Friday, May 30, 2014
The Power of Language
"Show and Tell" is about Robert and his new fellow student Cao, a Vietnamese refugee. Through Cao's inability to speak English, Andrew Lam stresses the power of language and communication. He links the impact of language barrier to the inability of expressing oneself which leads to being judged by society without knowing the person or one's background.
At the beginning Cao is presented as quite primitive, "like he just found out for the first time that he was wearing shoes" (25). In addition, he cannot defend himself when he is attacked by Billy because he does not know English, "so he just bit[es] his lip and blush[es]" (25) and ignores Billy's offensive comments. However, Cao uses drawing as a way of communication with Robert and when Robert realizes that Cao's drawing "was really, really good" (28), his impression of the refugee changes: he starts respecting Cao more.
The turning point comes when Cao is confronted with the horrors of the Vietnamese war because of Billy's presentation (29). At first, he cannot control his emotions, but he soon realizes that Robert - who understands him - and his own drawings are his way to communicate his sufferings, his story, thus who he is: "So I went on. And he went on. I talked. He drew. We fell into a rhythm" (31). Cao is able to regain control over the situation, to make the others listen to him and to "Show and Tell" the trauma he went through as a refugee. Thus, Lam represents in Cao the power of communication and how language is a tool to not only process trauma, but also to set your status in society.
All in all, Lam is able to show the hardships of immigrants who do not only have to struggle with the trauma of war, but also with the trauma of exile. Due to language barriers, refugees are faced with prejudices and judged by people. But Lam does not only show how powerful language and language skills can be, as he also shows how powerful it can be to express oneself in order to process trauma.
By Storai K.
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The relationship between Robert and Cao is a beautiful example of how one can overcome language barriers. Your post shows how important language and expression can be for someone who is thrown into a new environment. Your analysis of how Cao processes his trauma is great because it gives a different perspective on how one can express themselves to someone who may not understand what that particular person has been through. The shift in acceptance that Robert shows when he sees Cao's drawing is a representation of the bridging of a gap in understanding. Robert is able to better understand Cao, not because of language, but because of self expression. Because Robert is the only one who can understand Cao, he is the one who must translate for the class. When Robert does this, he bridges the gap between Cao and the class. This experience with language and self expression helps to depict the power of language skills in any situation.
ReplyDelete-Kristena R.
Cao and Robert’s relationship in “Show and Tell” demonstrates their ability to get rid of ignorance, and their ability to deal with loss. Cao is primitive but this is due to his foreign identity. The word primitive is roe commonly used to describe an animal, or prehistoric humans, but in his case, he is living a new world. Cao no longer knows what is neither right nor wrong, yet he does his best to pick up whatever Robert teaches him. Cao actually reacts very well when telling his story of his life in Vietnam. Although he did shed some tears, he did not stop. This shows that Cao and Robert can work as cohesive unit, and although Cao is alone, the reading of history will only help attract attention his way. Attention might be good or bad but regardless of that, it will help him root himself into his new land, and produce fruit.
ReplyDelete--Alfredo R.
I thoroughly enjoyed your perceptive assessment of the multi-faceted role that language plays in society. So often we think of language solely as a means of communication and expression, but rarely do we consider the effect one's mastery over it conveys to others. Your use of the word "primitive" highlights the common perception native speakers of a language hold towards foreigners, that broken or incomplete speech is indicative of broken thoughts. As you acutely pointed out, the degree to which refugees are exiled in a new land is far more layered than is often discussed. In this story in particular, Lam seems to go out of his way to shatter the misconceptions regarding language with the telling of Cao's story, poignantly exemplifying the unconventional ways in which the language gap might be bridged.
ReplyDelete- Michael J.
This was a fantastic perspective on one of my favorite stories from the collection. It is incredibly easy for native English speakers to gloss over the reality of language barriers and view non-native English speakers as inferior in intelligence, understanding, or mental capacity--even without meaning to do so. Your claim that this barrier "leads to being judged by society" is spot on; as I work with many non-native English speaking college students, I witness this on a daily basis! People seem to judge each other based on accents, minimal vocabulary, grammar errors, and so on. This is especially prevalent in classroom settings, so Lam's setting in "Show and Tell" definitely lends significance to the issue.
ReplyDeleteI had not considered Cao's characterization as initially "primitive," but now that you mention it, it seems as though that may be the case, and Lam uses this to further astound audiences by conveying the power of a different kind of language (Cao's ability to express himself through art). As an author, Lam, himself, seems to use language as a tool "to not only process trauma," but also to share his and his people's stories. What an excellent theme to consider while reading this collection.
--Sandra H.
Robert and Cao's relationship is only made possible because of our humanism. Lams stories carry the weight of sin and destruction brought on by mans weakness. However in this story we see an example of man's capability for great deeds as well. Compassion for others, in this situation between two former 'enemies' was also an existing element during the mass migration. There were those who truly sympathized for the Vietnamese Refugees and this story is a reminder of that.
ReplyDelete-Jose G.
Storei, your title is what caught my eye, so good job on such an eye catching title. Firstly I would like to commend you for picking this theme that is so important throughout the entire book. I always felt a connection with Cao simply because he reminded me of my mom. She came to the U.S at the young age of 9 barely knowing a handful of words in English. She has come to tell my cousins and I that school at first was difficult not only because of the language barrier but also because of the children, yet has told us many times that he favorite subject was math because you could understand math no matter what language you spoke. Addition is addition in English, Spanish, French or Vietnamese it does not matter. Eventually she was able to overcome the language barrier just like Cao and succeed. Excellent topic. -Scarlett S.
ReplyDelete