portrait characteristic” genre and in the “acquaintance announcement” genre is carried out using a comprehensive description of external and internal features. A brief description, such as an old woman or he was still young, or an indication of t for the number of years (a guy of 23 years old; a seventeen-year-old girl) is usually not enough for a holistic description, and if such non-expanded formulations are found, then they implicitly contain signs specific to each age stage and understandable to the addressee without further explanation.

He holds him with his glittering eye –

The Wedding — Guest stood still,

And listens like a three years’ child :

The Mariner hath his will. (3, 112)

Keyin xuddi go’dak boladek ho’ngrab yubordi . (11,46)

Usually, when creating a portrait, the author points to the correspondence or non-compliance of a person (in external or internal manifestations) with his “age norm”. Compliance with the norm is evaluated neutrally or positively, and non-compliance — positively or negatively, depending on what signs a person receives or retains. Thus, childishness, the frivolity of an adult or the excessive seriousness of a child is perceived as a negative phenomenon, and the preservation of optimism by an elderly person or the possession of a large amount of knowledge and experience at a young age is perceived as positive.

Lurel’s manner went quite to pieces; she absented herself like a child that has asked, ‘May I get down?’ her chin dropped, her eye wandered, once or twice she looked up at the brim of her hat. (5, 115)

O’ttiz besh yoshga qadam qo’ygan, ilm-ma’rifat cho’qqisini egallagan baobro’ ustodi xuddi yosh bola kabi o’z soyasi bilan olishayotgan edi . (11,101)

More often, portraiture is based on enumerating external signs, since they more clearly represent physical age, often speakers point out the impossibility or difficulty of determining age without revealing any distinctive features of appearance. External signs can create an image of a person younger or older than the actual number of years lived. The description of the age of the “inner man” (attitude to life, experience, degree of emotionality, state of mind) is more preferable and necessary for characterizing the existential age. A special role in portraiture is played by the description of a person's eyes, which, on the one hand, are an «element» of the external appearance, on the other hand, an indicator of the «internal» age of a person. The description of existential age is perceived as more objective and adequate.

He’s balding and squarely built and looks like an aging football coach . (6, 218)

Sochlari ham, ajin bosgan yuzi ham qordek oqarib ketgan kampir devorga tirab qo’yilgan yostiqqa suyanib, o’zi bilan o’zi gaplashib o’tirar edi. (11, 139)

The world is not a simple set of «photos» of objects, processes, properties, it includes not only reflected objects, but also the position of the reflecting subject, its relation to these objects, moreover, the position of the subject is the same reality as the objects themselves. The picture of the world can be mythological, religious, philosophical, physical picture of the world, but it can also reflect some fragment of the world and be local.

It sat on the shore of the tropic sea like a tired old woman trying to catch her breath in the heat of the eternal summer . (6,244)

Cho’qqi ko’rmay o’layotgan kampirday -

Yurak zorlanadi, zorlanaverar.

(10, 43)

Conclusion

Сomplex cognitive approach allows exploring simile as a multifunctional cognitive construal so as to comprehend and interpret it from a new perspective. Research prospects are diverse. Firstly, it seems possible to use the results obtained in the development of general problems of the anthropocentric description of the English and the Uzbek languages, as well as in addressing the issues of modeling language concepts. Secondly, in this research, the main attention was paid to the discovery of the meaningful components of the concept of age, which are significant for the interpretation of the linguistic image of a person, which was an explication of only a partial connection between the world and a person. A more complete understanding of this relationship, of the ways and means of manifestation of the isomorphism of human existence and the world is possible when studying the concept of age in the semantic space of the linguistic image of the world. Thirdly, the prospects are seen in the study of numerous associative links, fields (for example, the semantics of color in the concept of age), the identification of semantic interpretations of this concept in the individual author's, poetic consciousness, in various speech genres. The study conducted allows us to conclude that the comparison in due to its cognitive and structural-semantic parameters is relevant means of representing the artistic picture of the world, since the object of comparison represents those concepts of national concept spheres, which are the most important for the artistic comprehension of reality, the basis of comparison actualizes the most significant cognitive features of these concepts for the author, and the image of comparison reflects the specificity of the correlation of cognitive spheres in artistic picture of the world. Visual analogy as a process, information about the object of knowledge enters the mind of the subject through three main channels of perception (visual, auditory, kinesthetic), and at the next stage, hundreds of objects of knowledge are processed in our mind, based on the important features of the existing prototype, cognitive information about the object or event is written in human memory. Graphically, the specific features of such cognitive activity can be described as follows (Figure 1):

Fig. 1. Cognitive activity

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