ABSTRACT

Color word is a branch of language, which can be considered as a mirror reflecting language culture. Different color word in different languages reflect different cultural meanings, and it itself can bear rich and colorful cultural connotation of the national culture in a directly or indirectly way. Among them, “black” and “white” are typical colors. Metaphor, a kind of psychological behavior, language behavior and cultural behavior, functions as perception, experience, imagination, understanding under suggestion when talking about things. Wuthering heights is a famous classic foreign work at home and abroad, and the study of its color word has both challenges and necessary significance.

This study is aimed at introducing a metaphorical approach to analyzing Chinese and English color words in Wuthering Heights, espically “black” and “white”. It is hoped that this paper will deepen readers’ understanding of Wuthering heights by exploring its color word distribution and the implied meaning it indicates. In Wuthering heights, the ‘black’ and ‘white’  are the color words that most frequently appeared. The author will focus on different meanings and interpretations about this great work from the literal and metaphorical angle and explore the deeper meanings in depicting the characters.

Key words: metaphor; color words; black; white; Wuthering Heights

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ABSTRACT

摘要

Chapter One  INTRODUCTION-1

Chapter Two  LITERATURE REVIEW-3

2.1 An Overview of Metaphor-3

2.1.1 Definition of Metaphor-3

2.1.2 Systematicity of Metaphor-3

2.1.3 Previous Studies on Metaphor at home and abroad5

2.2 An Overview of Color Words5

2.3 A Brief Introduction to Wuthering Heights.5

2.3.1 A plot summary of Wuthering Heights6

2.3.2 A brief analysis of figures in Wuthering Heights6

Chapter Three  METAPHOR MEANINGS OF COLOR WORDS -- "Black" and "White" IN WUTHERING HEIGHTS-8

3.1 Classifications of color words in Wuthering Heights-8

3.2 “White”and “Black”-8

3.2.1 “White” & “Black” in Chinese and English Culture-8

3.2.2 “White” & “Black” in Wuthering Heights-9

 3.2.3 Metaphor meanings of “white” & “Black” in Wuthering  

  Heights.10

3.3 Summary11

Chapter Four  Reasons for differences in Metaphor meanings between Chinese and English cultures IN WUTHERING HEIGHTS13

4.1 Historical reasons-13

4.2 Cultural reasons-15

4.3 Religious reasons-17

4.4 Summary-17

Chapter Five  CONCLUSION-18

REFRENCES-20