LEXICAL DEVICES AND EMOTIONAL RESONANCE IN "GONE WITH THE WIND": A STYLISTIC AND COGNITIVE LINGUISTIC ANALYSIS

Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind (1936) stands as a monumental work in American literature, not only for its sweeping historical narrative but also for its profound exploration of human emotions through meticulously crafted language. This study conducts a rigorous stylistic and cognitive linguistic examination of the novel, focusing on how Mitchell’s lexical choices—including adjectives, metaphors, sensory imagery, and dialogue—function as conduits for emotional expression. Drawing upon Leech and Short’s (2007) framework of lexical foregrounding and Kövecses’ (2000) conceptual metaphor theory, this paper systematically analyzes key passages to elucidate the mechanisms through which Mitchell evokes empathy, tension, and nostalgia. The findings demonstrate that Mitchell’s strategic deployment of lexical devices reinforces the novel’s central themes of love, loss, and resilience, thereby ensuring its enduring emotional impact.