Acumen:
International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research
ISSN: 3060-4745
IF(Impact Factor)10.41 / 2024, VOLUME-2, ISSUE-6
116
Acumen: International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research
THE ROLE OF MACROPROPOSITION IN THE SEMANTIC
PERCEPTION OF A LITERARY TEXT
M.M. Nasirov
Kokand State University
Abstract.
This article analyzes the role of the concept of macroproposition in the
process of understanding a literary text. The study highlights how identifying
macropropositions helps reveal the deeper semantic layers of a literary work, the
coherence between its theme and idea, and the semantic mechanisms that ensure the
reader’s active cognitive engagement. This approach serves as an important
methodological basis for analyzing and interpreting literary texts.
Keywords:
cognitive linguistics, cognitive analysis, conceptual analysis,
macroproposition, proposition, discourse, global coherence, local coherence,
metaphor.
A text being read is a dynamic (active) text, while a text outside the process of
reading is considered static (inactive)
1
. Considering that the creation of a text involves
several complex cognitive processes on the part of the author, it can be said that in
perceiving such a text, the reader is also required to reconstruct various logical and
cognitive structures in their mind.
The primary condition for comprehending the meaning of a text is understanding
the macroproposition it conveys. A macroproposition is an integral proposition derived
from all the details and micropropositions within the text, representing its overall
meaning. This term entered the field of linguistics through the scholarly works of T.A.
van Dijk.
Studies in this field show that identifying a text's macroproposition involves
stages such as omission, generalization, and construction
2
. Identifying
macropropositions plays a crucial role in the analysis of literary texts. For example, in
Nazar Eshonqul’s well-known short story
“Shamolni tutib bo‘lmaydi”
(
“You Cannot
Catch the Wind”
), the events surrounding the death of Zamon the horse herder can be
analyzed through a macroproposition formed by the generalization of several smaller
propositions. This approach aids in understanding the literary text as well as
uncovering the author’s intended message.
Considering that macropropositions are
“cognitive models of linguistic
representations — schemas that allow the observer to focus only on the essential
1
Гальперин И
.
Р
.
О Понятии Текста // Вопросы Языкознания. –
Москва
, 1974.
–
№6. –
С
. 22.
2
Сафаров Ш
.
Когнитив Тилшунослик. –
Жиззах
:
Сангзор
, 2006.
–
Б
. 33.
Acumen:
International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research
ISSN: 3060-4745
IF(Impact Factor)10.41 / 2024, VOLUME-2, ISSUE-6
117
Acumen: International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research
features of an object for analysis”
3
, we argue that identifying macropropositions in a
literary text requires selecting only the relevant micropropositions from the text.
In the example below, the macroproposition is expressed as:
“Bayna Momo killed
Zamon the horse herder and cut off his fingers.”
This macro-level meaning is derived
by generalizing various propositions spread across different parts of the text.
The following propositions, drawn from different parts of the text, clearly
contribute to reconstructing a single overarching macroproposition:
“The death of
Zamon the horse herder did not soften Bayna Momo’s heart.”
“Her (Bayna Momo’s)
fingers were trembling, and the room was filled with an unpleasant odor, reminiscent
of the smell of blood.”
“When Polat Chol arrived, he could not find Bayna Momo at
home: she returned late at night like a shadow and did not leave the house again until
the police came asking.”
“Zamon the horse herder died like a dog… his clothes were
torn to shreds, his div mutilated, and all ten of his fingers had been cut off…”
“The
fingers could not be found. The div had to be buried without them.”
“Before her
death, Bayna Momo called for her sister, gestured toward a half-ruined chest, and died
quietly without uttering a word.”
“Eventually, ten human fingers were found in the
chest — dried and darkened over the years, nearly turned to powder, wrapped loosely
in a piece of old cloth.”
These excerpts represent individual propositions from various parts of the story,
yet they all contribute to conveying a unified macroproposition. Specifically, the author
builds the following micropropositions: Bayna Momo did not rejoice at Zamon’s death;
On the day Zamon was killed, Bayna Momo returned home very late and did not leave
her room until the police arrived; Zamon’s fingers had been cut off during the murder;
The fingers were never found, and Zamon was buried without them; Before dying,
Bayna Momo pointed to the chest; After her death, decomposed human fingers were
discovered inside that chest.
These propositions work together to reconstruct the macro-level meaning:
“Bayna Momo killed Zamon the horse herder and kept his severed fingers hidden
until her death.”
From a pragmatic perspective, a macroproposition represents the core message
the author intends to convey through the text, while from the reader's point of view, it
is the final conclusion drawn based on the content of the text. This interpretation clearly
demonstrates that the macroproposition is a phenomenon directly related to cognition.
There is no doubt that identifying the macropropositions of literary texts helps to more
precisely grasp the author's intended meaning.
3
Ван Дейк Т
.
А
.
Язык
.
Познание, Коммуникация. –
М
., 1989.
–
С
. 46
Acumen:
International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research
ISSN: 3060-4745
IF(Impact Factor)10.41 / 2024, VOLUME-2, ISSUE-6
118
Acumen: International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research
One of the key features of literary texts is their metaphorical nature. When
analyzing metaphorical content, it is important to note that the propositional structure
also manifests in a unique way. As scholars note,
“such texts possess a dual-layered
semantic structure — the meaning expressed through the syntactic form and the deeper
meaning intended by the author.”
In such cases, the referents expressed on the surface
level and the internal meaning implied by the author may correspond to two different
propositions. In this process, it is crucial to recognize the symbolic nature of the
compared concepts and cognitive constructs. As D. Khudoyberganova emphasizes,
reconstructing the macroproposition of metaphorical texts should be based on this
comparative foundation.
To illustrate this idea, let us consider the following metaphorical microtext from
Nazar Eshonqul’s novella
“Prison Bars of the Night”
:
“I am the spoiled, rotten part of
the apple of childhood. When eating an apple, people always cut off the rotten part.
Even if I feel that I can still be useful for something, I must cut away the rotten part of
this apple of life.”
In this microtext, the referents such as
childhood
,
apple of life
,
spoiled, rotten
part
, and
cutting off
constitute the external (surface) elements of the text.
Meanwhile, the internal semantic layer includes concepts like
life
,
painful memories
,
and
forgetting
. Through cognitive interpretation of these symbolic meanings, the reader
reconstructs the macroproposition:
“In order to succeed in life, one must let go of
painful childhood memories.”
The phenomenon of macroproposition is closely connected with global and local
coherence. Local coherence refers to the semantic relationships between adjacent
propositions in a text, while global coherence is a more complex phenomenon
reflecting the overall semantic connection among all propositions expressed
throughout the text. The two previously analyzed excerpts are clear examples of how
macropropositions emerge through both global and local coherence.
The ability to segment reality and synthesize it through generalization is a
cognitive capacity unique to humans. Only this specific cognitive ability allows
individuals to perceive new objects and phenomena by drawing upon prior experience.
The macroproposition, in turn, represents the general purpose or core idea of a text. It
reflects the logical and cognitive connections present in the structure of a text —
particularly how words, sentences, and sections are interconnected.
The significance of macroproposition in text linguistics, especially in the process
of textual comprehension, is substantial. Through macroproposition, the central topic,
primary ideas, and logical relationships within a text become more clearly visible. It
also plays a vital role in interpreting the hidden meanings behind metaphorical texts,
thereby helping readers or listeners to understand the text more fully. This contributes
Acumen:
International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research
ISSN: 3060-4745
IF(Impact Factor)10.41 / 2024, VOLUME-2, ISSUE-6
119
Acumen: International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research
to more focused attention on important details and facilitates efficient information
processing.
Macropropositions enable readers to view long or complex texts as cohesive
wholes and clearly identify their core content and direction. Therefore, in linguistics,
the macroproposition serves as an essential tool for structuring, analyzing, and
summarizing texts. It also plays a critical role in advancing the study of language and
communication theories.
Reference:
1.
Эшонқул Н. Ялпиз ҳиди. Қиссалар ва ҳикоялар. –Тошкент: Шарқ, 2008.
–Б.236.
2.
Худойберганова
Д.
Ўзбек
тилидаги
бадиий
матнларнинг
антропоцентрик талқини: Филол. фан. д-ри … дисс. – Тошкент: ЎзР ФА ТАИ,
2015. – Б 62.
3.
Сафаров Ш. Когнитив Тилшунослик. – Жиззах: Сангзор, 2006. – Б. 33.
4.
Гальперин И.Р. О Понятии Текста // Вопросы Языкознания. – Москва,
1974. – №6. – С. 22.
5.
Ван Дейк Т.А. Язык. Познание, Коммуникация. – М., 1989. – С. 46
