THE ROLE OF METAPHOR AND SIMILE IN SHAPING READERS' EMOTIONAL RESPONSE IN 21ST CENTURY FICTION

This study investigates the role of metaphor and simile in shaping readers’ emotional responses in 21st-century fiction. While traditionally viewed as decorative elements of style, these figurative devices now play a central role in creating psychological depth and emotional resonance in contemporary narrative discourse. Drawing on insights from cognitive linguistics and stylistics, the research analyzes how metaphor and simile transform abstract emotions into concrete, sensory images that facilitate empathy, intensify affect, and enhance narrative immersion. Using a qualitative text-analytical method, the study examines representative examples from modern literary works, focusing on their cognitive, aesthetic, and emotive functions. The findings demonstrate that metaphor compresses complex emotional experiences into symbolically rich imagery, while simile offers explicit, vivid comparisons that provide immediate emotional clarity. Together, they construct affective atmospheres, guide interpretive stance, and foster deeper reader engagement. The study concludes that metaphor and simile are indispensable tools in contemporary fiction for articulating psychological states and eliciting nuanced emotional reactions, confirming their significance within both literary and cognitive frameworks.