‘Blood is boiling' in Gaza: Emotion Metaphors in the New York Times’ Coverage of the Second Palestinian Intifada

Abstract

This paper investigates the most prevalent metaphors used by the New York Times in constructing the emotions of news actors during the second Palestinian Intifada. Drawing on a systematic sampling of news texts published during the newspaper’s coverage of the Intifada, I first show that Lakoff’s (1987) ANGER IS HEAT metaphor is primarily used in characterizing emotionally-driven responses of Palestinian and Arab peoples. On the other hand, an examination of the themes, metaphors and images associated with Israeli society shows a rather favourable representation which evokes scripts of familial and social cohesion. At the centre of this treatment is the metaphorical construction of Israel as an in-group entity which is being encroached upon by an amplified outside threat primarily associated with the Palestinians. The selective use of metaphors and their evoked conceptual and emotional associations highlight the role metaphors serve as potent linguistic devices used to legitimate or delegitimate particular social actions and ultimately contribute to the construction of an ideological version of social reality