Unveiling the Invisible: A Deep Dive into Metonymy and Metaphor in 2D Animated Short Film Void

Introduction

With animation’s unique ability to penetrate the internal world of a range of living organisms, it can make the invisible visible (Wells 1998, 122). It is undeniable that animation stands out as a powerful medium for exploring human complex emotions and psychological states, and as an animator myself, the most commonly employed and explored framework that I experience throughout my studies and creative practice is the use of metaphor to abstractly depicted the mind. However, unlike metaphors that have been extensively researched and discussed throughout the history of animation studies (see Wells 1998; Uhrig 2018), the concept of metonymy within animated representation, a similar literary device to metaphor, has yet to be extensively talked about.

This blog post will delve deeper into metonymy in relation to metaphor and their potential as a visual narrative tool in the realm of animation through the analysis of my 2D animated short film Void, which explores the complex emotional turmoil experienced by children living in domestic violence (DV) households. The aim of Void is to portray the often-overlooked emotional impact that domestic violence has on children, using literary devices like metonymy in animation to give visibility to their internal struggles. By employing visual metonymy, Void not only deepens the viewer's understanding of these hidden emotions but also fosters greater awareness of the invisible victims of domestic violence. My film acts as a fantasy space where the child's inner emotions are made visible to the screen as metonymic and metaphoric actions or objects that are associated with how the child would feel when the violent acts happen in the family. The creative direction of each choice of the visual metonymy and metaphor is not random but accordance the Idealised Cognitive Models (ICMs) which based on a shared knowledge and understanding of a concept within a social group (Lakoff & Johnson, 2008). By representing the often-forgotten emotional impact of children living in a DV environment through animation, this blog suggests the use of metonymy in a film like Void can contribute to the promotion of awareness and shed light on these invisible victims of DV.

Metaphor and Metonymy: Understanding Their Differences

Famous literary scholars George Lakoff and Mark Johnson (1980) have stated that metaphor and metonymy are indeed not the same processes. In their well-known Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT), metaphor is the understanding and experiencing of one concept in terms of another. For example, the saying that somebody is “like a shot of espresso”. This metaphor compares the person to a strong coffee, suggesting a strong and energetic personality. Metonymy, on the other hand, focuses on a relationship within a single conceptual entity. It is a term that substitutes one aspect of a concept for the whole (Kövecses & Radden, 1998). For instance, the metaphorical association between the colour red and the character Anger from Pixar’s computer-animated film Inside Out (Pete Docter, 2015) is based on the metonymic relationship to bodily experience of a flush in the face when we are angry (Littlemore 2023). Similarly, the use of a broken mirror in Perfect Blue (Satoshi Kon, 1997) as a visual metaphor for the protagonist’s loss in her public and private identity is based on the metonymic relationship to the reflection on the mirror as a representation of the self. These samples exemplify the sophisticated interplay between metonymy and metaphor in the meaning making in animation, suggesting that metonymy can contribute significantly to creating the emotional depth and complexity of animated works.

**Fig. 1 - Still of the first scene in *Void* showing the child character sitting alone at the dinner table.**

Into the “Void”

Metonymy, as indicated by Zoltán Kövecse and Günter Radden (1998), is a figure of speech where one thing is substituted for another which it is closely associated with. In my film Void, metonymy is used to associate the main character's emotional state with their physical environment, helping the narrative to create a powerful and evocative connection between the internal and external worlds. Void begins in a seemingly ordinary domestic space, a kitchen, a room traditionally served as a family gathering and warm interaction space (Fig. 1). However, the protagonist was shown to be isolated, enveloped in a dark and gloomy atmosphere, creating a contrast to the room’s intended purpose. The character's isolation within the room mirrors their emotional detachment from others while the empty space around them becomes a tangible representation of their loneliness. The dimly lit environment on the other hand, serves as a metonymic representation of the character's internal emotions, foreshadowing their emotional turmoil.

**Fig. 2 - Still from *Void* showcasing the transition into the inner world.**

The metonymic representation of space in Void further contributes to the core metaphorical framework of the audience's perception of the message. As the child's emotional tension escalates, the visual environment undergoes a corresponding distortion, resulting in an explosive transition into the void (Fig. 2) This spatial transformation, a metonymic representation of the child's internal state, mirrors the psychological experience of overwhelming emotional turmoil. The visual depiction of void here reinforces the character's feelings of isolation and despair in his own imaginary world, deepening the scene’s metaphorical impact.

**Fig. 3 - A mapping analysis of the interrelationship between metonymy and metaphor for the head explosion.**

Additionally, according to the definition of metonymy by Kövecse and Radden (1998), a physical perception (headache) is linked to a specific perception (the feeling like head going to explode), which is then linked to its metaphorical meaning for the mind under immense pressure and stress (Fig. 3). This chain reaction between emotions supports the role of metonymy in creating a deeper layer in constructing a metaphorical interpretation in the audiences.

To avoid explicitly depicting violent acts, parental conflict was symbolically represented throughout Void through the visual imagery of a chessboard, with the king and queen as the metonymic representation of opposing forces (Fig. 4). This metonymic approach transformed inanimate objects into symbols of the destructive dynamics within the household. By leveraging human cognition, which associates chess with strategic conflict and competition, the animation evokes emotional responses and metaphorical concepts related to power, control, and conflict without having to rely on the literal visual to explicit violence.

Likewise, to emphasise the suffocating experience of living in a DV household, Void utilises the metonymic representation of a fish gasping for air to convey the anxiety and distress experienced by the child victim (Fig. 5). The metonymic depiction of the fish struggling to breathe creates a powerful metaphor for the child's escalating anxiety, linking physical symptoms such as shortness of breath to the psychological turmoil of being trapped in a suffocating environment (Fig. 6).

**Fig. 6 - A mapping analysis of the interrelationship between metonymy and metaphor for the fish scene in *Void*.**

Conclusion

The analysis of visual elements in "Void" revealed a complex interplay between metonymy and metaphor in constructing the narrative's emotional core. By employing metonymic devices, such as the exploding head and the suffocating fish, the film effectively translates complex psychological states into tangible visual representations. These elements, in conjunction with metaphor, created a multi-layered narrative that resonates on both conscious and subconscious levels. Moreover, the film's strategic use of space, colour, and character design amplifies the emotional impact of the story. The transformation of the domestic kitchen into a solitary, dimly lit environment served as a metonymic representation of the child's emotional isolation. Similarly, the subsequent use of distortion and void further emphasised the character's descent into despair. By understanding how these devices can be adapted to different settings, there is the potential to expand our understanding of metonymy in animation as a tool for addressing social issues and creating deeper meanings into narratives. In conclusion, I have attempted in this blog post to offer animators new possibilities of using metonymy as another conceptual option in the medium that holds the potential to be as significant and valuable as metaphor.

**Article published: March 21, 2025**

References

Kövecses, Zoltán, and Günter Radden. 1998. “Metonymy: Developing a Cognitive Linguistic View.” Cognitive Linguistics 9, no. 1: 37–78.‌

Lakoff, George, and Mark Johnson. 2008. Metaphors We Live By. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Littlemore, Jeannette, Marianna Bolognesi, Nina Julich-Warpakowski, Chung-hong Danny Leung, and Paula Pérez Sobrino. 2023. Metaphor, Metonymy, the Body and the Environment: An Exploration of the Factors That Shape Emotion-Colour Associations and Their Variation across Cultures. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Wells, Paul. 1998. Understanding Animation. London: Routledge.

‌Biography

Waroonrat (Palmmy) is a Thai 2D animator and illustrator based in Melbourne with a focus on visual storytelling through animation. Currently, to deepen her expertise, Palmmy is pursuing a Master of Animation, Games, and Interactivity at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. Before embarking on her animation journey, Palmmy earned a Bachelor's degree in Communication Management from Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand.