Analysis of the transformation of rhetorical signs from the story "Journey" to the film "It's Winter"

Rhetorical signs convey meaning differently in different works of art, and their appearance and presentation vary depending on the type of work. Especially in adapted cinematic works and in the process of converting text into film, where words are transformed into sound and image, rhetorical signs are among the most fundamental elements that play a role in this transformation. In the present study, in order to investigate the transformation of rhetorical signs from literary text to film, the story "Journey" and the film "It's Winter", which was adapted from this story, were studied and examined. This research was conducted in a descriptive-analytical manner using two types of written sources and a visual-auditory source (film). The findings of the research show that the film "It's Winter" has adapted eight rhetorical signs from the story "The Journey" and changed them from the textual aspect to the visual and auditory aspects. These rhetorical signs are: metaphor, simile, allusion, simile, symbol, paradox, elegant opening and good ending. The evolution and transformation of these eight rhetorical symbols, from the story "Journey" to the film "It's Winter," is shown with the help of cinematic techniques such as editing, set design, costume design, sound, lighting, as well as facial and body expressions, and sometimes even silence.
Introduction
The analysis of rhetorical signs is one of the methods for analyzing texts, focusing on the study and analysis of signs within the text. This type of semiotics examines the relationships between signs and their implicit meanings from a rhetorical perspective. Beyond linguistics, it is applicable in analyzing poetry, stories, and dramatic literature, as well as other artistic works such as cinema, painting, photography, music, and architecture. Rhetorical signs can be found not only in written literary works but also in other artistic creations; they can exist verbally or non-verbally and visually in various artworks. However, the manner of their presentation differs across various artistic media. For instance, in a medium like cinema, rhetorical signs are expressed through shots, set and costume design, editing, etc., whereas in literature, rhetorical signs are understood through words. In other words, the director conveys rhetorical signs in the film through the use of cinematic techniques, and this transformation and metamorphosis from text to image can be studied in adapted cinematic works. This research seeks to analyze the transformation and metamorphosis of rhetorical signs from the story “The Journey” to the film “It Is Winter” and to answer the question: What transformation and metamorphosis have the rhetorical signs undergone from the story “The Journey” to the film “It Is Winter,” that is, in their conversion from text to sound and image?
 
Materials & Methods
Rhetorical signs convey meaning differently in various artistic works, and their mode of manifestation and presentation varies depending on the type of work. Especially in adapted cinematic works and in the process of converting text into film, where words change into sound and image, rhetorical signs are among the most fundamental elements playing a role in this metamorphosis. In the present study, to examine how rhetorical signs transform from literary text to film, the story “The Journey” and the film “It Is Winter,” which was adapted from this story, were studied and investigated. This research was conducted using a descriptive-analytical method, employing two types of sources: written sources and audiovisual sources (the film). The process involved first studying the written sources along with the text of the story “The Journey,” then studying and examining the film “It Is Winter.” The rhetorical signs of the literary and cinematic works were then compared, and finally, the transformations of the rhetorical signs from the literary text to the film were analyzed and examined.
Research findings
The findings of this research indicate that among the various signs in the field of rhetoric, elements such as metaphor, simile, irony (kenaye), synecdoche/metonymy (majaz), symbol, paradox, bara’at al-istiḥlāl, and ḥusn al-khatām have undergone a significant transformation in the process of adaptation from the story “The Journey” to the film “It Is Winter.” The transformation of these rhetorical signs from the literary text to the film has occurred through cinematic techniques such as editing, set design, costume design, sound design, lighting, as well as facial and body expressions, and even sometimes silence.
Discussion of Results & Conclusion
Rhetorical devices received renewed attention from structuralists, post-structuralists, and cognitivists in the second half of the 20th century (Sajoudi, 2014: 52-53). They shared the belief that “rhetorical devices are not merely stylistic tropes; rather, they are mechanisms that shape discourse in the broadest sense of the term” (Ibid: 53). Semioticians also refer to metaphor and metonymy as rhetorical signs (Ahmadi, 1996: 62). According to Chandler, metaphors are not always verbal; they can sometimes be visual. For example, a comparative relationship between two successive shots in a film constitutes a metaphorical expression, and these images can convey things that words cannot (Chandler, 2008: 192-193). Metonymy, like metaphor, can also be visual, such as the display of an object in a film that signifies and is related to another object (Ibid: 198). However, it can be argued that not only metaphor and metonymy but also other rhetorical elements such as irony (kenaye), simile (tashbih), contrast, antithesis, allusion (talmih), proverb, paradox, etc., can be considered effective in semiotics. The evolution and transformation of rhetorical signs from literary text to film are made possible through cinematic possibilities and techniques. In the film “It Is Winter,” adapted from the story “The Journey,” dialogue rarely occurs among the characters, especially the main ones; the film narrates primarily based on visuals and sound design (crow sounds, train sounds, background music, etc.). Among the various types of rhetorical signs, the film “It Is Winter” has adapted eight rhetorical elements from the story “The Journey”: metaphor, simile, irony (kenaye), synecdoche/metonymy (majaz), symbol, paradox, bara’at al-istiḥlāl (brilliant opening), and ḥusn al-khatām (brilliant closing).