The Literary Mind.pdf

FIGURED TALES 41
ACTORS ARE MANIPULATORS
Self-powered movement is one fundamental subcategory of body action. A second
fundamental subcategory is literal manipulation of physical objects. Manipulation—
in this literal sense—can involve grasping, pushing, pulling, shaking, and so on.
As infants, we observe that we can reach for an object, grasp it, manipulate it, push
it, and shake it. We recognize other objects as intentional actors at least in part on
the basis of recognizing them as capable of performing these actions.
One of the most common uses of EVENTS ARE ACTIONS is to project stories
of bodily grasping and manipulation onto other action stories. EVENTS ARE
ACTIONS thus has a second special subset: ACTORS ARE MANIPULATORS. It is a
general projection. Specific projections develop from it. Many of them are common
and have become conventional. Several of them were noted as separate items
by Lakoff and Johnson. Again, the following list of common projections is meant
only to suggest possibilities that arise under this general projection; its elements
overlap and imply each other. Again, the examples on this list are not mere figures
of speech. They are not specific to language but reveal mental processes of
parable that show up in both everyday language and literary language because
they are general cognitive patterns of projection. In this case, the projections carry
a basic abstract story of manipulation onto a different story of action.
Actors Are Manipulators
He's got his fingers into everything.
Hands off my business!
Action Is Grasping
I took the opportunity.
I finally got my hands on that house.
States Are Physical Objects
He has the nomination in the bag.
Love is hard to hold on to.
Enjoying or Controlling a State Is Grasping the Object
He has a firm grip on the situation.
The new contract took my vacation away from me.
Change of State Is Change of Grasping
I had the game completely in my grasp but then I let it get away
from me.
He throws his chances away.