METAPHOR, INTENSIFICATION, AND EMOTIONAL MEANING IN ENGLISH AND UZBEK FICTION

This paper examines the interaction between metaphor and linguistic intensification in the construction of emotional meaning in English and Uzbek fiction. While metaphor enables writers to conceptualize abstract psychological experiences through concrete or embodied domains, intensification modifies the perceived degree of an emotion or evaluation. Their interaction can contribute to the representation of emotional conflict, the development of characterization, and the creation of narrative tension. Drawing on conceptual metaphor theory and appraisal theory, the paper proposes a framework for examining metaphorical source domains, evaluative orientation, intensity markers, and contextual functions. Particular attention is given to the representation of anger, sorrow, fear, and affection. The discussion distinguishes conceptual patterns that may be shared across languages from their language-specific and culturally situated realizations. It also highlights the methodological importance of analyzing authentic literary examples rather than assuming that translated expressions are pragmatically equivalent. The proposed framework provides a basis for future corpus-based research into the semantic and pragmatic characteristics of emotionality in English and Uzbek fiction.