River metaphors in Orang-Orang Proyek and Heart of Darkness: A cognitive-comparative literary study
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In literary works, rivers serve not merely as geographical settings but also as conceptual spaces representing life, journeys, identity, power, conflict, and change. This study examines how rivers are constructed through conceptual metaphors in the novels *Orang-Orang Proyek* by Ahmad Tohari and *Heart of Darkness* by Joseph Conrad, and how the resulting conceptual similarities and differences reflect distinct cultural contexts and historical experiences. The research focuses on three issues: (1) the forms of metaphorical expression used to represent rivers in both novels; (2) the mapping of source and target domains that shape the conceptual metaphors of the river; and (3) the similarities, differences, and cultural implications of river conceptualization in both works. The study employs a descriptive-qualitative method, utilizing cognitive linguistic and comparative literature approaches. The data consist of words, phrases, clauses, and sentences containing metaphorical expressions related to rivers in both novels. Data analysis involves identifying metaphorical expressions, mapping source-target domains, categorizing conceptual metaphors, and interpreting narrative, social, and cultural contexts. The findings reveal that rivers are constructed through several key conceptual metaphors, including: river as life, river as journey, river as boundary, river as power, and river as transformation. While some conceptualizations are universal, the two novels exhibit differences in semantic emphasis. *Orang-Orang Proyek* strongly links the river to social life, development, and human-environment relations, whereas *Heart of Darkness* constructs the river as a space of journey, power, colonialism, and psychological transformation. These findings demonstrate that the conceptual metaphor of the river serves as a meeting point between local experience and universal meaning in cross-cultural literature.
Keywords: conceptual metaphor, river, cognitive linguistics, comparative literature, & world literature
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