Analyzing Metaphors

Abstract

Metaphors are handy tools. They help describe and explain a complex and abstract “thing” by referring to something else. Metaphors, however, are not neutral or innocent instruments to convey information: they can be stigmatizing, entail harmful mystification, and evoke ethical problems. Thus, metaphors operate between two poles: on the one hand, they are the result of an endeavor to narrow down and render more precise, and, on the other hand, they unfold ambiguous meanings and harbor a potential for multiple forms of engagement. The chapter presents two approaches to metaphors: one based in cognitive metaphor theory and the other informed by narrative theory. The chapter specifies concrete methods that help identify, understand, and contextualize metaphors. It will also present examples of how metaphors can be used as powerful resources by caregivers, patients, and researchers to better understand the complexities involved in dealing with health and illness.