Metaphors of love and desire in 'The Portrait of a Lady', 'The Dream of the Red Chamber' and 'The Tale of Genji'

This dissertation is an analysis of metaphors of love and desire in the three works. Chapter one sets the theoretical framework of metaphor, love and desire with a substantial linguistic and structuralist analysis of the cognitive and poetic nature of the metaphors in the three texts. I also examine the semantic fields and structure as well as the interpretation of the metaphors. My theory develops the molecular model of semantics and the architectural function of the image. I use my theory of motion, season, and colors of love to redefine the concept, meaning, and nature of love.;Chapter two examines Isabel's ambivalent feelings and emotions, her Platonic-Romantic spirit, and her fear and paradoxical sexuality. I also observe the textual fields of desire that surround Isabel's four suitors and the metaphors of the garden, the house and lightning. Metaphors in the Portrait explore the novel's themes, create psychological depth of each character, and characterize his/her individualized color-of-love.;Chapter three observes the colors of love of Baoyu, Daiyu, Baochai and Qingwen, the similarities of Daiyu's and Isabel's Pre-Oedipal narcissistic sentiment and infantile sexuality, the thematic dreams, and the key metaphors of the jade, the garden and the mirror in the Dream. Daiyu's and Baochai's colors of love are compared and contrasted through their persona and configurations. Baoyu's dream of his journey to the Illusion Land signifies the author's paradoxical tone of love and desire through the novel's spokeswoman Disenchantment. The dreams of Daiyu and Miaoyu reflect their libidinous consciousness and attitudes toward love. The contrast between the world of Grand View Garden and the world of Magic Mirror of Love is seen in the double-facade structure of the novel and in his exploring of the dichotomous natures of love and desire.;Chapter four examines Genji's pre-Oedipal subjectivity, his multi-color of love, waka poetry, and the metaphors of the flare, the flower, the cat and kaimami (peep at women). I postulate that there is a trimorphic relationship between Genji and Fujitsubo and that there are six possibilities in Genji's consciousness when he sleeps with her. Both approaches give some new insights into these touchy aspects of the Genji. The distinction between the characteristics of Genji's and Baoyu's love is the Japanese mono no aware (sentiment) and the Chinese qing (feeling). I redefine kaimami as a dramatic act with significant metaphorical sense and meanings, and compare it with the architectural inspection of women in the Portrait.