An Analysis of Land Turtle Imagery in The Grapes of Wrath from the Perspective of Conceptual Blending

This study aims to analyze the cognitive process of land turtle image in Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath based on the conceptual blending. Conceptual blending is a universal cognitive process in people’s thinking and activities, especially in creative thinking and actions. We have analyzed the physical features and crawling process of the turtle and the Joad family and constructed the corresponding relationship between these two. Using the spatial combination of conceptual blending and the completion of the background knowledge framework, the structure in the synthetic space was elaborated to form new meanings. Turtle, as the most prominent animal image in The Grapes of Wrath, bears rich symbolic connotation. Interpretation from the perspective of conceptual blending is conducive to readers to more precisely grasp the deep meaning hidden underneath the text, to attain a comprehensive understanding of the novel, to appreciate Steinbeck’s exquisite ideas and to realize the aesthetic experience of great works.