Abstract

The key to understanding the works of Gunter Grass is found in his creative use of language. The metaphor, because of its indirect language, is one of the most significant narrative techniques Grass employs in distancing himself from his works. Yet he does not seem to have articulated his own theory of metaphor. A study devoted solely to this topic is long overdue. ;This analysis is the first to examine Grass's metaphorical statements exclusively and comprehensively. My purpose is to determine his mode of thought. In order to achieve this goal, I adopt a cognitive theory of metaphor, an intellectual process at the origin of thought capable of creating new concepts. As the object of my analysis, I chose Grass's novel, Die Blechtrommel ; the recurring metaphors and fundamental themes expressed in his poetry, drama and graphic art, converge in this novel. ;My approach supports the theory of text interpretation of Paul Ricoeur of which metaphorical analysis is an essential element. My analysis integrates two approaches to interpretation: "explanation" and "understanding", similar to the process which occurs in discourse. In the first part, the metaphors are identified and presented within their context; the statements are broken down into the significant words and the grammatical structures and stylistic characteristics are determined; the isolated words are applied to the "Synopsis of Categories" in Roget's International Thesaurus so as to determine the concept under which the words are classified; Grass's recurring metaphors or "tensive symbols" and predominant themes are identified and classified. The findings yield scientific data depicted in graphs and provide evidence leading to the second level of interpretation, allowing the reader to conclude that Grass's metaphors disclose his feelings and opinions. The results prove what heretofore had been purely speculation: that the philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer has a significant influence on Gunter Grass's way of thinking, thereby linking the numerous clues to understanding Grass, provided in the annals of Grass-research. ;This study introduces a new approach and dimension to literary criticism: it presents metaphorical analysis as a comprehensive, scientific approach to text interpretation and language study