Monday, February 22, 2016
(Due Tuesday)
Below, are two quotes from Gloria Naylor's "A Word's Meaning Can Often Depend on Who Says It." Choose ONE, and do the following:
- Interpret the quote. (What does it mean to you? What could it mean on a broader scale?)
- Provide TWO examples to support your interpretation. These could be other essays or books you have read, articles or topics you have read/researched, documentaries, etc.
Quote A: Words themselves are innocuous; it is the consensus that gives them true power.
Quote B: Dialogue achieves its power in the dynamics of a fleeting moment of sight, sound, smell, and touch.
Quote A is a quote I can quite easily love. Words themselves are not harmful, it is our perception of how they are used in certain contexts that can turn them into different meanings. Words are merely combinations of different parts of the alphabet and they hold no true power. We can see them on paper or on a screen and we can make models of them to hold but the real power comes from those who use them. This can be observed with speeches, before JFK gave his famous speech about man on the moon that speech was merely a few pieces of paper lying on a desk doing nothing. But when president Kennedy stood at the podium and told the country as well as the world that America would be first to the moon those words created uproar. Words by themselves have no power without a speaker and an audience. A script for a movie is just a script that many will probably not find enjoyment in. But when there are actors and cameras and everything is put together, it is then the script becomes something more and is enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteQuote A stating “words themselves are in innocuous; it is the consensus that gives them the power” can be interpreted in many ways. To me it means that words are unharmful, only when used in a certain context can it be harmful. Some things may be said in a context that is acceptable and not harmful; but in a different context in can be taken rudely. In a broader term it could be interpreted as if words are nothing until they are said. For my personal interpretation I relate to the way that the word retarded is used.sadly many people use in an offensive way, specifically by stereotyping someone as such. The definition of retarded is less advanced in mental, physical or social development than is usual for one's age. People choose to throw the word around like it is a joke or just because someone is acting stupid when really it is being offensive to people that are really handicap. Another example is when Obama seemed to have said “if we talk about the economy, we’re going to lose”. It was taken out of context. If you look at the where it was used you can see that Obama was actually quoting John McCain in the election before. Now if you look at it from a different perspective you realize that it was harmful in one context but not in the other.
ReplyDeleteQuote A reads "Words themselves are innocuous; it is the consensus that gives them true power". Each different person may interpret this quote in a different way. I interpret it as saying that words themselves are not harmful, but the way that they are used and the context around them are what may cause the harm. For example, in the sentence "the wide red bucket held one hundred milliliters of water", the word "wide" is just a description of the red bucket. In the sentence "Sarah has a wide midsection", that would be when the word "wide" has a whole different meaning and becomes offensive to people. Another very common word that has many meanings with its different contexts is the word "no". For example, if somebody asks another person if they would like a goldfish cracker and the reply with "no, thank you", that would be a polite way of telling the person that they would prefer to pass on their offer. If your mother tells you to go clean your room and you reply with "NO", that will be the circumstance where anger may be aroused from your mother, and she begins to give you a lecture. Words themselves may mean nothing, but the context of which you use them in provide the meaning behind the word.
ReplyDeleteWords themselves are innocuous; it is the consensus that gives them true power. This quote conveys the power behind using words that are publicly agreed as offensive. Words in reality are just noises we make with our mouths, it is the definition behind the word that makes it pleasant or not so pleasant. This belief is represented in novels such as the Hunger Games. The capital did not see the hunger games as this wonderful event but the districts' consensus saw the hunger games as a terrible event that only killed their children for entertainment. In addition, another example can be the word bitch. A bitch is registered as a female dog, you can google it and the definition will come up like so. But society has placed a very negative definition behind the word. The word bitch should be harmless and powerless but now with society's new definition of the word it is very offensive and is never used in a pleasant way.
ReplyDeleteTo me the quote “Dialogue achieves its power in the dynamics of a fleeting moment of sight, sound, smell, and touch” means that dialogue alone is useless and that words are futile if not amalgamated with context. In The Lunch Date, a short film directed by Adam Davidson, a seemingly wealthy white women interacts with a black man after concluding that he stole her recently purchased salad. When the woman approaches him filled with distaste, he says nothing. When the woman reaches for the salad, he growls; however, when she fiscally begins to share the salad, the man obliges. After he shares, he buys the woman a cup of coffee, still without saying a word. Later, the woman comes to the realization that her salad was not pilfered by the black man. Instead, her salad was in the booth over and she had in fact misplaced it. This short film demonstrates the power of assumptions, and how interpretation of words (or lack of words) greatly depends on the context in which they are spoken or unexpressed. Anthony Bourdain, a Travel Channel host, is a world explorer. In the show Places Unknown, he travels to places people are widely unfamiliar with and connects with the location’s native people. While Bourdain is often met with a language barrier, he communicates with people with ease when meandering through fish markets of small villages where culture is thriving. The smells and sights of these cultural hubs provide context that bears communication comfortably. Words are means of communication that cannot succeed on their own.
ReplyDeleteThe definition of a word is a single distinct meaningful element of speech or writing, used with others (or sometimes alone) to form a sentence. They are literally noises that can be formed by moving your mouth. Without applying a meaning to these noises they are just noises. However context is a major contributor to the meaning of these words. For example if I was to call a cookie huge, or even a huge amount of applause they are seen as positive things. However, if I was to call a person huge it is offensive. This rule also applies to most swear words. The word bitch is a female dog. But our culture has made this word an offensive word if I was to say this to someone I might get slapped. These are just words but the context of these words and the meaning have different meaning. If our culture wasn't to change the meanings of these words, no one word get offended.
ReplyDeleteThe quote "Words themselves are innocuous; it is the consensus that gives them true power" is up for interpretation. To me, this quote conveys the meaning that it is not what you say, rather how you describe the word in context, and how the word is put into action. Like in the piece, nigger was used in a nontoxic way by her family members. When nigger was used by a white man, in a derogatory way, how she interpreted it was completely different. Everyday I hear many derogatory words thrown around, and when I hear that, I know those words were never used in the context they are now. Words are interpreted differently in everyday conversations, through phone calls, texts, and social media posts. However, words mean nothing on paper. We all hear the saying "actions speak louder than words." This statement holds true to everyone. Words mean nothing until they are put into play.
ReplyDeleteQuote A "Words themselves are innocuous; it is the consensus that gives them true power" is up for interpretation. This quote conveys the meaning that it is not what you say, but how you describe the word into context or even the way the word is put into action. Like in this literature piece, when the white man said nigger, in a derogatory way, the way that she interpreted the meaning was toxic. When the word nigger was used by her family members, it was the total opposite. All around myself I hear my peers using derogatory words. For example, when someone says "That was so sick dude!" Either the person is trying to say whatever he saw was really sick, or he means sick as in cool, awesome, etc. Words are interpreted differently in everyday conversations, through phone calls, texts, social media posts, and so on. That's why actions speak so much louder than words.
ReplyDelete"Words themselves are innocuous; it is the consensus that gives them true power". In my opinion, this quote means that words are harmless unless they are used in a context that makes them harmful. On a broader scale this quote could mean that words are a meaningless bundle of letters until they are said aloud. Martin Luther King's "I have a Dream" speech started out as only words on a paper. These words, when spoken, could have meant many different things. This speech could have been uninteresting and boring if told by the wrong person, but the passion that MLK had behind the words made the speech worth while. His techniques that he used throughout the speech kept the audience intrigued. These techniques consisted of pacing, difference in voice projection, and frequent repetition. Another example to prove this quote would be the word tough. When referring to most men and women, telling them that they're tough is a compliment. When saying "this meat is tough", it is an insult to whoever did the cooking. In my opinion, there are two different ways this quote could be interpreted. Either words inherit meaning because of the way they are said or words inherit meaning from the context they are used in.
ReplyDeleteQuote A:" Words themselves are innocuous; it is the consensus that gives them true power."
ReplyDeleteIn "A Word's Meaning Can Often Depend on Who Says It" By Gloria Naylor she discusses the many different meanings of the N-word. She also brings up the different times and places where it could be suitable to say and by whom. She argues that different words have different meanings depending on who says them and the context. For example when Naylor's family used the "N" word they meant it in a more positive way and conveyed how they used a word that used to suppress them now to use as almost an endearment to each other. However when white people used this term it was used to our black people down and to be derogatory. Another example of this could be calling myself a dumb blonde, or another blonde haired person jokingly saying that to me. It would almost be an inside joke between us but if a brown haired person said it in a condescending way it could be taken differently by me.
Quote A
ReplyDeleteWords themselves are not harmful nor condescending; it is simply how they are used in certain sentences or contexts that make them the powerful thing they are thought out to be. In any given speech, the words are nothing. They are written down on a piece of paper but until someone with great admiration speaks those words, they mean nothing what so ever. For example; Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous "I Have A Dream" speech about discrimination and segregation against blacks. Those famous words had been spoken before by many people but never meant anything until Martin Luther King spoke them in such a powerful speech. On a much smaller scale, when you're messing around with close friends, they could call you names or joke around with you but until someone who is looked up to calls you the same thing, it could mean nothing. Depending on who says something, it could affect someone in so many different ways. Words often mean nothing, but when their put into a certain contexts, they could mean the world.
Quote A
ReplyDeleteSticks and stones can indeed break bones but words can only hurt if the community consensus and tone the word was used with was harmful. Words themselves are not harmful. In the Naylor essay, she had heard that inflammatory term numerous times throughout her life at home, where the word was used as a term of endearment. But when hearing it sneered through a little boy's teeth as a stinging insult, she was scarred. When a friend is teasing you for your outfit choice, it could be seen as a way to express love for the person (as is often the case for most teenagers). But when someone else tells you how poor your outfit choice is with a tone of disgust, your day is spent making hopeless attempts to cover your atrocious mistake. Words mean nothing by themselves but with the right connotation and tone, they can be more harmful than sticks and stones.
"Words themselves are innocuous; it is the consensus that gives them true power" When Gloria Naylor says that words are innocuous she conveys that the actual words themselves are not harmful but it is the attitude in which one is presented that implies the derogatory concept. For example, the term sanguine means to be overly optomistic however if spoken in a sarcastic tone could be used negatively. Also, if the term morbid is spoken so as to imply that one is excited for a morbid halloween night, it would not be used in a negative way.
ReplyDeleteThe quote "Words themselves are innocuous; it is the consensus that gives them true power" is self explanatory when first ventured upon but Cobtains a deeper meaning when reflected upon thoroughly. I belive that words are inoccent usually and have all the meaning enforced by the situation in which they are used, the tone in which they are said and who has said the words. For example, obviously the N word by itself has negative connotations, however it can be used as a term of endearment when it is spoke from one black person to another. If it is used by a white person it is considered a racial slur due to the horrible nature of the word. Sarcasm is another excellent example, by inflecting a certain tone on specific words, you can give an otherwise harmless sentence and entirely new meaning.
ReplyDeleteGloria Naylor is true in stating that, "Words themselves are innocuous; it is the consensus that gives them true power." This means that words only have the ability to carry a negative meaning when they are being conveyed by an influential party. Naylor is telling us that words become harmful and dangerous when they are accepted by the majority. Words have the ability to shape situations in any way possible, so that the main idea or concept a person is trying to convey, is easily understandable and believable. This was witnessed with the propaganda that was fed to German citizens during World War II. It is also very prevalent through social media. Social media allows people to be connected 24/7 and when something gets put on the web and enough people notice it, it has the ability to become globally known within hours. This is because people like to share ideas and thoughts which results in the rapid spread of information whether it is good or bad.
ReplyDeleteGloria Naylor once expressed that "Words themselves are innocuous; it is the consensus that gives them true power." I believe that this quote conveys that it is not words which are destructive, it is the way in which they can be implied and interpreted. In the piece "A Word's Meaning Can Often Depend on Who Says It," the word nigger had multiple meanings to Naylor. This term was thought of as derogatory or negative when used by a white boy, but was harmless and common when spoken by her family. Another example of words having a different connotation would be the use of the words "gay" or "retarded." We hear these words on a daily basis but it is uncommon that they are used in an appropriate manner. Instead, they are utilized in an inappropriate and fallacious fashion.
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