This thesis determines the cognitive linguistic characteristics of verbal representation of the binary opposition “man-machinery” by modelling frames of oppositional megaconcepts MAN and MACHINERY as the tools for constructing a science-fiction model of the world in R. Bradbury’s science fiction texts.
Binary opposition is presented as a universal principle of organizing the sign systems in the human world. Such oppositions are embedded in human thinking evolutionarily and are conditioned by the peculiarity of signals transmission in the human brain causing stereotyping of the surrounding world within the framework of binary oppositions.
As a result of determining the theoretical framework of the research, the methodology of cognitive linguistic research of verbal means of actualizing binary opposition “man-machinery” in the texts of science fiction by R. Bradbury is developed. The methodology is presented in the form of an algorithm consisting of four stages: defining general literary context in which the science fiction novels and short stories by R. Bradbury were created, selecting the research material (continuous sample of 2187 means of nomination of the binary opposition “man-machinery”, of which 1117 nominate man, and 1070 nominate technology), linguistic, stylistic and discursive analyses of the identified means of binary opposition “man-machinery” and cognitive linguistic analysis and building frame models of the components of the binary opposition MAN-MACHINERY in the science fiction by R. Bradbury.
The linguistic, stylistic and discursive analyses as well as cognitive linguistic analysis provided the theoretical basis for the research. The research results reveal that the linguistic embodiment of the components of the binary opposition “man-machinery” in the writer’s works is based on the use of the lexical, stylistic, and discursive means of nomination. The basis of nomination of the components of the binary opposition ““man-machinery” is lexical means of direct nomination (59.26%) while the share of means of figurative nomination is 29.08%, and discursive means constitute only 11.66%.
The research demonstrates that lexical means of direct nomination (1296 lexical units, 59.26%) are intended to name objects of the fiction world, their actions, states, and essential characteristics, and represented by means of direct substantive (458 lexical units, 20.94%), attributive (575 lexical units, 26.29%) and processual (263 lexical units, 12.03%) nomination. The figurative nomination (636 means of nomination, 29.08%) are distributed according to the type of meaning transfer into the groups of metaphorical (628 means of figurative nomination, 28,72%) and metonymic (8 means of figurative nomination, 0,37%) means to represent the associations that emerge in the writer’s consciousness in relation to man and machinery whereas the means of discursive nomination (255 means of discursive nomination, 11.66%) are used as a tool of demonstrating how man and machinery “fit” into the fiction reality created by the author.
The thesis reveals that the features of the components of the binary opposition “man-machinery” are anthropocentric, man in the works by R. Bradbury is presented through the inner world while machinery is presented through external signs and its communication with other characters, in relation to man.
The study reconstructs the concepts – the constituents of the megaconcepts MAN and MACHINERY and compares the conceptual domains of the megaconcepts MAN and MACHINERY on the basis of anthropocentric perception presenting both as a physical phenomenon, as a psychological phenomenon, as a mental phenomenon, and as a social phenomenon. The thesis determines that machinery has a wider range of possible actions and is more active than man, while man is superior to machinery on the criterion of the ability to interact psychologically or emotionally with the world, the broader range of mental qualities of a man compared to machinery, and the ability to become a full member of society that is inaccessible for machinery.
The research reveals conceptual binary opposition MAN-MACHINERY as a tool for constructing a science-fiction model of the world in R. Bradbury’s science-fiction texts. The study compares three parameters of the science fiction model of the world: space-time coordinates, cause and effect relationships, and valorative indicators.
