《馬蘭的故事》是潘人木的代表作品，論者多忽略其自成天地的譬喻系統。本文藉助George Lakoff的譬喻理論，從植物與人、容器與土地之間的映射關係，探討潘人木的人物形塑和寫作意圖。 此書的寫作重心在女主角程馬蘭謙抑、堅韌的性格，潘人木選擇故鄉東北（遼寧）的馬蘭草為她命名，並隱喻她性格的各種面向。林金木是與馬蘭對應的角色，他的命名呈現草、木相應的意義。再者「金木」帶有臺灣本土味道，意在交代他的出生地；「林木」的「綠」則象徵了馬蘭草之外的植物，經由「植物」一詞，語意延伸至農業與生機。馬蘭的父親程堅亦為要角，是她性格的養成者，也是東北傳奇作物紅粳米的擁有者，因此紅粳米轉喻程堅；紅粳米成長在東北與程堅的父親身分結合，產生中國大陸「父土」的象徵意義；銜接程堅、林金木之間非血緣的祖孫關係，再引出臺灣、東北（中國大陸）之間的血脈聯繫。 另外，臺灣、中國大陸二塊土地有界限範圍，提供人和物活動的空間與出入的方位，為容器譬喻之一種，譬喻性地中國大陸裝填陰暗、苦難和絕望，臺灣則裝慎新生與希望。 此書也有消弭中、日民族仇恨的企圖，藉由人物的空間移動與通婚，植物改換生長地點與農業改良的情節來完成。

Crtics have much ignored Pan’s (潘人木) elaborate metaphorical system exhibited in The story of Ma-lan. This paper thus explores metaphors in this text, using George Lakoff’s metaphorical theory. Examining the relationships between the characters, plants, and lands in this novel from the perspectives of metaphoricla mapping, this paper discusses Pan’s characterization and her intention of writing. Plant metaphors unfold in the metonymy and metaphor relations between plants and characters as shown in the three main characters: Ma-lan, Lin Jin-mu (林金木), and Ma-lan’s father Cheng Jian (程堅). The main female character Ma-lan’s humility and perseverance is shown in her name, because Ma-lan tzou (weed 馬蘭草) is the native plant of Pan-North-Eastern China. In contranst, Lin Jin-mu, a popular name for a Taiwanese born boy, literally means any “green tree.” In this novel, it can be symbolized as any plant other than Ma-lan tzou. Used in a more general term, “jin-mu” can be associated with agriculture or any kind of living things. Further, the second kind native plant of North-Eastern China used in the novel is red rice. Owned by and symbolizing Ma-lan’s father Cheng Jian, another main character and a shaper of Ma-lan’s personality, red rice is closely related with him. Like Cheng Jian, red rice grows in North-Eastern China-the “Fatherland” of Taiwan. This connection between lands and characters reveals a crucial metonymy and metaphor relation. Red rice signifies Cheng Jian, bonds the grandfather-grandson relationship between Cheng Jian and Jin-mu, and thus extends the blood metaphor that links Taiwan and North-East China (the Mainland China). Furthermore, Taiwan and China, as two lands, are container metaphors. Each has “a bounding surface” and “an in-out orientation,” as Lakeoff terms it. As two containers, Taiwan and China have their own boundaries and allow people to freely move in and out. Metaphorically speaking, china is a container full of darkness, misery and depression, whereas Taiwan holds rebirth and hope. Along with this is an attempt to dissipate the racial hatred between China and Japan. Using the Characters’ immigration to another space and intermarriage and a new version of plants’ prosperity in a different land, a blood metaphor that links China, Japan and Taiwan is created.