Metaphor and Identity in Season of Migration to the North: A Cognitive-Linguistic Reading

Abstract

This paper investigates the metaphorical construction of identity   in Tayeb Salih’s Season of Migration to the North. By employing a qualitative research design, the study adopts an integrated framework that combines MIPVU, Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT), and Conceptual Blending Theory (CBT) to treat metaphor as a conceptual organizer rather than a decorative linguistic device. The data consists of 43 identity-related metaphorical expressions extracted from the English translation. These expressions were cross-referenced with the original Arabic text. The findings reveal that identity is metaphorically constructed through six recurring conceptual domains: conflict, natural force, structure, fragmented self, space, and journey. Conflict and natural force are the most frequent, each accounting for 25.6% of the data. The study concludes that macro-mappings and micro-blends render identity in the novel both conceptually layered and culturally unstable. The present paper has demonstrated that its integrated framework offers a valuable methodology for cognitive-linguistic research.