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MEANING ANALYSIS OF METAPHORS FOUND IN THE CINDERELLA

SHORT FAIRY STORY BY BROTHER GRIMM 1884 AS A RESOURCE OF
TEACHING MATERIAL
Sinung Purbaningdyah
IKIP PGRI SEMARANG
Resumed for the final project of writing IV by:
Waris Leksono Mukti
10420064
Abstract
The object of this study was the cinderella short fairy story by brother grimm translated
by margareth taylor in 1884 which has been read by millions of people all around the
world from the first day published. The data took form in words, phrases, and sentences
that contained metaphors were analyzed by using qualitative technique. This kind of
research does not focus on numbers or stastitical figure; it gives the most attention on
the writers knowledge towards the interaction among concepts learned. The objectives
of this study are to identify kind of metaphors used, and to discuss about realizing the
meaning of metaphors used. After analyzing, the writer found the metaphors consisted
of 35% Epithet, 15% Allegoy and Hyperbola, 10% Dead Metaphor, 9% Personification,
5% Metonymy and Extended Metaphor, 4% Synecdoche, 1% oxymoron and eponym.
The writer believed that this study will be useful for teachers as an extended material in
teaching metaphor as a kind of figurative language in relating the meaning inside to the
contextual everyday use for the students in classroom.
Key words: meaning analysis, the cinderella short fairy story, resource of teaching
material
INTRODUCTION
Ellis claimed that English has been used as an international language which serves as
a mean of communication between speakers of different languages in wide range of
contexts (1994:220). Communication means the sending of message from one person
to another through written and spoken form, Thomas (1981:110). One of written form

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of communication is short story. Short story which is normally applied to work of
fiction ranging in length from one thousand to fifteen thousand words or more (
Dunya:1990), has important role in English literary world. Short story has two main
functions, to entertaint the readers and to deliver moral values in such an interesting
way across the generations. In writing a short story, the authors usually use figurative
language to make it more poetic or beautiful. One kind of languge style often used is
metaphor. As found in America Everyday Dictionary (1961:170):Metaphor is a figure
that involves an implicit comparison between dissimilar things, suggesting an
identification of one with other. By this project, the writer hoped that teachers will able
to help their students in understanding the figurative language in the Cinderella short
fairy story by brother grimm, especially the metaphors when they use it as a teaching
material.
As we all already know that literature is classified into two forms, fiction and non
fiction. Short story as a kind of fiction has been popular for its simplicity. Readers often
think that they can easily enjoy it without having to spend much time. In this case, the
writer has several reasons for choosing this kind of fiction and analysis of language
styles inside. First, short story is a form of literary which most people have already
known and ever read it. Second, by reading and analyzing short story, the writer beleive
that we will develop our knowlegde about human life because it leads us to learn about
some problem, customs, habits, moral value, and point of view of human being. Third,
the languges tyles used especially metaphors, can significantly enrich and represent the
realizing of meaning of whole story as an unseparated unity. Basically, the writer had
chosen this study entitled Meaning Analysis of Metaphors Found In the Cinderella
Short Fairy Story by Brother Grimm 1884 As a Resource of Teaching Material based
on the reason that the writer wanted to identify and analyze the realizing of the meaning
of the metaphors used in order to use it as aresource of teaching material for
implementhing the context of use of figurative language.
The first purpose of this study is on identifying any kinds of metaphors used in the
Cinderella short fairy story by Brother Grimm 1884. The second purpose is on realizing

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the meaning of metaphors used in the Cinderella short fairy story by Brother Grimm
1884.
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
A. Figure of speech
According to Kennedy (1983:479), figure of speech may be said to occur whenever a
speaker or writer for shake of freshness or emphasis, departs from the usual denotative
of words. Figure of speech usually uses option of words or phrases or even sentences
that diverge from normal meaning, it has special meaning not based on the literal one
which could be found esily in general dictionaries. It often provides emphasis, freshness
of expression, and clarity. Although, clarity could be a debatable thing in this term; for
figurative speech itself usually brings an ambiguity between literal and figurative
interpretation. Figure of speech sometimes called as rhetoric or locution. As a kind of
rhetoric which functions as the study of the goals of person reusing the materials,
figurative speech serves four fundamental operations in transforming a sentence or a
larger portion of texts. They are; expanding, abridging, switching, and transferring.
B. Metaphor
1. Definition
Metaphor is an important example of figurative language in which two things are
being compared without the use of like or as, and it implies that one thing is another.
Kennedy stated that metaphor is a statement that one thing is something else, which in
literal sense it is not (2005:118). A metaphor is asubtitution of a word whose meaning is
closed to original word. It is closely related to simile. The different between both of
them is, in simile both sides of compared things are stated whilst in metaphor only one
side is. In short, we could conclude that metaphor is a figurative comparison between
two rather unlikely things, resulting in an image in our mind.



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2. Kinds of metaphor
Holman (1986:197) divided metaphors into:
1. Epithet, a descriptive that accompanies or substitutes the name of person or thing.
Example: king of the jungle for lion.
2. Eponym, a special attribute used to associate with a specific character.
Example: Shinta (Ramas wife in Ramayana epic) is a character which stands for
loyalty and honesty.
3. Hyperbola, a concious exaggeration which commonly uses intense meaning to
achieve fantastic impact.
Example: it takes a million years to fix this problem.
A million years is used to emphasis that it needs much time to fix it.
4. Metonymy, a subtitution of the name of one thing for another which is closely
associated.
Example: Crown is associated with king.
5. Oxymoron, a kind of paradox or antithesis that links apparently contradictory or
incongruous fact for effect.
Example: a holy devil, an idiot savant, a hopeless aspiration, etc.
6. Paradox, a statement that appears to be logically contradictory and yet may be true.
Example: Irwan felt lonely in this bustling city.
7. Personification, a figure of speech which gives life to inanimate object.
Example; the trees whispered their sorrows in the breeze.

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8. Paronomasia, a play on words based on the pers inference.
Example: the reporters quetion pressed the politician.
9. Synecdoche, the meaning of a certain part to represent the whole.
Example: the naming of genus for the species.
10. Extended metaphor, a kind of metaphor which establishes a principal and
subsidiary subject.
Example: the As you like it quotation.
11. Dead metaphor, one in which the transferred image is absent.
Example: to grasp a concept, this expression is used to substitute understand.
C. Short story
Short story can be defined as a brief, imaginative, narrative, unfolding a single
predominating incident and a single chief character which contains of plot, and the
details and whole treatment are so compressed and organized to produce a single
impression (Koesnosoebroto:1998). The strong characteristic of a short story is it must
make any words counted and the authors must be aware of inconsistence in style, tone,
and point of view. Different from a novelist, a short story writer is not free to use
different point of view in one short story.
RESEARCH DESIGN
This is a case study which presents an in depth description of the type of metaphor
by using descriptive research designed to obtain information concerning the current
status of phenomenon and directed toward determining the nature of situation as it
existent. In analyzing the collected data, the writer used qualitative technique to figure
out the type and the meaning analysis of the metaphors found in the Cinderella short
fairy story by Brother Grimm 1884.

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Object of the Research
To conduct this study, purpossive non-random sampling where each sample is
considered to have certain in accordance with the purpose of the study (Arikunto:2007),
was used by the writer. The object of the study was the metaphors found inside the story
which are; epithet, hyperbola, allegory, dead metaphor, personification, metonymy,
extended methapor, synecdoche, oxymoron, and eponym.
Research Variable
The data of this research was the Cinderella short fairy story by Brother Grimm
1884. The type of data taken was qualitative data in the form of words, sentences,
utterances, dialogues, and phrases in the story. As confirmed by Landfland that words
and utterances are the main source of data in qualitative research (2004:112).
Technique of Data Collection
In collecting the data to prepare them for analyzing process, the writer did 5 logical
steps. They are; reading the whole story, highlighting all the metaphors found inside,
listing the metaphors as they appeared in each of the paragraphs, classifying the
expression based on their type, and interpreting to find out the meaning.
Technique of Data Analysis
In analyzing the data as a qualitative research, where the data were in the form of
decription and identification of the text such as words, utterances, phrases, sentences,
and dialogues that indicated implicit meaning, the writer did three activities which were;
identifying the methapors, listing based on the types to make them easier to analyze,
and interpreting to dig out the meaning.
FINDING
A. Kinds of Metaphor Used In the Cinderella Short Fairy Story by Brother
Grimm 1884

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After doing some intensive reading on the story, the writer tried to identify and
classify each metaphors found in a well-order list where each of those expressions
appeared in the paragraphs were categorized by each type of metaphors. From the
result of this activity, it could be seen that there were; allegory, ephitet,
personification, dead metaphor, oxymoron, eponym, metonymy, synecdoche,
hyperbola, and extended metaphor.
B. Meaning of Metaphors Used In the Cinderella Short Fairy Story by Brother
Grimm 1884
After having classify all the metaphors based on each type of it, the writer began
to do some analysis of the meaning. Realizing that meaning in metaphor was not
based on the denotative form and was not easy to find in general dictionaries, the
writer tried to understand the context of each metaphors observed. Context in this
term was the background or situation where each of those expression appeared. This
procedure made the process of finding the hidden or abstract meaning become
easier. The abstract meaning which was rarely found in regular dictionaries was
defined by the writers own interpretation. Some expressions might have different
structure or construction, so it is possible that some of those ones will have diferent
meaning or message to convey. The followings were some examples and the
explanations of each methapors found:
1. Allegory
a. Her end was drawing near (Paragraph 1, line 1)
The background of this phrase was when Cinderellas mother felt dying on
her sick and believed that she had no longer time in this world. This
expression was to illustrate that she felt that dead soon she would be.
b. I will look down on thee from heaven (Paragraph 1, line 3-4)
The background of this sentences was when CinderellaS mother tried to
convince her daughter that although she would be dead soon, she would
always kept her from heaven. This expression was to illustrate how

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Cinderellas mother loved her, and would always take care of her from any
danger although she had passed away.
c. The snow spread a white sheet over the grave
The background of this sentence was when the snowy season came and
Cinderellas mother grave was covered by the snow. This expression
illustrated how beautiful and shiny was this grave when covered by the
snow.
2. Ephitet
a. Black of heart (Paragraph 2, line 2)
The background of this phrase was when Cinderellas step mother and sisters
began to enter and and ruinep up her life. This expression was to illustrate
the bad attitude of three of those mother and daughters.
b. Stupid goose (Paragraph 2, line 3)
The background of this phrase was when the first time Cinderellas step
sister saw her while sitting on the parlor. This expression was to illustrate
that the two step sisters regarded that Cinderella did not deserve to be treaten
the same as they both got.
c. Stranger maiden (Paragraph 4, line 17)
The background of this phrase was when Cinderella came and gone
mysteriously at the party. This expression was to illustrate that Cinderella
was mysterious maiden who no one knew who she really was.
3. Personification
a. Pretty clothes (Paragraph 2, line 5)
The background of this phrase was when Cinderellas step sister took away
Cinderella gown and slippery. This expression was to illustrate the very
beautiful gown and slippery which actually belonged to Cinderella.
b. Beautiful dresses (Paragraph 2, line 18)
The background of this phrase was when Cinderellas father asked his two
step daughter about what they both wanted as the gift from his trip. This

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expression was to illustrate that the two step sister of Cinderella wanted to
have beautiful and expensive dresses.
c. A handsome tree (Paragraph 2, line 24)
The background of this phrase was when Cinderella got the branch of hazel-
brush from her father and then she planted it on her mother grave. This
expression was to illustrate the hazel-brush tree wich later grew so fast and
became a big, tall, and strong tree in a magical way.
4. Dead metaphor
a. Wooden shoes (Paragraph 2, line 6)
The background of this phrase was when Cinderellas step sister took
Cinderellas beautiful slipper and replaced it with the wooden shoes. This
expression was to illustrate the shoes which was made from wood.
b. Daybreak (Paragraph 2, line 8)
The background of this word was when Cinderella had to work to do the
household chores from the early morning until daybreak as her step mother
and sisters demanded her. This expression was to illustrate the evening time
for Cinderella when she had already finished her work.
c. Looked dusty and dirty (Paragraph 2, line 13)
The background of this phrase was when Cinderella fell on sleep near the
fireside while she was in her work. This expression was to illustrate the
condition of Cinderella who always never could be clean and beautiful.
5. Oxymoron
a. Cried and laughed (Paragraph 2, line 7)
The background of this phrase was when the two step sisters forced her to
give away her pretty clothes and replaced with the shabby ones, then they
acted crying and laughing infront of her. This expression was to illustrate
how bad the two step sisters mocked Cinderella by acting like that silly
things.
6. Eponym
a. Cinderella (Paragraph 3, line 5)

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The background of this word is a story of a maiden who had to live with her step
mother and sisters that always seemed to enjoy torturing at her with lots of work
to do. But at the end of the story, the tortured girl found her happiness.
7. Metonymy
a. The maiden (Paragraph 3, line 12)
The background of this word was when Cinderella begged to her step mother
to allow her to go to the dance party held by the prince. This expression was
used by the author to substitute Cinderella.
b. Fitted like a glove(Paragraph 6, line 51)
The background of this phrase was when Cinderella tried on the gold
slippers brought by the prince who was looking for the real owner of that
slippers. This expression was to illustrate how perfect the slipper fitted on
Cinderellas feet.
c. She rose up (Paragraph 6, line 51)
The background of this sentence was when finally Cinderella tried on the
slipper and perfectly fitted into it. This expression was to illustrate how she
stood with graceful and charmed evryone like a rose in blooming.
8. Synecdoche
a. All you birds beneath the sky (Paragraph 3, line 14)
The background of this phrase was when Cinderella asked her step mother
for joining the Kings party but her mother gave her a difficult requirement.
This expression was to illustrate when Cinderella asked for help to her
friends all the birds beneath the sky.
b. All you birds under the heaven (Paragraph 3, line 31)
The background of this phrase was when the step mother demanded the
second requirement after Cinderella actually had done with the first one.
This expression was to illustrate when cinderella once again asked hef bird
friends to help her to do the impossible work.
9. Extended metaphor
a. The good into the pot, the bad into the crop (Paragraph 3, line 23-24)

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The background of this phrases was when Cinderella gave instruction to the
birds. This expression was to illustrate what the birds had to do in helping
Cinderellla emptying the dish of lentils.
b. Silver and quiver, little tree ; silver and gold throw down over me
(Paragraph 4, line 3-4)
The background of these phrases was when Cinderella made a wish to the
hazel-brush tree. These expressions was to illustrate what kind of dresses
and slipper which she wanted to get to wear on the party.
c. Turn and peep, turn and peep
Theres blood within the shoe
The shoe is to small for her
The true bride waits you (Paragraph 6, line 24-27)
The background of this song was when the bird tried to warn the prince by
singing that kind of thing. This expression was to illustrate how the bird tried
to give the prince some clue in finding the real bride for him.
10. Hyperbola
a. Gold and silver dress (Paragraph 4, line 5)
The background of this phrase was when the bird above the hazel-brush tree
gave Cinderellas wish. This expression was to illustrate the beautiful dress
for Cinderella made from the best material and ornamed with gold and
silver.
b. Slippers emboided with silk and silver (Paragraph 4, line 5-6)
The background of this phrase was when the bird gave Cinderella the very
beautiful slippers. This expression was to illustrate the beautiful slippers
made from silk cloth with silver thread.
c. Small and dainty and all golden (Paragraph 6, line 14)
The background of this phrase was when Cinderella leaved the party in a
hurry and did not realize that she left her slipper. This expression was to
illustrate that very beautiful small and glamorious slipper made from the best
silk cmaterial with gold color.

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DISCUSSION
Based on the research finding above, the realizing of the meaning of metaphors
found in the Cinderella short fairy story by Brother Grimm 1884 had taken form in
various mechanism and had been emphasized by different theories, including
generalization of verbal responses, perceptual processes, imageries, verbal associations,
and abstract conceptual representations. This analysis of metaphors inside the story
might lead to a better conceptualization in general. This fact implies that general or
ordinary language and metaphor are related phenomena, employing common cognitive
and linguistic process. Another research might prooves different result in certain case.
At the end, at least this study on meaning analysis of metaphors found in the Cinderella
short fairy story by Brother Grimm 1884 had been clearly described and explained.
What we need to do latter is how to teach students to be able to make an actual
implementation of using figurative language as a kind of conotative form in their
contextual daily English conversation.
CONCLUSION
Most short story writers use metaphors in making their literary work more poetical
and interesting. Metaphor as a kind of figurative speech has been already known by
most of short story readers. People also know that this kind of language style is used by
the authors to make the story more meaningful and ellegant, but only a few of these
persons who really know, recognize, and are able to transform the meaning of
metaphors by making the right analysis. Related to the object of this study, the
Cinderella short fairy story by Brother Grimm1884, the writer found that this work does
not contain satisfying amount of metaphors as the writer had expected before. The
language styles mostly used also tend to be straight to the point, without many trifles.
As a consequence, this story could be regarded as dry and direct.



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SUGGESTION
Although the language styles found in the story were the dry ones, this weakness
side was compensated by the metaphors expression. The dominant use of ephitet,
allegory, and hyperbola was the right prescription in making the story more dramatic
and interesting so the readers will enjoy better. It will be an exellent comparison if there
is another research conducted, for metaphor is an interesting object to observe and each
story has different way in making their plots fascinating. Finally, the writer hoped that
this study can be used as a resource of teaching figurative speech specially metaphor as
a kind of conotative form in classroom to make students have better understanding and
are able to use it in contextual daily English conversation.














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