I was watching Finding Nemo and suddenly an idea chose to flash in my mind. What would happen if fishes start talking in our language? Will our relationship which we share(predator-prey) be same? I have stopped having them as food long back but I can certainly relate to my state of mind when I was a piscivore. I would definitely found myself utterly unable to consume them had they started speaking in the same tongue(even if they themselves had urged me to eat them up!!).
Quite a funny thought,isnt? Why the hell racking your brains for mythological possibilities (or rather impossibilities) instead of enjoying the movie with a pack of potato chips and lime-soda? Hmm.. no I did enjoy the movie and especially Dorrie. She defies common sense (her expressions are absolutely incongruous to the circumstrances, for instance she looks obliquely to Marlin while being mortally chased by the shark and her countenance suggests something like a smile floating smugly on her face!). Her forgetfulness is also amusing probably bacause it breaks the temporal continuum which is so vital an element of our sense of identity. I will not go into this issue now as it needs exclusive attention.
OK,sorry for aberration. Actually the movie was just an occasional cause for the thought I wanted to scrutinize. The idea which disturbed my mind was the capability (and predominance) of language as a factor which produces humanization (and accordingly dehumanization) of others. The corollary of this hypothesis is amazingly interesting (to me, at least!!). This places language at the topmost position in the hierarchy of the agencies which rule us and shapes our social structure as well as the interaction within and among them. When we find someone talking in our language, in our words, our phrases,slangs etc, we feel alike. This sense of likeness makes him/her more like us, more human. Recognition of this observation as a generality led me to believe that language integrates as well as alienates, more effectively than percieved. Let's take a case to study this proposition. What will you(assume you are an Indian if you are not) feel if you find a brazilian man(or woman, please yourself!) talking in your language. Will not all the racial, ethnic, religious bounderies seem to mean little? Will not you feel connected to him/her?? I feel I will because language envelops thought and intellectual and/or emotional union has nothing necessarily to do with colour of skin and religious convictions. Of course culture plays a role but then it can hardly be seen outside/independent of language.Remember we are considering an extreme case. Our case then essentially assumes some cultural familiarity. But essentially it is language which does it all. Rest all other factors ate its ministers. Now let's envisage a diffrent picture(sorry, we have to come back to India!) which wouldn't need much capacity of imagination. What do you think is the major barrier between classes in our society? Think clearly... what is it? Yeah... it is none other than Language! If you thought anything else (financial or political background, for example) then think about terms like style-statement and symbols of power (like an ambassador car with a red light on its top). It is not the money but its display which creates the boundary. It is not the post but the uniform, the name-plate etc which makes the meaning. Diet coke, Nike shoes, Versace outfits, Armani suits, Mercedez Cars(which decide classes,E-class and S-class etc) and countless other things are nothing but WORDS!!! We speak through them. We earn them and make a vocabulary. The volume and quality of our vocabulary determines our language. This secondary language is used more effectively than the primary language (which we mean when we say language). If we appreciate the significance of this secondary language then it must be very obvious that even the primary language is very class specific. Every class chooses its own language to communicate. This leads to the formation and proliferation of jargons and buzz-words. Use or submission to these jargons determines an individual's class and company. In short we see only one thing which always changes when we shift our focus to one class/community to the other. Language distinguishes one from other. Language demarcates the boundaries. Here it is!! But is also provides strength within a group. It unites individuals. If we choose to study an individual then we find that even for a multilingual person, dominance of one language warranties mental harmony. We think in one language. Well, I would not dwell on this issue as I have no insight of it and it can't be treated superficially and glibly.
One interesting fact is that we cannot choose to ignore the language. Even the absence of a word in your vocabulary speaks a volume. We cannot avoid it. Yeah, but we can and we should make our existential choice of having it or not, with its consequences.
2 comments:
I wanted to say that you have started off well, but I guess that would have to wait for some time. Probably you can work on the clarity of your thoughts or least their presentation. The frequent meandering off the route doesn't help much.
On the other hand, your point is well taken. But its a very superficial issue in my personal view. Language and words dont have much role to play, as I see them. As I have always said, conversation is the cheapest mode of expression. So, I dont believe much in your post. Though, my expression has its own limits, too.
Akshaya
Thanks Akshaya for wading through my post. And thanks for your candid comments. As a beginner I need it. I do not entirely agree with your opinions but it doesnt matter too much. I will try to take up less abstract issues to enhance perspicuity and yes.. I need to maintain the flow of thought without meandering much. But you see, the river is young and exuberant. When it will contain more, it will flow with more gravity. Till then enjoy rafting :) he he..see I meandered again!!
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