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Thinking Through Metaphors

Thinking Through Metaphors, 21 June 2023

In the Spotlight

Would you like to be “in the spotlight? “ Perhaps, perhaps not.

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Observing and pondering the “spotlight“ focus in non-literal comparisons, let's see how different use of this comparisons can be.

Example Metaphor:

Comparison:

“Coming out of prison, when you get behind the wheel of a car, it puts you in the spotlight,“ [Andrew] Ross [NYU] says.

Context:

[From an investigative report by Vox and Capital B:]

It wasn’t the only way formerly incarcerated people were targeted. For those who were Black, the heightened risk of being pulled over meant they were vulnerable to being reincarcerated for a minor traffic violation if an officer found out they had a prior felony conviction and were on parole. 'Coming out of prison, when you get behind the wheel of a car, it puts you in the spotlight,' Ross says. While working with their formerly incarcerated peer researchers on the project, Ross noted, three of them were pulled over for minor traffic violations and ended up being incarcerated again.

Comparison Focus:

Clearly in the Vox/Capital B investigation of racism and vehicles, the phrase “puts you in the spotlight“ would be a spot of discomfort and disabling attention. Just as likely, however, in everyday writing and speaking putting someone “in the spotlight“ could have positive connotations. A couple of examples drawn from Google's Ngram Viewer:

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"Achieving success can also put you in the spotlight, where you may receive more attention from coaches, peers, and perhaps even the media.“

“Actively supporting environmental protection can put you in the spotlight.“

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“You should know, though, that being a leader during basic training does put you in the spotlight and that means that you will be more closely scrutinized by RDCs.“

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Other examples, however, from other sources, invite our minds in a different direction:

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“Love up our climate defenders who speak publicly. They’re vulnerable. They need to know we’ve got their backs. Expressing gratitude and offering encouragement won’t put you in the spotlight, and it can encourage those who are being bullied online.”

OR:

“It’s crucial for you to remain calm as the drama at work might put you in the spotlight.”

Clearly, then, as a metaphor, the phrase “put you in the spotlight“ can carry positive, neutral, negative, or even ambiguous connotations. The attention that a literal spotlight suggests calls up ideas of heightened awareness or notice. But, context, persona, and conditions noted in the writing help parse both intended and expected meaning for this metaphor. The next time you think of using “in the spotlight“ as a stealth metaphor ask yourself how the audience may understand or frame that phrase. It's worth pondering.

For more on many aspects of metaphors and other non-literal comparisons see: 
Metaphors and Beyond: The Guide.

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