简介：This paper focuses on the role of metaphor in the depicting of the characters for revealing thetheme of the story by exploring the artistic technique employed by the author Langston Hughes in his short storyEarly Autumn. Time， weather， and even people rushing to and from in between are mapped as metaphors to thetarget characters to help readers to frame the discourse so as to highlight the behaviors of the characters and thestory’s theme. The manipulation of metaphor not only serves well the author’s purpose of touching the everlastingissues of human concerns， but also demonstrates adequately the merits and common characteristics ofhigh-qualified literary works： leaving audience/readers indefinite imaginary space to interpret or construe aroundthe theme.
简介：This paper focuses on the role of metaphor in the depicting of the characters for revealing thetheme of the story by exploring the artistic technique employed by the author Langston Hughes in his short storyEarly Autumn. Time， weather， and even people rushing to and from in between are mapped as metaphors to thetarget characters to help readers to frame the discourse so as to highlight the behaviors of the characters and thestory’s theme. The manipulation of metaphor not only serves well the author’s purpose of touching the everlastingissues of human concerns， but also demonstrates adequately the merits and common characteristics ofhigh-qualified literary works： leaving audience/readers indefinite imaginary space to interpret or construe aroundthe theme.