FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE IN THE FAULT IN OUR
STAR MOVIE SCRIPT
GUSTI AYU MARCELA DEWI
1218351039
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
FACULTY OF ARTS
UDAYANA UNIVERSITY
2016
iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Praise God, I would like to say thanks to Ida Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa, the almighty God, for His precious blessing and miracles, I could finished my study properly.
There are a lot of people who have contributed much along the entire process of writing up of this work. Therefore, I would like to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to:
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Dean Faculty of Arts, Prof. Dr. Ni Luh Sutjiati Beratha, M.A, and Dr. Ida Ayu Made Puspani, M.Hum as the Head of Non-Regular Program in English Department, to my academic counselor, Dr. Ni Luh Nyoman Seri Malini, S.S, M.Hum for their hospitality and cooperation.
I would like also to express my sincere gratitude to Prof. Dr. I Nengah Sudipa, M.A. and Sang Ayu Isnu Maharani, S.S., M.Hum, my first and second supervisors respectively who have imparted valuable input, ideas and insight for the completion of this work. Their constant encouragement and motivations have made me feel more motivated to finalize my work.
My deepest and heartfelt thanks should be addressed to all lecturers of the English Department for the generous and precious knowledge imparted to me throughout my years of study at the department.
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Satya, Rhardian, Firda, Dersen, Haryati, to my cousins Eva Janawati, Devi Gitari, Indriani P., also addressed to all my lovely classmates I could not mention one by one. We shared our happiness, sadness and laughs together. I could not pour in all of it in this paper. Thank you so much for being rainbow in my sky of life.
My sincere gratitude and appreciation also delivers to all staffs in English Department, Regular and Non Regular Program, Bli Komang, Mbok Aris, Bli Wayan and all the staff members who always give me the best cooperation throughout my years of study at the department, and also addressed to my entire aerial dancer members in Bali Agung Theatre, thanks for the experiences, supports, togetherness during the rehearsal.
Finally, I dedicated my work and feel emotionally indebted to my beloved parents, Gusti Ngurah Nyoman Supartha and Gusti Ayu Tirta, to my grand parents who always call me from Lombok and ask me a question when I will graduate, to my sweet pretty sister Gusti Ayu Sony Pangesti, my handsome brother, Gusti Ngurah Sony Saputra, for their endless prayers, pure loves, guidance, and everything throughout my life. Thank you so much for all.
I do realize that my work does still have weaknesses, so that any constructive advice and suggestion for a better writing of the study will be highly welcome and appreciated.
Denpasar, June 10, 2016
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ABSTRACT
The title of this paper is “Figurative Language In The Fault in Our Star” Movie Script. The aims of this study were to identify the types of figurative language and to analyze the meanings represented of figurative language in The Fault in Our Star movie script.
The data of this study was taken from the movie script entitled “The Fault in Our Star”. The data was collected through observation. The collected and classified data were qualitatively analyzed based on theory of figurative language proposed by Knickerbocker and Reninger (1963). It also supported by the theory of meaning proposed by Leech (1979).
The results of this study, there were 38 of figurative languages found such as; 9 of simile, 3 of metaphor, 2 of personification, 1 of metonymy, 15 of hyperbole, 3 of irony, 1 of paradox and 4 of allusion.
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1.5.2 Method and Technique of Collecting Data 4 1.5.3 Method and Technique of Analysis Data 5
CHAPTER II. LITERATURE REVIEW, CONCEPTS, AND THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK
2.1Literature Review 6
2.2 Concepts 9
2.2.1 Definition of Figurative Language 9
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2.4Types of Figurative Language and Their Meanings
2.4.1 Simile 17 3.3Figurative Language in The Fault in Our Star Movie Script
3.3.1 Simile 24
3.4Meaning Represented of Figurative in The Fault in Our Star Movie
viii CHAPTER IV. CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION 57
BIBLIOGRAPHY 59
Movie is a medium that disseminates moving pictures, that is the series of images projected on a screen in order to create the illusion (deception) motion of the living. Movie is one of important part of human life because nowadays, movie becomes one of sources of entertainment, education, and knowledge. As the popular entertainment, it can make people dissolving themselves in a world of imagination for a certain time and the one important parts of movie is communication that means dialogue. Sir John Pollock (1958) assumed:
a play as a work of art composed of work spoken or motion performed by imagined characters and having a subject, action, development, climax and conclusion (Budianta, 2002: 96)
Languages are more than systems of thought transference. They are invisible garments that drape themselves about our spirit and give a predetermined form to all its symbolic expression. When the expression is of unusual significance, it called literature. (Sapir, 1921: 221)
2
Figurative Language is one type of literary work, which puts an emphasis on connotation rather than denotation meaning. Generally, figurative language is language that uses words or expressions with a different meaning. It is deeper than a literal interpretation. Figurative language uses figure of speech to say something other than the literal meaning of the words. It is interesting study
because the writer is going to analyze language that used in form of
communication for instance daily conversation, literary book such as novel,
poetry, newspaper, article, magazine etc. and audiovisual like movie.
Since there are many figurative languages in the movie that commonly have
the different sense than the literal meaning, the writer is interested in analyzing
and classifying the communication that used in a movie into the kinds of
figurative language itself. One of movies that contain figurative language is The
3
1.2Problems of Study
Based on the background of study, the writer formulates the following problems:
1.What types of figurative language are used in The Fault in Our Star movie script?
2.How meanings are represented of figurative language in The Fault in Our Star movie script?
1.3Aims of Study
This research has some proposes:
1.To identify types of figurative language used in The Fault in Our Star movie script.
2.To analyze meanings are represented of figurative language in The Fault in Our Star movie script.
1.4Scope of Discussion
4
1.5Research Method
1.5.1 Data Source
The main data was taken from the movie script The Fault in Our Star is a 2014 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Josh Boone. This movie was released on June 6, 2014, in the United States. The title is inspired by Act 1, Scene 2 of Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar, in which the nobleman Cassius says to Brutus: "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, / But in ourselves, that we are underlings." A feature film adaptation of the novel, which is based on true story about cancer, and starring Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort and Nat Wolff. The film too was popularly and critically successful, becoming number one at the box office during its opening
weekend and receiving a 80% critic vote and 85% popular vote on
rottentomatoes.com.
In this study the researcher restrict in terms of the figurative language because after watching movie The Fault in Our Stars, researcher found there are many figurative languages in this movie.
1.5.2 Method and Technique of Collecting Data
The data was collected by watching The Fault in Our Star movie and trying to find the data that relevant with the study. In this writing also was conducted library research to get the information about figurative language.
In this research, the technique of collecting data were done in several steps
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Our Star, watching the movie and reviewing it, downloading script of The Fault In Our Star movie, collecting the data that is relevant with the study, and
makes a note-taking, classifying the data into the types of figurative language
and finding the meanings represented of figurative language in The Fault in
Our Star movie script.
1.5.3 Method and Technique of Analysis Data
The data was analyzed by qualitative method. The data was analyzed
based on theory of figurative language proposed by Knickerbocker and
Reninger (1963: 367) introduced the figurative language by saying that
figurative language is sometimes called ‘metaphorical language’ and also
supported theory of meaning proposed by Leech (1979). Firstly, in order to
understand the object of the study, watched the movie repeatedly, read the
movie script carefully and then tried to interpret the message or the main point.
Secondly, described the types of figurative language used in the movie script
and analyzed the meaning that represented.
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CHAPTER II
LITERATURE REVIEW, CONCEPTS, AND THEORICAL
FRAMEWORK
2.1 Literature Review
The analysis about figurative language has been conducted by a large
number of English students with various titles of their paper. In order to support
the discussion and analysis of this study is important to review some of their
works related to this study about figurative language:
The fist paper was written by Aditama (2005) entitled “Figurative language
Applied in Greeting Cards”, was an analysis of figurative language in greeting
cards. Twenty greeting cards were selected randomly as chosen data such as
birthday cards, season greeting cards, love cards, etc. The problems were taken to
analyze the types of figurative language used in the greeting cards, the functions
and the meaning behind the phrases or sentence expressed in greeting cards. The
theory from Knickerbocker and Reninger was used as the main theory for the
study. The theory of meaning proposed by Leech was applied as supporting
theory for the research of his study and both of the theories are relevance with this
study. Aditama’s paper only found four kinds of figurative language because he
only analyzes twenty of greeting cards, which includes hyperbole, simile,
personification and synecdoche. The difference between his study is from the data
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many figurative languages found in this paper. The contribution of Aditama’s
paper is to support ideas and giving examples of the used of figurative language
as an important role to express someone’s feeling and give a special taste to the
sentences.
Sari (2004) in The Use of Figurative Language in English Greeting Cards and Printed Advertisement on Magazine. Her study is about an analysis of the use of figurative language in English greeting cards and printed advertisement. The
main purpose of this study is to find out what types of figurative language are
used in the English greeting cards and printed advertisement. Sari presents a good
analysis, clear and easy to understand. She was also detail in describing the types
of figurative language, she used four references in each type of figurative
language, and therefore it makes the readers easier to understand about each type
figures. However, there are only few of figurative languages was found in her
paper. The relevancies for this study are the same theory are used is theory of
Knickerbocker and Reninger, and also theory of meaning by Leech.
Suarningsih (2008) wrote Figurative Language Figurative Language in the Poem My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose. In her paper, she analyzed the kinds of figurative language and to know why figurative language is used in the poem.
The data were analyzed based of various types of figurative language proposed by
Knickerbockers and Reninger (1963). All the data was the sentences quoted from
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paper, simile can be found in the first stanza, hyperbole and personification can be
found in the second, third and fourth stanza. Suarningsih’s paper and this paper
are dissimilar in a matter of the data source that her paper’s data source is in the
form of poem. However, in this paper used movie script as the data source and
surely found more examples of figurative languages. The benefit of Suarningsih’s
paper in this writing is that not only the poem used as a data to analyze figurative
language, but also the movie script because it can be contained metaphorical
language similar to the poem.
The last article in this research is a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) of
Figurative language in Pakistani English Newspapers. A corpus has been
compiled from four English Newspapers: Dawn, The News, The Nation and The
Express Tribune on the basis of best readership across the country. To extract the
figures of speech, the wordlists comprised of various figures of speech has been
compiled from the work of the previous researchers. Data has been analyzed on
the basis of Richardson (2007) model of Newspaper evaluation through Critical
Discourse Analysis. This research highlights the implicit function of figurative
language in the English Newspapers. It explores how figurative language is used
in communicating ideas to facilitate the readers and to uncover the manipulation
through its usage. Language of Newspaper generally influence public opinion on
various social, political or moral matters due to excessive use of influencing
vocabulary or phrases with different evaluative connotative meanings.
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Newspaper. Since metonymy is much frequent so it affected more the text as
compared to other figures of speech. Metonymy tries to hide the responsible agent
for the event and making the things vague and uncertain for the reader. It takes the
reader away from reality. Metaphor on the other hand was non-literal use of
language making the idea far from the actual reality or facts. Simile makes the
things more abstract from concrete. Hyperbole was responsible for making things
appear more and extraordinary than actually they were. Data varied from
newspaper to newspaper but overall, Metonymy was the most frequently
occurring figure of speech in newspaper. After metonymy, metaphor was the
second frequent figure of speech. While remaining two, simile and hyperbole
occur in relative proportion in Newspaper corpus as shown in the following table.
2.2Concepts
2.2.1 Definition of Figurative Language
Figurative language is language that uses figures of speech. Figurative
language uses figure of speech a way of saying something other than the
literal meaning of the word. Figurative language according Perrine (1978: 58)
often provides a more effective means saying what we mean than does
directly.
Knickerbocker and Reninger (1963: 366) stated that figurative languages
are images used in particular way to explore the less know through the known.
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meaning or a phrase with a specialized meaning not based on the literal
meaning of the words in it. Figurative language will give more meaning to the
words, beauty them, and emphasize their meaning. In general, figurative
language is that kind of language, which departs from the language, employed
in the traditional, literal ways of describing persons or objects. Figurative
language or speech contains of images therefore, the writer or speaker able to
describe something through the use of unusual comparisons, for effect,
interest, and make things clearer. The result of using this technique is the
creation of interesting images. Kennedy (1979: 487) says that a figure of
speech may be said to occur whenever a speaker or writer, for the sake of
freshness or emphasis, departs from the usual denotations of words.
Figurative language is essential in certain types of writing to help
convey meaning and expression. It is necessary to convey the exact meaning
in a vivid and artistic manner, yet a concise and to the point manner to the
reader. The writer has a story to tell and the language used must portray every
emotion and feeling possible on the paper.
2.2.2 Meaning of Words
Most people think of language as a clear and literal vehicle for precisely
communicating ideas. Even when we use language literally, however,
misunderstanding arise and meaning shift. People can be intentionally or
unintentionally ambiguous, although when the speaker utters a potentially
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intends the sentence to be in one meaning. Therefore, words can have
denotations, apparent or surface meanings and connotation, implied or hidden
meaning.
Words are used not in isolation but related to human situation. In other
word, the words have context of situation where the word is applied. It is
through our experiences with them in human situation that they take on
meaning. Therefore, to untangle the meaning of words in a literary work or
conversation cannot be done only by using dictionary. Dictionary cannot carry
all information about the ways in which we build up associations with words.
Meaning is not scientific study or material phenomena (though and symbol)
that have to saw as providing semantic answer, however the scientific
definition of everything to which language may refer. If talking about words,
it cannot be denied talking about the study of meaning (semantic) because the
meaning of word is often complex, having such component as a picture, an
idea, a quality, a relationship, a personal feeling, and associations. For
convenience, Leech (1974: 10) has categorized meaning into seven types, as
conceptual meaning, connotative meaning, stylistic meaning, affective
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2.2.3 Conceptual Meaning
2.2.3.1Conceptual Meaning
Conceptual meaning is also called denotative meaning or cognitive
meaning. It is widely assumed to be the central factor in verbal
communication. Leech (1974: 13) states that the aim of the denotative
meaning is to provide, for any given interpretation of a sentence, a
configuration of abstract symbols, which shows exactly what we need to
know if we are to distinguish that meaning from all other possible sentence
meaning in the languages. It is the basic propositional meaning, which
corresponds to the primary dictionary definition.
2.2.3.2Connotative meaning
Connotative meaning is the communicative value an expression has by
virtue of what it refers to, over, and above its purely content (Leech, 1974:
14-15).
Talking about connotation is in fact talking about the real world
experience one associates with an expression when one uses or hears it.
Connotation is relatively unstable that is, they vary considerably as we
have seen, according to culture, historical period and the experience of the
individual. Connotative meaning is indeterminate and open in the same
sense as our knowledge and belief about the universe that are
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however it is shared with other communicative system, such as that in
music and visual art.
For example:
The word "women" can mean in conceptual ways pass through three
characteristic HUMAN, MALE, +ADULT then that three characteristic
must given a right words in uses. In the different explanation or in the
"real world", can be attributing from that reference (which is the reference
by the words). However also found as much as characteristic which one
not entered in those criteria which already we know also can be the
reference by the words "women''. The reference not only including
physical characteristic (have two legs have a womb") but also in mental
and social characteristic have friend' have motherly instinct") (Leech,
1974: 16).
2.2.3.3Stylistic meaning
Stylistic meaning is a piece of language conveys about the
circumstances of its use (Leech, 1974: 14). In part we 'decode' the social
meaning of a text through our recognition of different dimensions and
levels of style within the same language. A recent account of English has
recognized some main dimensions of stylistic variations.
For example:
a. They chucked a stone at the cops, and then did a bunk with the
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b. After casting a stone at the police, they absconded with the money.
Sentence (a) could be said by two criminals, talking casually about
the crime afterwards; sentence (b) might be said by the chief of the
police in making the official report; both could describe the same
happening.
2.2.3.4Affective meaning
Affective meaning is meaning is more directly a reflection of the
speaker's personal attitude or feelings towards the listener or the target of
the utterance. Such feelings or attitudes are usually negative or insincere in
nature. They are normally expressed through such forms of language use
as insults, flattery, hyperbole or sarcasm (Leech, 1974: 20).
For example:
In order to get people attention to be quiet, we might say either (1)
”I’m terribly sorry to interrupt, but I wonder if you would be so kind as to
lower your voice as a little” or (2) “Will you belt up”. Factors such as
intonation and voice timbre are also important here. The impression of
politeness in the sentence (1) can be reserved by tone of biting sarcasm;
sentence (2) can be turn into a playful remark between intimates if
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2.2.3.5Reflected meaning
Reflected meaning involves an interconnection on the lexical level of
languages. It is meaning, which arises in cases of multiple conceptual
meaning, when one sense of a word forms part of our response to another
sense (Leech, 1974: 16).
Example:
In church ceremony, the synonymous expressions of The Comforter
and The Holy Ghosts. Both refer to the Third Person form. My reaction for
the technical term is formed by non religious meaning from comfort and
ghost. The meant "who supported" while the words "The Holy Ghost"
seems like fear something. (Leech, 1974: 21).
2.2.3.6Collocative meaning
Collocative meaning consist of the association of a word acquired on
account of the meaning of words, which tends to occur in its environment.
For example, the word "handsome” and "pretty" share common ground in
the meaning of "good looking", but may distinguished by the range of
nouns which they are likely to co-occur of collocate: the word handsome
is collocated with man, vessel, typewriter, car, etc. Not all differences in
potential co-occurrence to be explained as collocative meaning, some may
due tostylistic differences, other to conceptual difference. (Leech, 1974:
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2.2.3.7Thematic meaning
Thematic meaning is communicated by the way in which a speaker or
writer organizes the message, in terms of ordering, focus and emphasis.
Sentences like the following illustrate this:
a). Mrs. Bessie Smith donated the first prize
b). The first prize was donated by Mrs. Bessie Smith.
The sentences above have a different communicative value, where is
the sentence show the different context, in the sentences the active
sentence give answered about disguised “what Mrs. Bessie Smith
donated?” while the passive sentence answered a implication question “
who is donated the first prize?” but the real condition which is the same
with the sentence, we think is impossible to find the situation where is the
sentence, the first sentence is a accurate report, meanwhile the second
sentence is not accurate report. (Leech, 1974: 25-26).
2.3 Theoretical Framework
In analyzed this thesis, there are theoretical basic which was used to guide
and help to finish this thesis. This literature review was attached some
definitions, descriptions, and examples as the theoretical foundation of the
study. Regarding the kinds of figurative language, Knickerbocker and Reninger
(1963: 367) proposed some kinds of figures namely, simile, metaphor,
personification, synecdoche, metonymy, hyperbole, irony, paradox, dead
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2.4Types of Figurative Language and Their Meanings
2.4.1 Simile
Simile is a stated comparison introduced by like or as (Knickerbocker and Reniger, 1963: 367)
E.g.: “My love is like red rose”
It is called simile because the word “like” in the above sentence has a
function to compare My love with Red rose. It shows the similarity between my love and red rose, even though they are totally different
things. The writer wants to describe that the love as beautiful as a rose.
Red rode is usually identified with the beautiful things.
2.4.2 Metaphor
Metaphor is an implicit comparison, with “like” or “as”
(Knickerbocker and Reniger, 1963: 367).
E.g.: “life’s but a walking shadow” instead of saying life is like a
walking shadow(Knickerbocker and Reniger, 1963: 367).
In the above example, the writer wants to explain the similarity of two
things. However, it is compared implicitly. The writer does not use word
“like” or “as” like a simile. The purpose of the writer is to make good
sound and also to create a great sense when the reader read the poem. A
metaphor that is commonly used may lose in our mind the element of
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2.4.3 Personification
Personification is figure of giving human characteristics to an object,
animal, or an abstract idea. Personification is metaphor, of course, in the
sense that there is implied comparison between non-human and human
being. (Knickerbocker and Reniger, 1963: 367).
E.g.: “ These honor comes, a pilgrim gray” (Knickerbocker and
Reniger, 1963: 367).
In the above example shows the use of personification because the
word “comes”is only for human being however “the honor”is non-human
being action. In this case, the writer wants to give a special sense to the
word “honor”in the sentence.
2.4.4 Synecdoche
Synecdoche is a figure using the part for the whole. (Knickerbocker
and Reniger, 1963: 367).
E.g.: “fifty winters (years) passed him by” or using the whole part
E.g.: “The halcyon year” means, the summer (Knickerbocker and
Reniger, 1963: 367).
The above example called synecdoche because the word “winter”is a
part of the year. Therefore the sentence means, “fifty years passed him
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2.4.5 Metonymy
Metonymy is a figure for describing one thing by using the term for
another thing closely associated with it. (Knickerbocker and Reniger,
1963: 367).
E.g.: “the crown” used for “the King” (Knickerbocker and Reniger,
1963: 367).
Metonymy is characterized by the substitutions of term naming an
object closely associated with the word in mind for the word itself. From
the above example, “the crown” is identical with “the king”, a person who
leads a kingdom or empire. Therefore, the word “crown”is given the same
meaning as the king. Or actually those words are having closely
relationship for the empire, because the empire has a king and crown as a
symbol of government.
2.4.6 Hyperbole
Hyperbole is a figure of an exaggeration used for special effect.
(Knickerbocker and Reniger, 1963: 367).
E.g.: “drink to me only with thin eyes” (From Ben Jonson, ‘Song to
Celia’ in Knickerbocker and Reniger, 1963: 367). “Go and catch the
falling stars” (John Donne, ‘Go and Catch a Falling Stars’, in
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It is called hyperbole because the sentence seems to be exaggerated. It
is impossible thing to do it. Are there any persons can catch the falling
star? The answer is of course not.
2.4.7 Irony
Irony is a statement of which the real meaning is completely opposed
to its professed or surface meaning.
E.g.: “The czar is the voice of God and the shall live forever” (From
Carl Samburg, ‘The people Yes’, in Knickerbockers, 1963: 427).
The meaning of the above example is czar is an authoritarian
individual. The czar actually not the choice of God and shall live forever.
The writer wants to give an ironic sense to the sentence; it is the opposite
of the real meaning.
2.4.8 Paradox
Paradox is a statement whose surface obvious meaning seems to be
illogical, even absurd, but which make good sense upon closer
examination.
E.g.: “light is the darker thing in physics” (Knickerbocker and
Reninger, 1963: 367).
From the above example, the words “light” and “physics” is the part of sense similar to human having a legs and hands for making a good
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2.4.9 Dead Metaphor
Dead metaphor is a metaphor, which has lost its figurative meaning
through endless use.
E.g.: “the back of the chair”; “the face of the clock” (Knickerbocker
and Reninger, 1963: 368).
It is called dead metaphor because its gives more stress to the thing,
which is talked about. In the sentence “the back of the chair”, shows the
specific part of the chair, which become the central part of the topic. And
also in the sentence “the face of the clock” shows the specific part of the
clock, with becomes the central part of the topic.
2.4.10 Allusion
Allusion is reference to some well-known place, event, or person. Not
a comparison in the exact sense, but the figure in the sense that it implies
more than it’s narrow meaning.
E.g.: “No. I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be”
(Knickerbocker and Reninger, 1963: 368).
The above example means that “I”was not Prince Helmet but “I”
don’t want to be him. The sentence gives a sense of allusion, and Prince
Helmet implies more than its narrow meaning. It is called allusion because
this example gives the reference that no one to be prince.
