The Use of Figurative Language in John Steinbeck’s the Pearl

Abstract

This thesis attempts to examine the contextual meanings of the figurative expressions found in The Pearl written by John Steinbeck. Interpreting meaning basically covers the purpose of semantics. The method used in the present study is descriptive qualitative method which focuses on the types and contextual meanings of figurative expressions in a literary work. The steps involved in interpreting the data include classifying the figures of speech in The Pearl based on Leech’s theory and analyzing their meanings in order to find out their contextual meanings. The finding reveals that there are 21 similes, 19 personifications, 5 metonymies, 3 metaphors, and 2 hyperboles. Each figurative language occured in the novel comprises not less than two contextual meanings. From this study, it shows that figurative language knows no bounds as their meanings may differ in accordance to the context in which they are used. Figurative expressions used in different contexts produce different interpretations.