Communication:
1. Always an enemy in world
Hopeful and doubtful
Eg – Waknuk vs Fringes
Sealanders vs Norms
“a brighter sun than Waknuk ever knew poured down upon the wide blue bay” 199
-a new start to David, humanity a new future
“they could never have succeeded” p 157 pessimism, referring to the Old People
“what can they have done to create such a frightful place?” p. 179 – poor communication led to nuclear war
2. Tech always going to improve
Not ever going to be think togethers
We can understand each other in different ways than telepathy
Eg: Dave and U. Axel understand each other well, and David can talk to him.
“I hesitated, b/c he was UA and my best friend among the grown ups….This isn’t play stuff you’re talking about Davey…”
- Even though UA is not a telepath he understands David, without the same abilities.
Since 1955 – colour TV, all people have telephones, we have auto translate on internet, “there’s an ap for that…” cell phones, facebook, social networking, faster and faster internet,
There might be a way to develop better communication through science.
“she says petra implied that people who can only talk with words have something missing.’ P. 180
We don’t think that evolution will cause think togethers – “neither his kind nor his kind of thinking will survive long.” P 182
3. It would solve language barriers in being able to talk to everyone. If we had one language that everyone understood one another, we’d still have arguments…
Tower of Babel
Eg: Anne and the group – all have telepathy but she still argued with them and blocked them out.
Petra and Sealand people – everyone can speak same language with thought shapes – communication allows rescue
Petra and detecting behind thinks – could be bad because she could use her ability to take over sealand.
“Anne kept it up so that one could almost believe that she had succeeded in renouncing her difference and in becoming a Norm.” p. 97
“Your minds are confused by your ties and your upbringing. You are still half thinking of them as the same kind as yourself.” P. 196
-even if they had a universal language it wouldn’t change how you were brought up, still retaining the prejudices you were brought up with.
4. Writing, typing, acting in plays, body language, sign language,
“Sophie says “ you give an outsider an uncomfortable feeling.” P. 183
- Through their actions and body language Sophie felt apart from them.
Paraphrase – think togethers have conversation which Sophie knows is happening but can only regard with curiosity – p. 183
5. Chrysalids: most similar to chrysalis, which is where a caterpillar is in a cocoon and blossoms into a butterfly
Meaning: new minds developing, development of the New People, perhaps using evolution as a theory
TOLERANCE:
We do send people to the Fringes, casting people out b/c of their differences, things that shouldn’t be significant
We are intolerant of those who don’t look perfect, those whose incomes are lower, below the poverty line.
Judgement – b/c we have a standard of what is expected of everyone. If people don’t meet standard they aren’t perfect and don’t fit in.
Cave – Probably luxury in the Fringes – “the entrance was covered with skins, there are a few bowls and utensils, but nothing much else.” P. 169
David compares it to the Wenders’ old cottage and the clean bright room that had seemed so friendly.
“he sat there looking at the shadows on the walls and listening to the plop plop plop of the drip and very likely this is luxury in the Fringes.’
As a society people have a tendency to judge everything that is different from what they are used to. Therefore Sophie’s living conditions are shocking to them.
Upper and middle class think that people in poverty are there b/c they are lazy or addicted, but many times it is due to life’s challenges like what happened to the people in the Fringes. They have been tossed out to the Fringes for being deviational.
In various time periods people have ostracized others due to skin colour – racism
Uncle Axel explains about different people groups who all think they’re in the true image
“there’s another where they have white hair and pink eyes. You’ll find islands where the people are all thick set and others where they are thin. There’s even said to be some islands where both men and women would be passed as true images if some strange deviation has turned them all completely black.”
Waknuk has opinion on what true image is, so do many neighbouring cultures and tribes.
UA is tolerant talking about differences, but is the Waknuk religion????
So when do intolerances start to interfere with people groups living beside one another?
“Accursed is the Mutant, the enemy not only of the human race but of all the species of God as decreed, the seed of the devil within trying unflaggingly to come to fruition in order that it might destroy the divine order and turn on man, stronghold of God’s will upon earth to lewd chaos…where true stock had given place to unnameable creatures., abominable growths flourished and the spirits of evil mocked the lord with their obscene fantasies…”p ? cha 6
-everyone judges
-uses god as support for judgments
Fringes in our society:
Old
Obese
Teens
Gays, lesbians
Racism
Ethnic background
Class
Apparel
People who are easily judged
IQ
Reputation
Religion
Mental disorders like ocd
2. we do extend tolerance as a community and we try to help those who are different, but we are intolerant as individuals.
Eg – the community will have stories on the news about how a boy was bullied b/c he is gay and made a suicide attempt and the community will try bully prevention programs….
As individuals or families we can be intolerant of different coloured people and that can be taught and grow on individuals.
Waknuk’s Repentances “Only the image of God is man” – sometimes people will turn to this, or some won’t believe it.
“Devil is father of deviation”
P 18
Any quote from Repentances teaches intolerance of difference
Sometimes we may be hesitant about different people, but at least we are trying unlike the Waknuk people who don’t give anyone a chance.
Sealand woman was intolerant of the Norms b/c she thought her species was more advanced and better. P. 156
“We can make a better world than the Old People did…”
“half humans”
No better than savages
Clumsy words
She doesn’t have any good connection with the Norms.
Uses weapon to kill them b/c they’re in her way, and New People deserve to survive more than Norms do….
The Norm species won’t survive b/c they are less capable and less advanced, and “we should feel sorry for them”
Compare this to someone with mental disabilities, and author is bringing to our attention the question of how we could better handle this communication situation.
Eg of intolerance at school – groups of popular or unpopular or different IQ’s etc
At school people get reputations and people can become intolerant of others b/c someone has got a bad reputation.
Waknuk – dangerous to lack humility, better to love one another equally, which would remove hostility between people groups.
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