Metaphorical Conceptualization of Destructive and Destructible Language in the Work of Herta Müller

This article analyzes the metaphorical mapping between language and destruction in the work of Herta Müler. Using conceptual metaphor theory, the study demonstrates how Müller applies the more concrete concepts of destruction and damage in order to reason about language and to convey effectively her understanding of it to readers. The concepts of destruction and damage allow Müller to convey to the reader the impact of and influence on language. The essay concludes that the metaphorical conceptualization of destructive and destructible language is an integral part of Müller's poetics and its functioning in her texts relies on conceptual and linguistic conventions.