A Plane Ticket without a Destination: Analysis of the Metaphors Used by Expatriates

This research aims to analyze the conceptualization of migration in the discourse of the wives and children of expatriates through the use of metaphors, applying the Conceptual Metaphor Theory and a qualitative analysis by thematic axes. Migration is a traumatic experience; therefore, its meaning can be favored by the use of metaphorical expressions. Furthermore, the migratory movements of expatriates have special characteristics, as they are usually sudden, transitory, the destination does not always respond to their own desire, and in the case of adolescents it does not respond to their own need either. From what was expressed by expatriate’s wives and adolescents, six categories were found: uncertainty, difficulty, yearning, not belonging, movement and temporality.