The article examines the verbal representation of hubristic pride in Theodore Dreiser’s novel “The Financier”, the first novel of his Trilogy of desire. Particular attention is paid to the characters of Frank Cowperwood and Aileen Butler, whose speech, behavior, and self-perception reveal different manifestations of excessive pride and superiority. The purpose of the study is to identify the linguistic means and contextual patterns through which hubristic pride is represented in the novel. The research employs contextual, lexical-semantic, evaluative-axiological, and conceptual metaphor analyses. These approaches make it possible to examine the lexical markers of excessive self-confidence, the characters’ evaluation of themselves and others, and metaphorical expressions associated with superiority and social elevation.
The findings demonstrate that hubristic pride is represented through the interaction of lexical, evaluative, and metaphorical means rather than through direct expressions of pride alone. In Cowperwood’s characterization, it is primarily manifested through excessive self-confidence, a sense of personal superiority, and the hierarchical evaluation of other people. In Aileen Butler’s characterization, hubristic pride is associated more closely with conspicious self-presentation, confidence in her personal charms, and a sense of social privilege. The analysis also reveals the role of orientational metaphors in representing superiority and arrogance through images of vertical elevation. The study contributes to the linguistic analysis of emotion in literary discourse and provides a framework that can be applied to the investigation of hubristic pride and other complex emotions in literary texts.