Figurative Language as Identity Work: A Discourse Analysis of Syrian Refugee Narratives

This study investigates how Syrian refugee students in Jordan employ figurative language including metaphors, similes, and imagery with metaphorical function to construct and negotiate their identities amidst displacement. While much existing research examines how refugees are portrayed by external actors, such as media or policymakers, little is known about how refugees themselves use such figurative resources to shape their own self-representations. Guided by the research question, ‘How do Syrian refugee students construct their discursive identities through figurative language?’, the study employs discourse analysis in its broadest sense, or what we term ‘Broad Discourse Analysis’ (BDA), as its analytical lens, viewing language as a socially embedded practice that shapes and reflects reality. Drawing on data from 111 undergraduate English Language and Literature students, the research explores figurative expressions as dynamic tools for meaning-making and resilience. The findings reveal four interrelated themes: Aspiring, Resilient, Intrinsic, and Constrained Identities. Figurative references, such as ‘stars’, ‘mountains’, ‘birds’ and ‘lantern fish’, discursively articulate participants’ aspirations, relational care and resistance to victimising narratives. By centring refugees’ own voices, the study challenges reductive portrayals, advances theoretical frameworks in discourse studies and refugee linguistics, and provides practical insights for education and policy to promote empowerment, agency, and integration.