G. A. Tairova
PhD student, Kazakh Ablai Khan University of International Relations and World Languages, Almaty, Kazakhstan
LINGUOCULTURAL CONCEPT “WOMAN” IN JOJO MOYES’ NOVEL “ME BEFORE YOU”
Article focuses on the linguoculturological concept «woman» represented in Jojo Moyes’ novel «Me before you». Author considers different definitions of this notion from the perspective of three approaches. Further, the author considers understanding of the concept «woman» displayed in four English dictionaries. As a basis was taken content analysis which helped to reveal various microconcepts of a concept «woman» such as «work» and «love». Also, the author reveals such cognitive aspects which are a part of the concept «woman» as «physical appearance» and «personal qualities» of the woman. Lexical representation of these aspects is presented in the form of tables with its subsequent discussion. The author gives understanding of the concept «woman» expressed in writer’s individual-authorial consciousness of this novel.
Key words: concept, microconcept, individual-authorial consciousness, JojoMoyes, Me before you, content-analysis
INTRODUCTION
The term «concept» is one of the intensively and most often used terms in modern domestic and foreign linguistics and linguoculturology as one of linguistics’ directions allowing a set of different definitions. In general, in our opinion, all polyphony of the existing interpretations of the concept can be classified definitely, having taken as a basis three main approaches in modern linguistics to understand of this term: culturological, linguistic and cognitive which help us to consider and allow us to allocate the following main types of its interpretation. Supporters of the first approach are such Soviet erudite linguists as Yu.S. Stepanov, V.N. Thalia and Slyshkin G. G. who put emphasis on culturological aspect. Yu.S. Stepanov considered concept as a certain clot of culture, in the form of what culture is included into the mental world of the person. Yu.S. Stepanov calls concepts as cultural and mental units [1, 48].
Representatives of the second approach (linguistic) are such linguists and scientists as D.S. Likhachev, E.S. Kubryakova, S.A. Askoldov, V.V. Kolesov, V.N. Thalia whose judgements are based on representation of a concept as the intermediary between words and reality [2, 32].
Representatives of the third approach as cognitive one are N.D. Arutyunova and her scientific school which representatives are such scientists as A.D. Shmelyov, T.V. Bulygina, I.V. Gorokhova, N.F. Alefirenko and others. N.F. Alefirenko gives the following definition to the concept: the concept possesses a semantic content which as a basis has relevant concept, and leading concepts under this or that category models sphere of language concepts which is a basis of ethno-language consciousness [3, 7].
Having considered various definitions of this concept from the point of view of culture, cognitive science and linguistics, within this research we adhere to the definition given within the first culturological approach. We consider that the concept is the cultural term meaning understanding of a certain meaning or the idea from a position of various cultures as the same concept can be interpreted differently depending on experience, education, culture, place of birth of the person. Each culture interprets a certain concept in its own way. Also concept «woman» is perceived by all cultures differently in spite of the fact that it is a universal concept which can be found in each culture. Accordingly, the aim of our research is consideration and the subsequent analysis of the concept «woman» in interpretation of Jojo Moyes’ novel «Me before you» and identification of the lexical means characterizing this concept which can be understood and interpreted in understanding of the writer’s individual-authorial consciousness and the English cultural consciousness in general as the writer belongs to the English culture and displays understanding of the woman through creation of the heroine.
Interpretation of the concept «Woman» in individual-authorial consciousness of a certain writer have already been analyzed and discussed in different domestic and foreign scientists’ works and articles. Our work is also aimed at consideration and the analysis of the concept «woman», but in modern English prose through the novel «Me before you» to observe modern young woman and her characteristics. We can assume that the English author transmits understanding of the concept «woman» through creation of the main character’s image — Louise Clark. Louise Clark is an ordinary, cheerful, good-natured and hardworking girl coming from the middle class family who has no higher education, but is the only supporter in her family.
To start searching the language means transferring concept «woman» in the above-mentioned novel, we would like to give a short description to this research method chosen by us which is content analysis. The content analysis is wide and one of the crucial methods used by scientists applied not only in linguistics, but also in sociology, psychology, history and other spheres of knowledge. This method will allow us to reveal those words, phrases and offers which have emotional understanding of the concept «woman».
MAIN PART
We chose the novel “Me before you” by Jojo Moyes on different reasons. Firstly, J. Moyes is one of the brightest representatives of chick lit genre and this novel became very famous and was distributed over 3 million copies all over the world which won the Romantic Novelist’s Award twice. As this novel is written in chick lit genre, actions are from the first perspective so that the main character could be closer to the readers. Literature is reflection of modern life, social values in modern society. This novel is not an exception; it reflects all norms and rules of contemporary English society which are reflected through the ideas and thoughts of the main hero – Louisa Clark.
Louisa Clark (Lou) is an ordinary young woman who lives an ordinary life with her parents, grandfather, younger sister with her little son in a small town where she was brought up, educated and worked last 6 years in a café until the moment when she was fired by her employer. She is the only caregiver of her family. Being sad, she begins searching a new job.
Before starting the analysis of lexical means of the concept «woman» in the novel «Me before you», we would like to analyze the main dictionary entries where are definitions of lexemes-representatives to get a full picture of the world of the concept «woman» in the British’s cultural and linguistic consciousness. So, having analyzed definitions and examples of the word «woman» offered by such dictionaries as Oxford living dictionary, Macmillan dictionary, Merriam-Webster dictionary and Oxford Learner’s Pocket Dictionary, we can allocate the following conclusions meaning the following substantial principles of the concept «woman» in the English sphere of concepts:
1. The first definition of each considered dictionary is connected with women physiological and age features. They oppose the woman to the man and represent her as an adult (e.g. Adult female human being). 2. The woman is considered in the working and collective idea as the person who has to be engaged in something and a group of persons engaged in female certain work. As examples there are such jobs as servant, cleaner, worker or employee, the jobs are connected with services and cleaning. 3. The woman as the wife because throughout history it was known that almost the only woman’s duty is to marry and be a mild wife, obediently carrying out husband’s orders. 4. Only in one dictionary (Oxford Learner’s Pocket Dictionary), there is an example of
Women’s right and a Womanizer and their definitions. If to compare definitions of the concept «woman» in dictionary entries and in analyzed novel, then we will see that the concept «woman» in the novel almost corresponds with its «ordinary» notions that women have to have serving jobs and are considered as the wife. Estimated structure of the concept “woman” in any language is defined by a number of different parameters, among which of them are distinguished such dominant features like “physical appearance” and “personal characteristics”. The first group may include such features like “appearance”, “manners”, “behavior”, etc., while the second contains “character traits”, “temper peculiarities”, etc.
1. Physical appearance features:
Does not You know my beauty routine. Soap, water, the odd paper bag [4, 15].
take care of
herself
Likes And you seem to like…theatrical…clothing [4, 18].
unusual clothing He glanced at my tights, which were green and glittery. I had though they would cheer me up [4, 18].
2. Personal characteristic features:
Positive sides Negative sides
Har dworking Well, that’s big of him, give she’s worked like a ruddy Trojan in that place for the last six years. [4, 12]
You can’t mope around, babe. Got to get over it [4, 16].
How could I explain to this man how much I wanted to work? [4, 20]
Did he have the slightest idea how much I missed my old job? [4, 20].
I had never considered that you might miss a job like you missed a limb – a constant, reflexive thing [4, 20]. Lazy I hate running [4, 15].
Clev er, smart She’s a bright girl. She’ll find herself something [4, 13]. Wret ched and
helpless Am I just allowed to just be a bit miserable and floppy? [4, 15]
She’ll find herself something. She’s got a solid employment record, hasn’t she? Frank will give her a good reference [4, 13]. Con servative I had felt comfortable there
[4, 16].
And she’s smart. You’re smart, aren’t you, love? [4, 13] Did he have the slightest idea how much I missed my old job?
[4, 20]
I’m not thick [4, 21]. Obli vious I sat with a group of twenty or so mismatched men and women half of whom wore the same slightly stunned expression suspected I did [4, 16].
Wan
ts to be
useful I had spent the day at home, trying to be useful [4,
14]. Inab ility to engage with older people I’m not good with old people, Syed [4, 19].
And I can’t cope with him
[4, 19].
I’m guessing it was about an hour before I started to get under my mother’s feet [4, 14]. Lost and pointless The first time I had seen the
Dandelion Lady wandering
around past the shops, looking a aimless as I felt… [4, 20].
Mum and Granddad had Losing your job would make
their routines, and having me there interrupted them [4, 14]. you feel inadequate, and a bit useless [4, 20].
Sens itive For the first time that afternoon I wanted to cry [4,
14]. ful Fear I had never considered that you might miss a job like you missed a limb – a constant,
Hon est I had felt an actual brief pain in my chest [4, 14].
I had realized pretty quickly that I was essential being instructed to befuddle old people into switching energy suppliers, and Syed, my personal ‘adviser’ that I couldn’t do it [4, 17]. reflexive thing. I hadn’t thought that as well as the obvious fears about money, and your future, losing your job would make you feel inadequate, and a bit useless [4, 20].
Co mmunicat
ive You said you were good with people [4, 18].
You said you liked talking to people [4, 18].
Purp oseful You want to move upwards, onwards [4, 15].
Can
’t stand
silly people I also thought the Sleeping Beauties were sappy
[4, 17].
Ope
n and …, I had fought the urge to go and give her a hug [4, 20].
trusting
Conducted research of the concept “woman” in the novel shows that this concept is a multilayer concept and the onceptual field of the concept “woman” contains such subconcepts like “work” and “love”. Already at the beginning of the novel, the main character Louisa Clark loses her job for which she devoted her 6 years which she finds very difficult situation because almost every member of her family depends on her wages. She cannot afford herself a holiday, even some training courses because of lack of the money.
1. Microconcept “work” which is reflected in the following components:
At Job
Centre, by her parents and boyfriend she is offered mostly service jobs. Go into office work [4, 13].
You could be a beautician. You’re pretty enough [4, 15]. Factory work, machinist, roll butterer [4, 14].
I did two weeks at a fast food chain [4, 14].
But there is an opening for a pole dancer [4, 18].
How about “adult child line supervisor”? [4, 18]
And no to semi-nude bar staff. Or masseuse. Or webcam operator [4, 18]
Night-time shelf stacking? [4, 18]
So we’re really left with care assistant [4, 18]
Wiping old people’s bottoms [4, 18]
Haven’t you got anything in any cafes? [4, 19] Care assistant position [4, 20].
Care and companionship for a disabled man [4, 20]. We could try Kentucky Fried Chicken [4, 19].
Shop assistant. Secretary. Estate agent. I don’t know…there must be something you want to do [4, 16].
It’s a …private position. To help in someone’s house, and the address is les than two miles from your home [4, 20].
Please, tell me you have not just advised me to get a job that involves parading around in front of strangers in my underwear [4, 18].
She has
only experience of servicing and looking after someone because she lives with her granddad and little nephew. Louisa Clark is very good at buttering toast, and a dab hand with the old teapot [4, 13].
So you have some experience of caring [4, 19].
She has a little amount of wages. My modest wages had been a little bedrock of housekeeping money, enough to help see the family through from week to week [4, 13].
They relied on my wages [4, 13].
It’s thirty hours a week on a self-employed basis. I believe the tips are good [4, 18]
Due to
limited qualifications
she can be provided only servicing jobs. As my parents discussed what other jobs my limited qualifications might entitle me to [4, 13].
She’ll find herself something [4, 13].
What do you want to do? You could retrain [4, 15].
Louisa’s has a strong wish to quickly get any job which will help her to continue supporting her family. I’m trying to get a job [4, 20].
How could I explain to this man how much I wanted to work? [4, 20]
She has relevant skills for her job. You said you were good with people [4, 18]. You said you liked talking to people [4, 18].
She is not well qualified to get that job which she would like to get. You’re not qualified for much else [4, 18].
If you wanted to retrain, I’d happy to point you in the right direction. There are plenty of courses at the adult education centre [4, 19].
She has a fear that job loss will lead to poverty. I had never considered that you might miss a job like you missed a limb – a constant, reflexive thing. I hadn’t thought that as well as the obvious fears about money, and your future, losing your job would make you feel inadequate, and a bit useless [4, 20].
If I do that, I lose my Jobseeker money, right? [4, 19]
Other aspects. And I can’t cope with him [4, 19].
Did he have the slightest idea how much I missed my old job? [4, 20]
I don’t think there are enough cafes left to guarantee you employment, Louisa [4, 20].
I had realized pretty quickly that I was essential being instructed to
befuddle old people into switching energy suppliers… [4, 17].
The hours were okay, I could cope with the fact that the uniform made my hair static, but I found it impossible to stick to … [4,17]. 2. Microconcept “love” is reflected in the words like “love” which they address to Louisa. Her parents try to support Louisa after she loses her job. They try to support her because she feels unconfident about her future and she is afraid of not finding a proper job.
Support You’re smart, aren’t you, love?
Care I know we never had, you know, a formal contract or anything, but I wanted to look after you.
Extracts chosen from the novel have components of semantics which are connected with the concept “woman” what were the selection criteria. So, the following meanings of the concept “woman” are mostly often met in correlation with such microconcepts like “work” and “love”:
1. Concept “woman” in this novel is understood through the connection with the concept “Job”. At the beginning of the novel, some chapters are devoted to her job search. When Louisa Clark went to the Job Centre she was also offered different kinds of stereotypical women’s jobs by her “job adviser” such as masseuse, care assistant, waitress and even to be pole dancer which he thought would be suitable for her because of her unusual way of clothing like bright, colourful and rare clothes which ordinary people will not wear. And, when she was talking with her boyfriend … about ser search of a new job, he also gave her some ideas about such kind of typical female jobs where she needs to serve people like “shop assistant, secretary, estate agent”.
On the other hand, Louisa Clark is almost the only person in her family who works and gets a stable salary with which she can support her big family which includes her father, mother, grandfather and sister with a little son. Her “rely on her wages”. According to the words reflected in the concept “work” such as “wages”, we can observe that her salary was not high and she got it twice a month or every week, “cafe”, “KFC” , she used to work only in a café and she cannot do anything except serving people and she is searching for a café job; “limited qualification” she hasn’t graduated from the college, she doesn’t have a diploma and necessary qualifications to find more paid job; “temporary”, with her limited qualifications she can find only temporary jobs and she is searching for any job which could be paid.
2. Concept “woman” is also reflected though the concept “love”. Louisa’s parents support her in her job search. When they address to her especially when they say about her qualities, they always finish their sentences with the word “love”. Also, the day when Louisa was told that she lost her job due to the café’s closure, he gave her three months’ money so that she could find a job during this period and not to be in low water while she will be searching for a new job. And he told that “he wanted to look after” her which reflects his care and love towards this girl who worked in his café for 6 years.
Throughout the novel, we could find such cognitive characteristics of the concept “woman” as “physical appearance” and “personal characteristics”:
1. Physical appearance of the main character Louisa Clark is reflected through not so many words which prove that Louisa does not care about her appearance much. She comes from a middle-class English family where she is the only breadwinner; she has a boyfriend on a regular basis that she does not even need to show off in front of him. That’s why when she was offered a job of a beautician by her boyfriend she was surprised because her “beauty routine” is just “soap, water, the odd paper bag”. She got used to an ordinary daily life where she goes to the café and returns back home, on the weekend she sees her boyfriend and she doesn’t have time or doesn’t need to use a makeover. But, at the same time, what differs her from her younger sister who is super smart is clothing. As her “job adviser” noticed, she likes “theatrical…clothing” which supposed to be bright and colourful and unusual. That’s why her father call her as “character” and mother as “individual” meaning that she dresses not in an ordinary way like everyone in their small hometown. Also, her “tights, which were green and glittery” which cannot be suitable for every job position.
2. Talking about personal characteristics of the woman in the novel, this concept is reflected
in her diverse character traits which can be divided into positive and negative traits. Positive traits are represented in honesty, diligence, communicativeness, talkativeness, gaiety, nice, negative ones in lost and pointlessness, inability to engage with older people, obliviousness, conservativeness, and laziness. As we can see from the context, Louisa is shown as a hardworking woman, who according to the author “worked like a ruddy Trojan”, this simile proves that she worked very hard int the café for last 6 years, but at the same time she doesn’t like changes, she feels lost that she is left without any job and on the one hand she is afraid to be useless, helpless, that’s why she tries to do something at home, not to bother her parents, especially her mum, who works a lot at home, she cares about every member of her family and especially about Louisa’s granddad. On the other hand, she wants to feel helpless at least for a short time so that people could take care of her, take their responsibility to earn because she is the only breadwinner who supports her family not including her sister Treena who did not have a stable salary. She has been working for a long time and everyone relied on her, she took a role of a man, she did not even have a slight opportunity to relax, she got used to working and not thinking about her wishes, needs. Also, Louisa is told to be communicative and get along with almost every person, but at the same, she confessed that she can’t deal with old people. Moreover, she is purposeful, but not concerning of high goals achievement, but, only in job search. When she lost her job, she cannot be at home motionlessly and aimlessly, she is aimed to get any job.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, we would like to assume that the concept is a perception of features of people’s worldview’s relation speaking and writing on the language common for all of them. Perception of these features is expressed by various language speech means which reflect speaker’s speech’s wealth or scarcity which in turn depend on experience, education, an outlook, outlook of the person. Linguoculturological concept “woman” is represented in microconcept “work” which fulfills our perception of woman in this novel. This microconcept is represented in different lexemes such as “machinist, roll butterer, beautician, office work, factory work, care assistant, cafes, care and companionship, care assistant position, secretary, estate agent, to help”. Jojo Moyes speaks a lot about possible jobs offered to Louisa Clark by her “job adviser” who is a man, her boyfriend and her father. All of them are connected with services like “beautician, secretary, shop assistant, care assistant, pole dancer” and others. Author reflects thoughts of men and that on conscious level they still do not see woman on the same level with them, even at work. They do not consider her working on a heading position or working in an office. As from ancient times women have always been wives and mothers who would be at home and wait for a husband from work and doing different household chores and only then they think of them as workers but mostly on such positions where women will serve people.
Concept “woman” is also represented in microconcept “love” which fulfills concept “woman” in the novel. It does not correspond to its primary meaning like “affection or sexual love for someone” but here it carries out a secondary role and refers to supporting or backing up someone who needs to be cheered up. It is represented in such lexemes as “to look after you, love”.
According to the research, concept “woman” is represented in “physical appearance” and “personal qualities”. This parameter is represented in such lexemes as “theatrical clothing, my tights, beauty routine, green and glittery, soap, water”. In individual-authorial consciousness of Jojo Moyes, woman does not pay too much attention to her physical appearance. There is a little description of her appearance rather than her personal qualities. Even if she is called as pretty much, she says that her “beauty routine” is just “soap and water”. It shows that for a middle-class girl who works hard for supporting her family, there is not time for using makeover. She does not see herself as a beautiful girl but the only way which she can use to express herself is clothing. So, the way she dresses differs her from other members of her family as well as from other people living in her hometown. Parameter “Personal qualities” is represented in lexemes “miserable, comfortable, floppy, smart, find herself, not thick, useful, feel inadequate, useless, aimless, wandering around, liked talking to people, give her a hug”. Concerning her personal qualities, author presents us as positive as negative qualities of the hero. But, positive qualities outweigh negative ones presenting us honest, purposeful, communicative, open, sensitive, clever, hardworking young woman. So, we can say that according to the authorial picture of the world of the author, modern English woman is sociable, open-minded, smart in spite of not getting high education, very laborious who is not afraid of job because she needs to support her family if she is the only supporter, but she does not despair, she got used to such role and stays nice, communicative, confiding and funny girl.
REFERENCES
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3 Алефиренко Н.Ф. Концепт-понятие-категория в свете своременной лингвокогнитивистики. Научные ведомости. Сер.Гуманитарные науки. 2010. №18(89). Выпуск 7. – 7 стр.
4 Jojo Moyes. Me before you. – Stirlingshire: Penguin books, 2012. – 499 p.
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Г.А. Таирова
Лингвокультурологический концепт «женщина» в романе Джоджо Мойес «До встречи с тобой»
Казахский университет международных отношений и мировых языков имени Абылай хана, г. Алматы, Казахстан В статье рассматривается концепт «женщина», представленный в романе Джоджо Мойес «До встречи с тобой». Автор рассматривает различное количество определений с точки зрения трех основных подходов. Далее автор рассматривает понимание понятия «женщина» отображенных в четырех английских словарях. За основу исследования концепта был взят контент-анализ, который помог выявить различные микроконцепты концепта «женщина» — это «работа» и «любовь». Также, автор выявляет такие когнитивные аспекты, входящие в состав концепта «женщина» как «внешний облик» и «внутренние качества» женщины. Лексическая репрезентация этих аспектов представлена в виде таблиц с его последующим обсуждением. Автор приводит понимание концепта «женщина» выраженном в индивидуально-авторском сознании писательницы данного романа.
Г.А. Таирова
Джоджо Мойес романындағы лингвокультурологиялық «әйел» концепті «Сенімен кездесуге дейін»
Абылай хан атындағы қазақ халықаралық қатынастар және әлем тілдері университеті,
Алматы қ., Қазақстан
Мақалада Джоджо Мойес романында ұсынылған «әйел» концепті «сенімен кездесуге дейін» қарастырылады. Автор ұйғарымдарды үш негізгі тәсілдерінен басқа саны тұрғысынан қарайды. Одан әрі, автор төрт ағылшын сөздіктерінде көрсетілген «әйел» ұғымын түсінуді қарастырады. Тұжырымдаманы Зерттеудің негізі ретінде «әйел» концептісінің түрлі микроконцептілерін анықтауға көмектесетін контент-талдау алынды – бұл «жұмыс» және «махаббат». Сондай-ақ, автор «әйел» тұжырымдамасының құрамына кіретін «сыртқы келбеті» және «ішкі сапасы» сияқты когнитивті аспектілерді анықтайды. Бұл аспектілердің лексикалық репрезентациясы кесте түрінде ұсынылған. Автор осы романның жазушысының жеке-авторлық санасында «әйел» тұжырымдамасын түсінеді.