A Study Of Metonymy From The Perspective Of Rhetorical Criticism

Rhetorical criticism is one of the important parts that constitute Western rhetoricaltheory. In recent years, there has been an increasing number of studies by scholars fromabroad and home, especially the latter ones. Rhetorical criticism, as suggested by its name,is the criticism on rhetorical phenomena on the basis of the theory of rhetorical criticism.As a rhetorical phenomenon, therefore, metonymy should be one research object ofrhetorical criticism. Meanwhile, the study on metonymy in these years has developedquickly into a focus among researchers, who have made study on the subject from differentperspectives. Now, the study abroad is mainly focused on the conception, classification ofmetonymy in the framework of cognitive linguistics, and its research in terms of semantics,grammar, syntax, and discourse. In the early1980s, cognitive linguists have merelymentioned metonymy when analyzing metaphor. It was not until1990s did the study ofmetonymy become a subject in academic books. In China, some of the scholars treatmetonymy as a figure of speech, while others see it through the lens of cognitive linguistics.Generally, extensive studies on metonymy from abroad and home show problems such aslimitations in research work (largely refer to the relationships between metonymy andvarious levels of a language), and insufficiency in research innovation. Research at home,above all, tends to be concentrated on the introduction of research works from the Westerncountries, lacking its unique theory and method. Besides, the existing studies haven’tinvolved the study of metonymy from the perspective of rhetorical criticism. Taking theseinto consideration, this paper attempts to analyze and evaluate metonymy under the frameof rhetorical criticism, and construct a new research model from the combination ofmetonymy and rhetorical criticism, namely, critical metonymy analysis. And subsequently,on the basis of stating its rhetoricity, operativity and applicability, this paper will establisha discourse analytic model that is reasonable, and adaptable in analyzing and evaluatingmetonymic phenomena in contexts.This investigation primarily adopts a qualitative research method, progressinglogically with verbal description and strict argumentation, so as to add validity to it. Itsprinciple of criterion sampling has been employed in selecting representative texts fromdifferent genres to test the operativity and applicability of critical metonymy analysis. In addition, this study takes in related theories from classical rhetoric, new rhetoric, CDA,cognitive linguistics, politics, translatology, etc. as its methodological tools. As to therhetorical theories, the exploration is based upon classical Western rhetoric, supported byits contemporary research; and the whole research is deepened in the process of digestionand innovation.This present research makes contributions to the following aspects:1) defining clearlyand reasonably the key terms, including rhetorical criticism, criticism, metonymy, andmetonymic competence;2) clarifying analytic procedures of the research on metonymyfrom the perspective of rhetorical criticism;3) relocating for the first time the analyticprocedures of this investigation systematically based on Western rhetoric, and thereafterconstructing a research model with distinct and reasonable structure;4) summarizing theimplications of the research on metonymy from the perspective of rhetorical criticism,namely, the importance of cultivating students’ metonymic competence in English writing,reading, and translation. Moreover, this project differentiates and analyses other concepts,such as rhetorical situation, ideology, and delivers some creative view on these concepts.The most innovative point of the research lies in the integration of such related concepts ofwestern rhetoric as terministic screen, rhetorical motive, rhetorical situation, persuasion,and identification into the three procedures of critical metonymy analysis, so as togradually clarify the critical metonymy model.This study has made a certain theoretical breakthrough in terms of analysis andevaluation of metonymy on the foundation of rhetorical criticism, which will reveal theunique theoretical value of critical metonymic analysis by helping establish the position ofthis type of analysis among the vast number of rhetorical criticism models. On the otherhand, the rhetorical criticism of metonymy offers the theoretical reference for theconstruction of the new model of discourse analysis. Moreover, the study will also providepractical value for English teaching in writing, reading, and translation.