A Note on “Natural Metaphors”: Jaworski’s Contribution

In Erving Goffman and the Cold War, Gary Jaworski (2023) draws upon Harold Garfinkel’s (1956) notion of “natural metaphor” to interpret Goffman’s sociology as responsive to the distinctive ethos of Cold War USA. The note examines the origins of cold war concerns in Goffman’s writings and how natural metaphors were deployed by Jaworski in his book. It raises some questions about the interpretation and how it connects with recent thinking about the role played by metaphor in Goffman’s sociology.