"The Linguistic Peculiarities of Similes in the Novel "Dombey and Son" by Charles Dickens"

Abstract

The thesis deals with the issue of the linguistic peculiarities of similes in the novel "Dombey and Son" by Charles Dickens. The linguistic implication of the figurativeness of Charles Dickens in the novel "Dombey and Son" is remarkably noticed in the use of similes in different functions. Charles Dickens uses the similes with different simile markers such as pragmatically influence his readers and live in the readers imagination. They appear from the nature of the distinctive creative individuality of the writer. The similes in the novel highlight the power of linguistic change and it draws attention to either of the concepts evoked, tenor or vehicle. The imaginative similes of the novel involve inviting thoughts about one thing to another and drawing attention to the gap between what is said and what is. It makes the analysis of the formal qualities differentiating comparison, metaphor and simile important. The researcher collected 172 similes in terms of different structures and semantic features from the novel "Dombey and Son" and analysed them due to linguistic or stylistic peculiarities and presented the frequency of the various simile markers. It leads to a considered and insightful discussion or interpretation of the way figurative language operative language operates in "Dombey and Son".