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FFigurative Thought and Languageigurative Thought and Language 1st International SymposiumAristotle University of Thessaloniki,Thessaloniki, Greece25 - 26 April, 2014 Up From SlaveryUp From Slavery, by Booker T. , by Booker T. Washington:Washington:

Conceptual Integration in

Discourse and Narrative StructureDiscourse and Narrative Structure

Linda ManneyAmerican College of Thessaloniki;

Pinewood American International School

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Up From Slavery:Rhetoric of Accommodation

Ideology of Success

“Negroes in this country [i.e. late 19th-century U.S.A.], who themselves or whose forefathers went through the school of slavery, are constantly returning to Africa as missionaries to enlighten those who remained in the fatherland.” (pg. 10)

“I used to picture the way that I would begin at the bottom and keep rising until I reached the highest round of success.” (pg. 23)

- Booker T. Washington, Up From Slavery, 1901 / 1995

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Organization of Organization of PresentationPresentation

Conceptual integration and discourse metaphor

Conceptual Integration Theory (Fauconnier and Turner 2002)

Conceptual integration and narrative structure Life story paradigms (Smith and Watson 2010) Success story paradigms (Weiss 1969 / 1988) Blended narratives (Turner 1996)

Conclusions / Closing Thoughts Role of Conceptual Integration to create a new reality

(Turner 1996)

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Discourse Analytical Metaphor as a Conceptual Blend

1. SCHOOL is PARADISE

“I had no schooling whatever while I was a slave though I remember on several occasions I went as far as the schoolhouse door with one of my young mistresses to carry her books. The picture of several dozen boys and girls in a schoolroom engaged in study made a deep impression upon me, and I had the feeling that to get into a school house and study in this way would be about the same as getting into Paradise.” (pg.4)

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Generic Space:Generic Space:A Schema that A Schema that

encompasses both encompasses both SCHOOLSCHOOL and and PARADISEPARADISE

Generic Space:A Schema for

both SCHOOL and PARADISE

- Organized setting

- Subordinates perform activities

- A hierarchy of managers supervise

- A leader presides

SCHOOL is PARADISE“I had no schooling whatever while I was a slave though I remember on several occasions I went as far as the schoolhouse door with one of my young mistresses to carry her books. The picture of several dozen boys and girls in a schoolroom engaged in study made a deep impression upon me, and I had the feeling that to get into a school house and study in this way would be about the same as getting into Paradise.” (pg.4 )

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SCHOOL is PARADISE Correspondences

PARADISE (Input 1)a. Heavenb. Experiencing the Divinec. Heaven’s Gated. Angels in Heavene. St. Peter at Heaven’s

Gatef. God, the Perfect Being

SCHOOL (Input 2)a. Schoolb. Schooling, learningc. School house doord. Boys and girls in

schoole. School Admissions

Officerf. School Director

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Blended Space 1:SCHOOL is PARADISE

BLENDED SPACE 1:a. SCHOOL is PARADISE b. Schooling is

Experiencing the Divinec. School house door is

Heaven’s Gate d. Boys and Girls in school

are Angels in Heavene. School Admission’s

Officer is St. Peterf. School Director is God

“I had no schooling whatever while I was a slave though I remember on several occasions I went as far as the schoolhouse door with one of my young mistresses to carry her books. The picture of several dozen boys and girls in a schoolroom engaged in study made a deep impression upon me, and I had the feeling that to get into a school house and study in this way would be about the same as getting into Paradise.” (pg.4 )

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Discourse Analytical Metaphor as aConceptual Blend

2. HAMPTON INSTITUTE AS PARADISE / SCHOOL

Young Washington’s impressions, upon reaching Hampton Institute:

“I felt that I had reached the promised land, and I resolved to let no obstacle prevent me from putting forth the highest effort to fit myself to accomplish the most good to the world.”

Young Washington’s first impressions of the school director, General Samuel Armstrong:

“. . . He made the impression upon me of being a perfect man; I was made to feel that there was something about him that was superhuman.”

“General Armstrong . . . was a type of that Christlike body of men and women . . .”

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HAMPTON INSTITUTE is PARADISE / SCHOOL

Correspondences

BLENDED SPACE 1 (Input 1):

a. SCHOOL is PARADISE b. Schooling is Experiencing

the Divinec. Boys and Girls in school are

Angels in Heavend. School Director is God

HAMPTON (Input 2)

a. Hampton Instituteb. Learning a trade or

skill

c. Students at Hamptond. General Samuel

Armstrong

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Blended Space 2:HAMPTON INSTITUTE is PARADISE /

SCHOOL

HAMPTON INSTITUTE is PARADISE / SCHOOL

(Hyperbolic meanings emerge via the Blend)

a. Learning a trade or skill is Schooling / Experiencing the Divine

b. School house door is Heaven’s Gate

c. Boys and Girls in school are Angels in Heaven

d. General Samuel Armstrong is School Director / God

Young Washington’s impressions, uponreaching Hampton Institute:

“I felt that I had reached the PromisedLand, and I resolved to let no obstacleprevent me from putting forth the highest effort to fit myself to accomplish the most good to the world.”

Young Washington’s impressions of the school director, General Armstrong:

“. . . He made the impression upon meof being a perfect man; I was made to feelthat there was something about him that was superhuman.”

“General Armstrong . . . was a type of thatChristlike body of men and women . . .”

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Discourse Analytical Metaphor as aConceptual Blend

3. INSTITUTION OF SLAVERY is SCHOOL / PARADISE

“The ten million Negroes inhabiting this country, who themselves or whose ancestors went through the school of American slavery, are in a stronger and more hopeful condition, materially, intellectually, morally, and religiously, than is true of an equal number of black people in any other portion of the globe.”

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SLAVERY is SCHOOL / PARADISECorrespondences

BLENDED SPACE 1 (Input 1)

a. SCHOOL / PARADISE

b. Schooling / Experiencing the Divine

c. Pupils in school / Angels in Heaven

d. School Director / God, the Perfect Being

INSTITUTION OF SLAVERY (Input 2)

a. Antebellum Southern Plantation, mid-19th century, USA

b. Learning a menial task while enslaved

c. Enslaved people on a plantation

d. Plantation owner, all-powerful “Master”

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Blended Space 3:INSTITUTION OF SLAVERY is PARADISE /

SCHOOL

SOUTHERN PLANTATION is PARADISE / SCHOOLControversially Ironic meaning emerges via the Blenda. Learning menial tasks

while enslaved is Schooling / Experiencing the Divine

b. Enslaved people are Pupils / Angels in Heaven

c. Plantation owner is School Director / God, the all-powerful “Master”

“The ten million Negroes inhabiting this country, who themselves or whose ancestors went through the school of American slavery, are in a stronger and more hopeful condition, materially, intellectually, morally, and religiously, than is true of an equal number of black people in any other portion of the globe.”

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Narrative Structure in Autobiography as a Conceptual Blend

Merging Life Story and Success Story Success Story ParadigmsParadigms

Prototypical Life Story ParadigmPrototypical Life Story Paradigm (Smith and Watson 2010) Foregrounds a narrating subject in multiple agentive roles;

Relates a self-oriented chronology which is connected to facts in the external world.

Prototypical 19th century Success StoryPrototypical 19th century Success Story Paradigm (Weiss 1969 / 1988)

Foregrounds a white Anglo-Saxon heroic subject;

Describes hero’s outstanding character which helps to overcome poverty.

Result is a blended story structureblended story structure which positions

Booker T. Washington as 19th-century African-AmericanBooker T. Washington as 19th-century African-AmericanHeroic Agent in a white man’s worldHeroic Agent in a white man’s world

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Blended Narrative 1:BRICKMAKING SUCCESS AT TUSKEGEE,

pg 89

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Blended Narrative 1:BRICKMAKING SUCCESS AT TUSKEGEE, pg

90

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Integration of Life Story Life Story WritingWriting and and Success Story Success Story

ParadigmsParadigms

Up From Slavery:Up From Slavery:

A series ofA series of Blended Story Structures Blended Story Structures

Integrates elements of Life Story and Success Story paradigms

Combines familiar models to create a new story frame

Selectively omits or foregrounds key elements of life experience

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Conclusions / Closing Thoughts

In Up From Slavery, by Booker T. Washington,

Cognitive construct of conceptual conceptual blendblend is a major organizational strategy.

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Role of Conceptual Integration in Discourse and Narrative Structure

Presents narrator’s perspective of key events

Blended Metaphor in Up From Slavery Hyperbolic or Ironic meanings

Blended Life Stories in Up From Slavery Alternative representation of black man in a white man’s

world

Expresses aspects of human imagination Hampton Institution as School / Paradise Black man as Hero in a white man’s world Blend creates a new reality

(Turner 1996)

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References

Fauconnier, Giles and Mark Turner (2002) The Way We Think: Conceptual Blending and the Mind’s Hidden Complexities. New York: Basic Books.

Smith, Sidonie and Julia Watson (2010) Reading Autobiography: A Guide for Interpreting Life Narratives, 2nd edition. University of Minnesota Press.

Turner, Mark (1996) The Literary Mind. New York / Oxford. OUP. Washington, Booker T. (1901 / 1995) Up From Slavery. New York /

Oxford: OUP.

Weiss, Richard (1969 / 1988) The American Myth of Success: From Horatio Alger to Norman Vincent Peale. University of Illinois Press.