Chasm and net: metaphors in elder-related texts in a Chinese economic newspaper

Abstract

Abstract The current situation of aging in China is unprecedentedly severe. Polices responding to the issues about aging are tracked by the media. This study investigates the living conditions of elders portrayed in a Chinese economic newspaper, the Economic Daily, through a metaphor analysis of 309 news reports pertaining to their living conditions. The analysis is positioned within the framework of rhetorical criticism, which allows the rhetorical motive hidden behind metaphors to be discovered. Three major metaphors—metaphor of net, metaphor of building, and metaphor of chasm are found and analyzed. Most notably, two keywords—“chasm” and “net” are suggested to explain the metaphor choices of journalists and to offer insights into elders’ living conditions in China. This study finds that the chasm encompassing both the invisible gap and the obstacles confronted by Chinese elders calls for the safeguarding of a protective net. However, in the construction of the net, elders’ subjectivity is often compromised and marginalized.