Analysis Of Northrop Frye's The Motive For Metaphor

In the essay “The Motive for Metaphor,” Northrop Frye describes levels of the human mind. The first level of the human mind is consciousness and awareness. In this level of the mind you identify the differences objects from yourself. You name objects with nouns. Also on this level you qualify these objects to differentiate them. You describe the nouns with adjectives. The second level of the human mind is social participation. The language of this level are verbs and actions. This level describes your degree of participation in a community or society. The third level of the human mind is imagination. The language of this level is the desire of language. Examples of the desire of language are literacy language, language of math, music, poems
In the essay “Darwin’s Middle Road”, Stephen Jay Gould describes Darwin’s process on his theory of natural selection. Gould describes the process of scientific creativity with inductivism and eurekaism. Darwin’s thought process also incorporates Frye’s three levels of the human mind. Darwin begins his thought process aboard the Beagle. During these five years, Darwin makes observations of the bones of giant South American fossil mammals. He focuses on the turtles and finches of the Galapagos. According to Gould he mentions “The first ̶ inductivism ̶ held that great scientists are primarily great observers and patient accumulators of information. For new and significant theory, the inductivists claimed, can only arise from a firm foundation of facts.” (Gould 1018). Darwin uses his consciousness and awareness; to identify and give qualities to the turtles and finches. Darwin builds his foundation of facts. Darwin transitions his thinking process to social participation. Darwin takes his facts on finches and brings them into human shape. Darwin begins researching and studying the nature of the finches. Darwin uses social participation to contribute to science. Inductivism corresponds to the first and second levels of the human mind. In addition, Darwin uses the third level of the human mind to create his theory. Darwin’s theory is survival of the fittest through natural selection. Darwin experiences
According to Frye “There are two main kinds of association, analogy and identity, two things that are like each other.” (Frye 1044). Frye relates identities to metaphors. Identity is the state or fact of remaining the same one or ones, as under varying aspects or conditions. Frye relates analogies to similes. An analogy is a form of reasoning in which one thing is inferred to be similar to another thing in a certain respect, on the basis of the known similarity between the things in other respects. Associative language is used in science. There is no kind of scientific language that is not associative. Frye explains “The native language takes precedence over every other subject of study: nothing else can compare with it in its usefulness. But then you find that every mother tongue, in any developed or civilized society, turns into something called literature.” (Frye 1037). Darwin associates to the mother tongue. Before Darwin can study finches he must first identify his environment. The identifications that Darwin makes are his observations in the Galapagos. Darwin associates to literature. After Darwin identifies his environment; he can study finches to create literature and analogies about his theory. The analogies that Darwin makes is inferring natural selection to be similar to society and population. Darwin’s scientific language uses associative