Chapter 9. The role of Persian proverbs in framing Iran’s nuclear program

Abstract

This chapter explores how Persian proverbial metaphors are used in discourse to frame Iran’s nuclear program. To that end, contextual uses of a sample of Persian proverbs were analysed in terms of Conceptual Metaphor Theory. The results demonstrate that proverbs’ scope of operation goes way beyond their conventional functions. They are used to propagate pessimism, express sarcasm, make accusations, threaten and humiliate the rival camp, fabricate a new political reality, and manipulate the content and courses of action. The research also finds that proverbs are apt tools for framing complex socio-political issues, as they encapsulate a bundle of integrated figurative conceptualisations, providing users with ready-to-use conceptual slots to apply to complex scenarios with multiple roles and relations. Finally yet importantly, the research shows that the analysis of proverbs in discourse context provides a more comprehensive view of proverbs by completing the chain of association between the specific-level schema, generic-level schema and the immediate context of use.