A Lexical Cognitive Analysis to Daphne du Maurier’s “The Blue Lenses”

Abstract

The paper attempts to combine science and literature. In the selected short story by Daphne du Maurier "The Blue Lenses" (1959), cognition plays a critical role in revealing characters’ deeper motivations, perceptions, and mental transformations. In "The Blue Lenses" (1959), cognition is used to convey a surreal experience of the protagonist’s mind. This connection is demonstrated through the authors' use of language and style, including the choice of words which is analyzed according to Leech and Short's (2007) stylistic checklist. The aim is to show how the readers are encouraged to reflect on their own understanding of truth and the detailed nature of perception in their lives and in literature. While analyzing the short story “The blue lenses” it was conspicuous that the author used mix of formal and informal tone. Denotations included physical and medical terms but their connotations triggered deception and converted perception. Abstract nouns identified psychological states while concrete nouns grounded the narrative in real life experiences, on the other hand proper nouns suggested strength and psychological tensions. Adjectives played an important role in describing the cognitive levels of the characters. Verbs provoke emotional and cognitive depths. Adverbs are least represented in the major word classes. They achieve different semantic functions such as manner, place, direction, time and degree.