Exploring Conceptual Metaphors of Emotion, Time, and Identity in Pim Wangtechawat’s The Moon Represents My Heart

This study examines the role of conceptual metaphors related to emotion, time, and identity in meaning-making within Pim Wangtechawat's The Moon Represents My Heart by analyzing their application throughout three diasporic generations. Despite the proliferation of conceptual metaphor research within cognitive linguistics, there are no studies employing integrated multi-lens frameworks on contemporary Thai-authored English narratives, with even fewer investigating intergenerational transitions. To rectify this deficiency, we performed a two-stage thematic analysis of the novel's text, utilizing Lakoff's structural mappings, Kövecses's culturally grounded emotion model, and Semino's narrative-function approach. Three independent coders attained high Item-Objective Congruence, and the incorporation of theory triangulation with subject-matter specialists enhanced the credibility and reliability of our coding. This research indicates that first-generation voices utilize containment and inheritance metaphors to strengthen communal identity; second-generation characters transform these mappings into hybrid constructs that reflect filial tension; and third-generation protagonists employ dynamic, journey-oriented metaphors that balance heritage with self-expression. This study is limited by its examination of a single English-language text, lacking direct comparison to the Thai original or other Thai-authored works. Subsequent study ought to include bilingual corpora and cross-linguistic analyses, while also broadening the dataset to encompass various texts and genres, to enhance our comprehension of the functioning of metaphorical framing across languages, contexts, and developing diasporic identities.