Literal vs. Figurative Language

What’s the difference?

Literal Means …

• Straight forward

• Factual

• Meaning exactly what is said

Figurative Means …

• Imaginative

• Uses exaggerations to make a point

• Figurative meanings encourage us to use our imagination. It is not literal.

What does this really mean?

• It’s raining cats and dogs

What does this really mean?

• Break a leg

Literal or Figurative?You decide!

• Jacob expresses many feelings through his photography.

Literal or Figurative? You decide!

• Sometimes I have to be my little brother’s brain.

Forensic pathologists-Performs autopsies/postmortem examinations to determine the cause of death.

Forensic entomologists- Involved in the branch of entomology that involves insects and violent crime or the law

Mark and trace analysis experts- Study examples of typical evidence in criminal cases include fingerprints, glove prints, hairs, cosmetics, plant fibers, mineral fibers, synthetic fibers, glass, paint chips, soils, botanical materials, gunshot residue, explosives residue, and volatile hydrocarbons (arson evidence).

Document experts-Analyzes documents for alterations, handwriting comparisons

Fiber analysis specialists- Locates textile fibers similar to those from the victim’s clothing or the crime scene on the clothing or person of the suspect or discovering fiber evidence at the crime scene that can somehow be traced back to the suspect.

Medical examiner-medically qualified government officer whose duty is to investigate deaths and injuries that occur under unusual or suspicious circumstances and to perform post-mortem examinations.

Explanation of literal meaning

In cases where decedents cannot be identified based on their biological profile or dental records, forensic anthropologists/artists may do facial reconstruction to create a face of decedents so that people might recognize them.

Example evidence to support literal meaning

• In the case of Mwivano, whose face had been cut off, a forensic anthropologist and artist used her skull to reconstruct a model of her face. Literally, they put a face to the lost by recreating it.

Figurative meaning

• Matching unidentified remains with the names of missing persons is a way forensic anthropologists solve identification or missing person’s investigations.

Example Evidence of Figurative Meaning

• Forensic investigators discover a decedent’s identitiy through bones, dental work, and x-rays. They math characteristics from bones, dental work, x-rays, and other means with lists of missing persons to find a match, to give a lost person an IDENTITY/NAME. Through this process, they are able to connect remains to a missing person thus giving a name (figurative face) to a missing person.

Literal• Literally, they reconstruct a face• Young• Female• African American

Figurative• Figuratively, they give her a “face” or a

name/identity/story with the help of x-rays, dental records, bones, medical records, etc.

• Name: Mwivano Mwambashi Kupaza• Student from Tanzania • In a strange country with few acquaintances

Literal Meaning of Giving Faces to the lost

• Go to the section in the reading that LITERALLY talks about how they reconstruct the face.

• Use textual evidence

• Hint: Facial Reconstruction

Figurative Meaning of Giving Faces to the lost

• Go to the sections in the reading that discuss how the forensic anthropologists find out the “face” or identity of the lost person. Use textual evidence.

• Hint: Matching a Decedent to a Missing Person