Animal Farm Revisited: A Conceptual Integration Analysis

Recent studies and discoveries in the field of Cognitive Linguistics have amplified the range of possibilities for linguistic research and investigation regarding language and culture. This paper examines Conceptual Integration Theory and tracks different blends and their development in George Orwell’s 1945 literary classic Animal Farm as well as discusses their interrelations with symbolic representation. This study also shows the way the author utilizes personification, blends and symbolic representation to create a satirical atmosphere and to criticize totalitarian states. The results show the existence of, and outline the characteristics of, two distinct types of blends; the base-blend and the gradually developing blend. Similarly, the analysis suggests that the progress and eventual completion of the gradually developing blend depends on the prior establishment of the base-blend and symbolic representation. Future studies could be conducted by examining other literary works, television shows, commercials or films to identify the existence of more gradually developing blends.