Metaphors In American Culture

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Metaphors are used by everyone on daily bases even if they are not aware of it. When talking about the heart in American culture, many times it is talked about as a symbol for the emotion or traits. For example, we say “heart of stone,” “heart of gold,” “pour your heart out to someone,” or “heartbroken.” Certainly, this does not line up with reality. The heart in these metaphors are used to represent how an individual displays their emotions and has nothing to do with the physical heart. These metaphors are not easily understood by individuals from outside our culture, but within our own they are used so often that many individuals don’t think about what then meanings really are. There is a pattern with metaphors about the heart and they deal with emotions or the lack of. Where emotion come from is complex to explain, and is easier to link them to one single symbol. The heart is used as this symbol. Whether the emotions are good or bad, will depend on what the metaphor will depict. The metaphors produce images that emphases the meaning that is trying to be conveyed. When an individual says, “pour your heart out to someone,” they…show more content…
Taking this into account, metaphors about the heart can be difficult to explain or understand. Individuals that take heart for its literal meaning will have problems understanding the metaphors. In the same thought, young children often are raised to think of the heart in a metaphorical terms and not in literal one. Children think of the heart as the shape they learn and not as a blood pumping muscle. They associate love and other emotions to the heart at young age as well. This issue leads to children not understand what the heart really is. As children get older, often times they have to be taught what a real heart is and what its function. Metaphors using the word heart can sometimes be confusing and difficult to explain to certain

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