Cultural conceptualization of wedding and mourning based on Transpositional Grammar in an Iranian drama film A Cube of Sugar

Document Type : Research original ,Regular Article

Authors
Raheleh Gandomkar 1
Pajand Soleymani 2
1 Associate professor of Linguistics at Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran Corresponding Author
2 Allame Tabatabee Uni, literature and foreign languages faculty
10.30465/ls.2025.50338.2198
Abstract
 
Abstract
This study explores the cultural conceptualization and representation of wedding and mourning ceremonies in Iranian society through the lens of Transpositional Grammar and multimodal discourse analysis. Using the Iranian drama film A Cube of Sugar as the primary data source, the research investigates how cultural meanings are conveyed across various semiotic modes—speech, body, image, object, text, sound, and space. The analysis reveals that speech is the dominant mode for transmitting cultural representations, followed by body language, visual imagery, and material objects. The study also examines cultural metaphors by identifying source and target domains in both concrete and abstract forms, emphasizing the role of audience familiarity with cultural schemas in interpreting these representations.
Introduction
Cultural conceptualizations are deeply embedded in the linguistic and semiotic practices of human societies. In Iranian culture, ceremonies such as weddings and funerals serve as rich sites for the expression of cultural values, beliefs, and norms. This paper aims to analyze how these ceremonies are represented in visual and verbal media, focusing on the film A Cube of Sugar, which juxtaposes both events within a single narrative. The theoretical framework combines cultural linguistics—particularly schemas, categories, and metaphors—with Transpositional Grammar to examine how meaning is transferred across modes and functions.
Materials & Methods
The primary material for analysis is the Iranian film A Cube of Sugar, selected for its simultaneous portrayal of wedding and mourning rituals. The methodology integrates multimodal discourse analysis with Transpositional Grammar, which categorizes meaning-making into five semantic functions: reference, agency, structure, context, and interest. Each scene is dissected to identify the dominant modes of representation and the transposition of meaning across these modes. The study also draws on previous research in cultural linguistics and multimodal theory to contextualize its findings.
Discussion & Results
Findings indicate that cultural meanings are most frequently conveyed through speech, followed by body movements, visual imagery, and objects. Text and sound play a lesser role in this specific film. The analysis shows that cultural metaphors often rely on concrete source domains to express abstract cultural concepts. For instance, spatial arrangements and bodily gestures in mourning scenes evoke collective grief, while wedding scenes use speech and music to symbolize joy and continuity. The effectiveness of these representations depends on the audience’s familiarity with Iranian cultural schemas, which mediate interpretation and emotional resonance.
Conclusion
This research demonstrates that Transpositional Grammar provides a robust framework for analyzing cultural representation in multimodal texts. In A Cube of Sugar, the interplay of speech, body, image, and object forms a layered narrative that reflects Iranian cultural conceptualizations of celebration and loss. The study underscores the importance of cultural schemas in decoding multimodal messages and suggests that future research should further explore the role of audience knowledge in shaping meaning across different cultural contexts.
Keywords
Multimodality, Transpositional Grammar, Cultural Schema, Cultural Conceptualization, Wedding and Mourning, Iranian Cinema, Discourse Analysis

Subjects

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  • Receive Date 26 October 2024
  • Revise Date 14 March 2026
  • Accept Date 04 April 2025