Visual-Verbal Representations Of Anger In Japanese Comics

This thesis studies the visual and verbal representations of anger in the Chinese translated versions of Japanese comics from the perspectives of Systemic Functional Theory and Conceptual Metaphor Theory.In terms of visual representations,this thesis first distinguishes the category of visual representations of emotive behaviors from the category of conventionalized signs.For the first category,this thesis conducts a quantitative analysis by using semiotic models for nonverbal behaviors.For the second category,this thesis qualitatively analyzes cognitive motivations of pictorial runes,pictograms and balloon features in representing anger.Based on the above analyses,this paper identifies the semiotic status of different types of visual signs.In terms of verbal representations,this thesis makes a distinction between the verbal text within the balloon and that outside the balloon,and then analyzes some prominent features of the verbal text.This thesis finds that the visual representations of anger in Japanese comics can be classified into visual representations of emotive behaviors and conventionalized signs.The visual representations of emotive behaviors mainly consist of facial expression,touch and body orientation.Based on our data,in terms of facial expression,the available options for representing anger include "forehead:vertical wrinkles,eyebrow:lowered inner corners,eyes:widely open or narrow/closed,mouth:widely open or tightly closed".The typical touch in representing anger is punching,which can be represented by "[fist]+[face]+[non-reciprocal]+[vector:toward patient]+[strength:high]".The body orientation is generally forward,suggesting that anger is an active emotion.The conventionalized signs that express anger consist of pictorial runes,pictograms and balloon features.The pictorial runes include radial straight lines,lightening-shape lines,shaking,droplets and veins.The pictograms include steam,fire and meteorological phenomena.The balloon features include big-jagged asymmetrical balloon and bold face and large font of words.In representing anger,the conventionalized signs are mainly motivated by the conceptual metaphors ANGER IS THE HEAT OF THE HOT FLUID IN A CONTAINER,ANGER IS FIRE and the conceptual metonymy THE PHYSIOLOGICAL AND EXPRESSIVE RESPONSES OF ANGER STAND FOR ANGER.In terms of semiotic status,this thesis finds visual representations of emotive behaviors and pictograms are both iconic and indexical,while pictorial runes and balloon features are indexical.The verbal representations of anger are found both within the balloon and outside the balloon.They mainly consist of literal,figurative and expressive words of emotion and exclamation mood.The findings of this thesis can help enrich the conceptual metaphor theory and systemic functional theory on the nonverbal level.In addition,the systemic choices of emotive behaviors in representing anger can contribute to emotion designing in comics.