The plot as a metaphor for life is the most important thing. Lessons-workshops in the line of textbooks on literature edited by

L line of literature textbooks

edited by V. F. Chertova

1. Chertov Viktor Fedorovich– Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor, Head of the Department of Methods of Teaching Literature at Moscow State Pedagogical University.

2. Trubina Lyudmila Alexandrovna- doctor philological sciences, professor, head of the department of Russian literature at Moscow State Pedagogical University.

3. Ippolitova Natalia Alexandrovna– Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor of the Department of Rhetoric and Speech Culture at Moscow State Pedagogical University.

4. Antipova Alla Mikhailovna– Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor of the Department of Methods of Teaching Literature at Moscow State Pedagogical University.

5. Manykina Anna Alexandrovna– Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Methods of Teaching Literature at Moscow State Pedagogical University

6. Mamonova Irina Vyacheslavovna– Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Methods of Teaching Literature at Moscow State Pedagogical University.

• Work programs. Literature. Subject line of textbooks edited by V. F. Chertov. 5–9, 10–11 grades.
• Textbooks with phonographs.

5–9 grades (republished), 10–11 grades (in production).

• Methodological manual for teachers “Literature Lessons”. grades 5–9 (published),

10–11 grades (in production).

• Workbooks for students. grades 5–11 (in production).

Principles of program construction

• A combination of concentric, historical-chronological and problem-thematic principles of course construction in grades 5-8 and the possibility of studying a course on a historical-literary basis in grades 9-11, supplemented by reviews of a historical-literary, theoretical-literary, problem-thematic nature.
• The study of Russian literature in historical and historical and cultural context, comparison of works of Russian and foreign literature.
• Taking into account the multifunctionality of literature, the combination of works that make up the golden fund classical literature, and works that are interesting and close to schoolchildren (adventures, science fiction, fantasy, limericks, parodies, modern literature).

KEY ISSUES

• 5th grade. Artistic image in literature.
• 6th grade. The image of man in literature.
• 7th grade. The plot is like a metaphor for life.
• 8th grade. The artistic world of a literary work.
• 9th grade. Art world literary era, directions.
• Grade 10. A literary work in a historical and cultural context.
• Grade 11. Literary process, tradition and innovation.

Structure of a modern textbook

on literature

• Educational texts, addressed modern schoolchildren, taking into account the peculiarities of their perception and assimilation of information (volume, rubrication, labeling, navigation, illustrations, etc.)
• Prepared for placement in the textbook literary texts (volume, use of fragments, marking, navigation, illustrations, etc.).
• Detailed comments , essential for analysis and interpretation literary works (footnotes in the text, additional comments after the text, references to other sources of information, etc.).
• System of questions and practical tasks , aimed at students creating their own texts (essays, annotations, reviews, scripts, written works related to the implementation of projects, etc.).

Monographic topics

Reviews

Workshops

• An introductory article on a key theoretical-literary, historical-literary problem.
• Articles about writers, literary genres, forms, themes and problems of literary works.
• Workshops. New!
• Peace in a word. New!
• Comments on literary works. New!
• Basic and individual questions and tasks.
• A brief dictionary of literary terms.

LABELING QUESTIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

« Search for information" - tasks aimed at searching for additional information, including through Internet search engines;

"Point of view" - tasks aimed at developing the skill of formulating one’s own reaction and making value judgments about what is read;

"Research experience" - assignments for in-depth study literary material;

"Creative reading" - tasks related to the interpretation of literary works, scientific and artistic, including expressive reading, role-playing, creating illustrations, film scripts, etc.;

"Creative experience" - tasks related to the creation of one’s own literary works of different genres, stylizations, imitations, parodies;

"For discussion" - controversial issues;

"Public speaking" - tasks related to the preparation of oral coherent statements, messages, presentations with report abstracts, etc.;

"Together with comrades" - group assignments;

"Together with the Elders" - tasks intended for collaboration students with family members;

"Composition" - tasks related to working on an essay, preparing materials for an essay;

"Extracurricular reading" - tasks that organize, guide and encourage extracurricular reading students;

"Connection with other forms of art" - tasks involving reference to works of other types of art.

Subject of REVIEWS

5th grade: « Literary fairy tale", "The fable genre in world literature", "The image of the season in literary work"," "The image of the motherland in Russian poetry", "Images of children in world literature", "Images of children in the poetry and prose of the Great Patriotic War", "Images of animals in world literature", "Short story genre in world literature".

6th grade: “The ballad genre in world literature”, “Literature of nonsense and absurdity”, “ Autobiographical works Russian writers”, “The song genre in Russian literature”, “The story genre in Russian literature”.

7th grade: “Classical plots in world literature”, “Image historical events V fiction", "Novel genre in foreign literature", "Plot in detective works", "Plot in science fiction works."

8th grade: “Spiritual tradition in Russian literature”, “The theme of the Great Patriotic War in Russian literature”, “The sonnet form in world literature”, “ Literary genres in the mirror of parody”, “The image of school in modern literature”.

Subject of REVIEWS

9th grade: “The ode genre in world literature”, “The artistic world of romanticism”, “Poets Pushkin's time", "The genre of elegy in world literature", "The life of the soul in the works of Russian literature of the 19th century", " Humanistic tradition in Russian literature of the 20th century”, “Traditions of laughter culture in Russian literature of the 20th century”, “Dialogue of poets in Russian literature”.

Grade 10: "Artistic discoveries of Russian writers of the first half of the 19th century century", "The artistic world of realism", "Russian reality in the image writers of the 19th century century", "The novel genre in world literature", "Symbolism in European XIX literature century."

Grade 11: "Russian Symbolism", "Russian realistic prose first half of the 20th century”, “Poetry of Acmeism”, “Russian Futurism”, “The Theme of the Great Patriotic War in Russian Literature”, “Moral Issues of Russian Prose of the Second Half of the 20th Century”, “Traditions and Innovation in Russian Poetry of the Second Half of the 20th Century”, "Modern Literary Process".

Subjects of PRACTICUMS

5th grade: “Abstract”, “Title image in a literary work”, “Written review of a literary work”, “Poetry and prose as forms artistic speech", "Monologue and dialogue as a means of creating an image", "Theme and idea of ​​a literary work."

6th grade: « Expressive reading works as a way of its interpretation”, “Portrait in a literary work”, “Message about the life and work of a writer”, “Essay about a character in a literary work”, “Tonic and syllabic-tonic systems of versification”, “ Comparative characteristics characters."

7th grade: “Conflict in a literary work”, “Characteristics of the plot of a literary work”, “Landscape in epic and lyrical work“,” “Tropes and poetic figures”, “Review of a work you read yourself or a theatrical production.”

8th grade: "Essay on literary theme", "Epigraph in a literary work", "Interior in a literary work", "Essay about the image social group", "Analysis genre originality literary work."

Subjects of PRACTICUMS

9th grade: “Work on an essay on a literary topic,” “ Holistic analysis lyric poem», « Lyrical digressions V epic work", "Composition of a literary work", "Analysis of inserted text in an epic work", "Characteristics art world literary work."

Grade 10: "Research and creative projects on literature", "Holistic analysis dramatic work", "Working with help and critical literature", "Analysis of the author's individual style", "Concrete historical and universal in a literary work", "Psychologism as a stylistic phenomenon in literature."

Grade 11: "Philosophical, social and moral issues literary work”, “Symbol in literary works”, “Traditional and innovative in a literary work”, “Quotations and reminiscences in literary works”, “Proper name in a literary work”, “Intertextual connections of a literary work”.

Workshops dedicated to mastering and consolidating important reading skills and skills :

• expressive reading as a way of interpreting a literary text;
• philological analysis of a literary work (holistic and in a given aspect);
• constructing independent oral and written statements;
• working with reference and critical literature;
• application of acquired knowledge and skills in various fields activities and communication situations.

Workshops in 5th grade

1. Abstract.

2. The title image in the work and the means of its creation.

3. Written review of a literary work.

4. Prose and poetry as forms of artistic speech.

5. Monologue and dialogue as means of creation artistic image.

• Workshops in 5th grade (Artistic image in literature)
• Workshops in 5th grade (Artistic image in literature) 1. Abstract. 2. The title image in the work and the means of its creation. 3. Written review of a literary work. 4. Prose and poetry as forms of artistic speech. 5. Monologue and dialogue as a means of creating an artistic image.
• Workshops in 5th grade (Artistic image in literature) 1. Abstract. 2. The title image in the work and the means of its creation. 3. Written review of a literary work. 4. Prose and poetry as forms of artistic speech. 5. Monologue and dialogue as a means of creating an artistic image.
• Workshops in 5th grade (Artistic image in literature) 1. Abstract. 2. The title image in the work and the means of its creation. 3. Written review of a literary work. 4. Prose and poetry as forms of artistic speech. 5. Monologue and dialogue as a means of creating an artistic image.

PRACTICUM

“CAPITAL IMAGE IN A LITERARY WORK” (5th grade)

Main activities:

1. Study of the composition of the title complex (in literary and folklore works).

2. Determination of the type of artistic image included in the title:

- character (one or more),

- animals, plants, natural phenomena,

- an object (one or more),

- time (year, day),

- space,

- events (including storytelling events).

3. a brief description of title image (approximate plan).

Workshops in 6th grade

(The image of a person in literature)

1. Expressive reading as a way of interpreting it.

2. Portrait in a literary work.

3. A message about the life and work of the writer.

4. An essay about a character in a literary work.

5. Tonic and syllabic-tonic systems of versification.

6. Comparative characteristics of the character.

Workshops in 7th grade

(The plot as a metaphor for life)

1. Characteristics of the conflict and methods of its resolution in a literary work.

2. Characteristics of the plot of a literary work.

3. Analysis of an episode of an epic work.

4. Landscape in epic and lyrical works.

5. An essay about an event depicted in a work of fiction.

6. Paths and poetic figures.

7. Review of a work you read yourself.

Workshops in 8th grade

(The artistic world of a literary work; literary genres)

1. Essay on a literary topic.

2. Analysis of the problems of a literary work.

3. Epigraph in a literary work.

4. Interior in a literary work.

5. An essay about the image of a social group.

6. Analysis of the genre uniqueness of a literary work.

Workshops in 9th grade

(The artistic world of the literary era

and directions)

1. Work on an abstract on literature.

2. Holistic analysis of a lyrical work.

3. Lyrical digressions in an epic work.

4. Composition of a literary work.

5. Analysis of inserted text in an epic work.

6. Characteristics of the artistic world of a literary work.

Workshops in 10th grade

(Literary process; literary work in a historical and cultural context)

1. Analysis of a literary work in the context of the writer’s work.

2. Work with reference and critical literature.

3. Holistic analysis of a dramatic work.

4. Concrete-historical and timeless in a literary work.

6. Psychologism as a stylistic phenomenon in Russian literature.

7. Analysis of the novel in terms of genre.

Workshops in 11th grade

(Literary process; traditions and innovation; intertextual connections of a literary work)

1. Traditional and innovative in a literary work.

2. Symbol in literary works.

3. Quotes and reminiscences in literary works.

4. A proper name in a literary work.

PRACTICUM

“PROPER NAME IN FICTION TEXT” (grade 11)

Main activities:

1. Generalization of information known to schoolchildren about proper names as “ strong position» any text, including literary text.

2. Repetition of material about anthroponyms and toponyms as the most common types of proper names, including in literary text.

3. Independent search for other types of proper names in a literary text (theonyms, zoonyms, astronyms, etc.) and an explanation of their function.

4. Preparation of a detailed message about artistic function proper names in a specific literary work according to rough plan(I. A. Goncharov’s novel “Oblomov”, A. A. Blok’s poem “The Twelve”, L. N. Andreev’s story “Red Laughter”, etc.).

• Updated (in accordance with the new Sample programs) textbooks. 5 – 11 grades (2016).

• Electronic versions and supplements to textbooks.

5 – 11 grades (2016).

• Updated work programs. 5–9, 10–11 grades (2016).
• Updated methodological manuals for teachers “Literature Lessons”. 5 – 9, 10 – 11 grades (2016-2017).

• Workbooks. 5 – 11 grades (2017-2018).

Metaphor of our life

In 2012, associative-metaphorical cards (hereinafter referred to as MAC) came into my life. They came, they stayed and, it seems, they are not going to leave)))

And, starting with this article, I will share with you my knowledge of working with this beautiful, magical, playful, and at the same time a tool that penetrates so deeply into the subconscious that it is impossible to overestimate its need and usefulness in working with people.

And I would like to start by clarifying some concepts related directly to metaphorical maps.

In this article I will talk about what metaphor is and what its role is in our lives.

Why is it important to understand what a metaphor is, why it is very important element our lives and what is the meaning of metaphors?

If we learn to understand this, we will learn to see behind what we say or what others say to us, the state in which we or the person with whom we communicate are.

Often for those who have become in familiar expressions hiding:

- "man's destiny"

- how he lives, what he “breathes”,

- how he interacts with the outside world,

- how he builds his relationships in the family, at work, with friends, etc.,

- and much more.

Therefore, by understanding the meaning of the metaphorical language in which a person communicates with the world, we will understand his needs, his unspoken in ordinary words pain and joy. And having understood this, we will be able to speak to a person in his language, and then we will have the opportunity to reach his inner one and help him solve his vital issues.

And if you learn to listen to your loved one and comprehend the metaphors that you use in your language, believe me, you will learn a lot of new things about the world in which you live and which you thought you knew from A to Z.

So…

Metaphor(from other Greek μεταφορά - “transfer”) - “allegory” (Mikhelson, 1994) - “a word or expression used in figurative meaning, which is based on a comparison of one object with another based on their common feature"(Wikipedia)

In other words:

Metaphors are images with the help of which you can express thoughts more clearly and much more briefly. Instead of describing an object or phenomenon in detail, we can compare it with an already known object or phenomenon . And we do this all the time, regularly, mostly unconsciously.

For example, expressions to which we have long been accustomed, which have ceased to be something unusual for us:

icy hands, icy heart, silver hair,diamond eye, iron nerves,delicate question, spirited argument, curious question, wise decision,move mountains, soul strings, love has faded,the bank burst, the dollar circulated, the dollar fell.

Just read these words now and imagine what their explanation would sound like in “normal” language. It's hard to imagine how a dollar grows legs and begins to walk with them. Funny. But we absolutely understand what “the circulation of the dollar” is.

There are a lot of cliché metaphors in our language - generally accepted metaphors, figurative sense which are no longer felt.

A chair leg, a headboard, a sheet of paper, a clock hand, a doctor's sausage, etc.

Everyone has long been accustomed to such expressions, which are also metaphors:

X-rays show, the device says, the air heals, something is stirring in the economy.

or

forest of hands, toe of a shoe, take root, make ends meet, go like clockwork.

Connections are metaphoricalanimal - humanand hence the names of people in a figurative sense:

ram, donkey, pig, fox, magpie, wolf, bear, rooster, ox.

When we apply the name of an animal to a person, we clearly understand what it is about))) That is. knowing what properties an animal has, we transfer them to a person, and everyone immediately understands what we mean when we call someone a magpie, and someone a donkey))))

We already quite unconsciously use stories as metaphors for complex everyday situations. ancient greek myths, which have become firmly established in European languages:

Achilles' heel(spot vulnerability symbol),

Procrustean bed(a symbol of exorbitant demands into which a person is artificially squeezed),

Trojan horse(a symbol of deception, a sneaky attack disguised as a gift),

apple of discord(reason for intense competition),

Sisyphean labor(work is monotonous, non-stop and meaningless),

tantalum flour(when what you need is at arm's length, but you can't take it).

Our lives are permeated with metaphors. They are an integral part of it. Without metaphor, it is practically impossible to imagine our speech. It will become meager, boring and prohibitively long. We get confused in definitions and descriptions.

And, if we are talking about the “Metaphor of Life”– then you can imagine that these are such archived, compressed folders where our ideas about the world are stored.

And, of course, it is very important what metaphors you use when describing some events in your life, your states, your relationships, your vision of what is happening inside you and in the outside world.

In other words: what is the situation with us? figurative representation of our life, what and in what form we have stored at the subconscious level - this is the “metaphor of Our Life”. And it is she who is responsible for what kind of world we live in, what kind of reality we create for ourselves.

Our life is a metaphor that not only reflects life, but also creates it.

Often metaphors that had one meaning a hundred years ago today have a completely different, often opposite, meaning. And you need to know about this too. We use words and expressions today that have radically changed their meaning compared to their original ones, and we build our current metaphor on this.

I’ll give you an example that I found on the Internet, and it really helps to understand what was said.

But sometimes it still makes sense to express your thoughts in ordinary language, because in some cases the use of metaphorical language can lead to undesirable consequences, as in the following example:

To understand what I was talking about today, I suggest you do three very simple exercises. I advise you to share your answers in the comments. Then you will clearly see how differently we see the world.

Exercise 1.

Come up with 5 words that would most accurately describe the state that these pictures evoke in YOU

Exercise 2.

Write 5 words that would most accurately describe the world in which the women depicted in the pictures live.

Living life is not a field to cross;
Life is not only blue sky,
Sometimes on life path
We find stones instead of bread.

Sometimes there is pain in the heart;
Sometimes it’s bereavement;
Sometimes, unable to control myself
We throw a stone at our brother's back.

Called by the name of Christ
We live as if we don’t believe;
Not wanting a cross for myself
We are experiencing new losses.

Turning to God in Silence
We don't hear God's answer;
And, groping in the darkness,
We get used to living without seeing the light.

What is the reason, who...

My life is striped
Like a vest on me.
Then I am a winged bird,
Just like a worm on earth.
I wasn't always lucky
Or submissive to fate.
Because I'm striped
I made my life for myself.

Seen a lot of things
Colorful miracles
From the deep gloom,
Until the heavens shine.
Everything goes by in sequence,
Both good and evil.
But my soul has not cooled down yet,
You know, you're lucky so far.

The waves strive to turn again
From fire to fire,
I barely have time to swallow
The air of life into yourself.
And again I rush upward,
Life is like...

Life is hoppier than malt
And stronger than cognac.
What comes for no reason
She will go away for centuries.

Life is like a flame
It will burn out soon.
Will it still be with them?
It just flies into the distance.

Life will cover you with charms
Roofs of all houses.
Fall under the blows
And don't dream.

Life is sometimes long
We have something to look forward to.
Often aggressive
Death cannot be avoided.

✍️
Life is becoming satanic, life is becoming vicious.
I stand and look, the edge of the sky is turning red.
Everything is not in vain, everything is not on purpose,
This is probably the only thing I know for sure.

The sun had just risen and warmed,
The sky just turned red from the west...
There's already a blizzard, there's already clouds.
Life is a thing wise, teaches a lot.

It's sad when you're tired,
You will forgive me such weaknesses.
This is a test for my survival.
Life is fully experienced in suffering.

So I suffer, as fate has commanded me.
How have you grown up? Immensely...

Life flows and passes by with brilliance
Cities fly by.
Everything will pass, from the heart with a bang
It will come off forever.

People, buildings, worries -
Everything flashes outside the window,
On the way to work
Everyone dreams of their own.

This life is monotonous
Suddenly a man flies in
Surprising that humility,
That she's been here for a century.

He's bursting with emotions
His every gesture is beautiful
The evidence shines
He is always eloquent.

He doesn't wait and doesn't play,
He always runs forward
He flies with the world,
Doesn't let me catch my breath...

I'll start life from scratch,
I'll leave all my worries behind.
I'll take the colors of the rainbow
I will paint all the roads with them.

I'll use them to look for friends
And a loyal heart to boot.
The door to the fairy tale will be open.
I will be happy and successful.

I'll find friends, my love,
And I won’t part with them anymore.
I will fill my life with happiness.
I'll get the lucky star!

Taras Timoshenko
07.01.2018

Life is a complicated thing
The people in it are defenseless birds,
Quarrels, tears, troubles and collapses,
Unrequited love this is flour!

Life is God's gift
But not everyone has it,
My candle of hope is burning out,
The cup of love has dried up to the bottom!

There are so many crude lies in it,
There is so much wild pain in her,
Oh my angel, please lend me love,
I'm not what I seem, I'm tired of this role!

And why are people so angry?
And why do they spread evil gossip?
They don't close for a moment...

Presentation. Slides for the interactive whiteboard.

This metaphor is a person’s point of view on his life, on the basis of which he forms his personal reality.

Metaphor as a life script

Each of us has our own idea of ​​life, which is formed on the basis of our life experience. Sometimes, finding it difficult to say what is actually wrong, people begin to metaphorically describe their lives:

“My life resembles a waiting room at a large train station... benches, drafts, people running outside the window, they don’t see me, they are in a hurry, getting on a train or a taxi. They have somewhere and someone to go to... And I sit and wait... Suddenly something happens... And my life will finally begin...” (heroine of the film “The Girl on the Bridge”).

When working with people, it is important to know - inside and through what metaphor he lives: what he thinks about life, the people around him and about himself. This metaphor is a person’s point of view on his life, on the basis of which he forms his personal reality.

Therefore, at the beginning of my work, I sometimes invite my “patients” to formulate a metaphor for their life, and then together “decipher” (analyze) it.

Working with the metaphor of a person, you can quite accurately understand what is happening in his life: does he have a reserve of strength or is he living at the limit, is he on the rise or in decline, in struggle or in defense, what he would like to change and what he is afraid of , in what direction he is moving, is his life meaningful or the meaning is lost.

In the latter case, you can help the person create a new metaphor, find new meaning. A different metaphor will correspond to other feelings, other behavior patterns, and other resources that allow you to find a solution to a problem situation.

VERY OFTEN, WHEN TALKING ABOUT LIFE, PEOPLE USE THE FOLLOWING METAPHOR: “LIFE IS A STRUGGLE”

What could this mean? For example, the fact that a person for whom “life is a struggle” will no longer be able to perceive it as a “wonderful journey.” “A fighter sees challenges thrown at him everywhere...” (K. Castaneda)

To achieve what he wants, such a person has to overcome many trials and difficulties. They are a priori “inscribed in life.” Without them there is no life itself (for him).

Fighting presupposes having a goal. Everyone has their own goal in this struggle: some fight for independence, some for survival, some for an idea, etc. Then it’s worth asking: what is the goal being pursued? this person in your fight?

Is he waging an open struggle or is he “partisan”, secretly “derailing trains”?

How does a person living in this metaphor see himself? Is he an “experienced fighter” or a “naive youth”? Or maybe he is already a “corpse”, a man “fallen in an unequal battle”?

Living in this metaphor, you perceive most people as opponents (or best case scenario temporary comrades in struggle). You endlessly attack enemy positions and defend yours. Your lifestyle is battle, victory or defeat, your motto is “those who are not with us are against us.”

You experience global distrust of the world, are in chronic tension and anxiety, looking at other people through the sniper scope of a rifle and living by the principles “an eye for an eye - a tooth for a tooth”, “either I am them, or they are me”, “don’t believe, don’t be afraid, don’t ask.” To put it mildly, many people don’t like you...

IT’S A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT BATCH IF FOR YOU “LIFE IS A GAME”

According to this metaphor, each person in life is assigned a certain role (what is your role?).

A person’s actions are game moves, consequences are winning or losing.

Definitions close to this metaphor: “all life is a theater, and the people in it are actors”, “life is an adventure.”

WHAT IF YOUR “LIFE IS A DANCE”?

This metaphor “hints” that life may have no logical meaning, but there is beauty. The beauty of dance depends on the ability to catch its rhythm, and everyone you meet in life is your dance partner.

... DANCE and don't stop. What is the point of this - don’t think about it. There is still no point, and there never was. If you think about it, your legs will stop... all your contacts with the world around you will be cut off... so there is no way for your legs to stop. Even if everything around you seems stupid and meaningless, don’t pay attention. Follow the rhythm - and keep dancing... squeeze yourself like a lemon. And remember: there is nothing to be afraid of. Your main opponent is fatigue. Fatigue and panic from fatigue. This happens to everyone. It will seem that the whole world is arranged incorrectly. And the legs will begin to stop by themselves... and there is no other way, you definitely need to dance. Not only that: dancing is very cool and nothing else. So that everyone is looking at you... so dance. While the music is playing - DANCE... (H. Murakami, Dance, dance, dance)

METAPHOR “LIFE IS A ROAD (PATH, JOURNEY)”

The journey can be shared or solo. The road can be endless, long, winding, slippery, full of obstacles, difficult, dangerous, unpredictable, fun... What is it like for you?

The road has a beginning and an end goal. And then what is this goal? Where are you in your journey?

A person can “stand at a crossroads”, “go his own way”, “make his own path” (his own path) or move in a crowd.

CLOSE DEFINITION: “LIFE IS AN ASCENT”

It is assumed that in life there is some peak to be climbed. The path to it is not easy and dangerous, but the summit is worth the effort. This metaphor is often used to describe spiritual path or career. Is there a peak in your life? If yes, what is it?

METAPHOR – “LIFE IS A SCHOOL” (BIG, CRUEL, ETERNAL)

If we accept this metaphor, we believe that we come into this world to learn something important, to experience something important, to gain important experience. Just as life is divided into stages (childhood, adolescence...), so the school consists of different classes (junior, middle and senior).

At school you get different grades, in some cases you are punished, in others you are encouraged (metaphors of “hell and heaven”).”

For some, life is a hard lesson interrupted by short changes (happiness), or a long lesson in humility, as a result of which you acquire many skills.

SIMILAR DEFINITION: “LIFE IS AN EXAM”

What stage are you at: are you still preparing or are you already passing? How will you know that the exam has been successfully passed? What will you do next? You have to pay for your mistakes – sometimes even with your own life.

METAPHOR “LIFE IS A STORY (HISTORY)”

Perhaps you believe that life only becomes meaningful and complete when it is told...

Every story has its time when you simply must tell it. If a person does not do this, he dooms his soul to remain connected with this secret forever... (H. Murakami, My favorite sputnik)

Your life could be love story having a twisted plot, to be full of adventure, in which everything is confused or, on the contrary, interconnected... Or maybe your life is a boring story that interests no one...

METAPHOR “LIFE IS SUFFERING”

Sometimes life itself turns into a source of pain for a person, from which only death can relieve. The world of such a “potential suicide” is tragic: the past is in the past, the present is sad, the future is doubtful. And then we need to find out the turning point, when exactly a person’s life “ceased to be life,” and what could “revive” him.

METAPHOR “LIFE IS MOVEMENT”

The world is constantly moving forward, moving in time and space, and you are moving with it. You can “chase life”, “keep up with life”. What kind of movement is this for you: eternal, rapid, counter, in a spiral, according to the rules traffic or without? Where are you heading?

METAPHOR “LIFE IS A DREAM”

A person for whom sleep is a desired state considers usual time wakefulness as the interval between two periods of sleep. He tends to daydream and leave reality (perhaps under the influence of mind-altering drugs), plunging into the world of his fantasies. If for you life is a dream, then which one: pleasant, incredible, bad...? What happens if you wake up?

As you can see, many people have many ideas about life. And if a person is haunted by one failure after another, perhaps it makes sense to understand how he perceives life itself.

CHANGING THE METAPHOR OF LIFE:

Suppose a person tells you: “My life is a swamp. The more I try to cope with problems, the more I get bogged down in them.”

What does he mean by this? Perhaps he was talking about boredom, hopelessness, monotony of his life, in which nothing happens.

Or maybe about something else. You will have your own associations associated with the metaphor of the swamp, and your interlocutor will have his own. And that's okay.

To speak the same language with him, ask him:

1. What kind of swamp is this?
2. What does “living in a swamp” mean to him? (primarily at the level of feelings, sensations).
3. What is the main problem of “life in a swamp” (depression, or, say, loneliness).
4. Has his life always been a “swamp”. If not, then how did his life turn into a swamp (as it was before). Did he get into it himself or did someone help him.
5. Who is he in this swamp: for example, “water” or “tenth algae in the eighth row.”
6. What surrounds him? (“my girlfriends are leeches and frogs”).
7. What is the desired development of events (maybe a person just wants to improve “apartment conditions”, change the “swamp” to a “lake”, and not at all “become a person”, as you first decided).
8. Is there anything good about living in a “swamp”? (secondary benefits from the current situation).
9. What does he expect from you (for example, you are “the one who will help him get out”, “the one who will help him cleanse himself of the swamp dirt”, or “the one who will fall into the swamp with him and make a campaign”).

With the help of metaphor analysis, one can expand a person’s subjective picture of the world, make it more holistic, and return the “patient” to active position in your own life.

GENERAL SCHEME OF WORKING WITH THE METAPHOR OF LIFE:

Stage 1. Having heard from your interlocutor a metaphor describing his life, invite the person to tell more about his life situation using the questions above.

Stage 2. Help the person understand the meaning of the metaphor in which he lives, and also make clear his blocked need - what he really wants, but is afraid to admit it to himself. For this Special attention Give the main character (central fragment) metaphors. Questions can be used: what does main character, how, why does he need this?

Stage 3. When, in the process of communication, you have made clear the true needs of a person, revealed them to him, suggest ways to satisfy these needs. Be prepared for the fact that at this moment your “patient” will turn on protective reflexes and try to “replay” everything back. Drastic changes in life are always scary!

Stage 4. In order for changes in a person’s behavior to become more obvious, you need to introduce into his subconscious a new, adjusted metaphor of life, which to a greater extent will allow him to realize himself and get the most out of every day of his life. For example, instead of “Life is a swamp,” inspire the person that “Life is an ocean of opportunities.”published

photo: Jacob A. Pfeiffer