- intonation - enunciation, pitch volume, speech rate
- language frames or
- non-word sounds
Do not forget to cite using MLA style. After you have found and posted your example, comment on the impact that this non-verbal communication has on the meaning of the word component or situation. (Can you find a parallel in your own language?) Please read the postings of your peers and do not use an example already used. Due: Tuesday, March 23.
14 comments:
"At last the man was named and people sighed "E-u-u, Ezeudu is dead."" (Achebe 114)
This sound is very powerful and meaningful to the situation especially because Achebe states that the whole village is at Ezeudu's funeral saying this. This sound along with the drums and guns and fire make it more powerful and meaningful, it gives the reader a sense of being present at the funeral with the whole village. It is a sound of mourning that unifies all the people mourning Ezeudu's passing.
"She broke off because at that very moment a loud and high-pitched voice broke the outer silence of the night....'Agbala do-o-o-o! Agbala ekeneo-o-o-o-o," came the voice like a sharp knife cutting through the night. "Okonkwo! Agbala ekene gio-o-o-!'" (Achebe 94-95).
This passage portrays a little bit of everything-pitch volume, and non-word sounds. The pitch is really important, because it symbolized who was talking. Ekwefi "broke off" because she heard that high-pitched voice, and recognized it was Chielo possessed by a night spirit. Not even seeing Chielo, she knew it was important, especially since it was approaching her hut. There are also non word sounds, like the repetition of "o-o-o" THis could symbolize Chielo's unique way of entering the village and calling attention. Both her pitch and her non-word sounds symbolize her entrance. This would result in the full attention of the village to her. It is a sound that symbolizes and represents the entrance of an important person entering the village, and evokes a certain response from the village: undivided attention and respect. In our own language, this could be an equivalent of an important elder or person arriving into our homes. One can hear the voice, the tone, and recognize who it is and one acts upon what he hears.
""Umofia kwenu!" shouted the leading egwugwu, pushing the air with his raffia arms. The elders of the clan replied, "Yaa!"
"Umofia kwenu!"
"Yaa!"
"Umofia kwenu!"
"Yaa!"" (Achebe 85).
This is the way to call the people of Umofia to the meeting. Through their shouts they acquire a war-like spirit. This sort of battle cry prepares them to judge people during the town meetings or to calm them down at gatherings. The egwugwu leader uses this cry when he wants the Ibo people to be focused in mind and body.
There is a parallel in spanish which is used in religious retreats to get people to pay attention and quiet down:
"Alelu"
"Ya!"
"Alelu"
"Ya!"
"And let there be friendship between your family and ours. The crowd answered "Ee-e-e!"
"We are giving you our daughter today. She will be a good wife to you. She will bear you nine sons like the mother of our town."
"Ee-e-e!"(Achebe110)
This event happens in Obierika's daughter's Uri. Everyone is festive and cheerful. People brought pots of wine and sat in a circle to congratulate the couple in the betrothal ceremony. The crowd cheers loudly and says "Ee-e-e!" in high volume to indicate that they agree and are supportive. This enunciation and volume of the voice indicate the high spirit of the crowd and cheerfulness to this event. Just like how we today cheer for the engaged couple and congratulate and wish them good luck.
"Onyeka had such a voice; and so he was asked to salute Umuofia before Okika began to speak. "Umuofia Kwenu!" (...) There was immediate silence as though cold water had been poured on a roaring flame (Achebe 186)."
In this passage the importance intonation has within the clansmen is very evident. At first Okika was supposed to open the meeting, but since he didn't have a booming voice Onyeka spoke first. His loud voice silenced the people gathered at the market, and signaled that they had to be quiet because the meeting was about to start. This isn't the only part in the book where we see this, so it shows that intonation was a key part in communication because it signaled the villagers that a meeting was about to start and they should pay attention.
“Answer me,” roared Okonkwo, “before I kill you!” … “Answer me!” he roared again. (Achebe 141)
I n this example we can see the anger of Okonkwo expressed in his words. He is clearly agitated and very angry. He is roaring at Nwoye, rather than screaming or directing to him in a normal tone. This is after Okonkwo discovers Nwoye’s presence at the church. We can see how angry he is and how betrayed he feels to a certain extent with his son. The meaning of the roaring is to express Okonkwo’s anger and wrath towards what his son has done. In our language it is the same when someone roars at you it is one of the most extreme emotions, you have to feel really confident about your anger to be able to roar at someone with such determination. Okonkwo expected no excuses and knew that what his son had done could only mean one thing; betrayal.
[Obierika]: “We are giving you our daughter today. She will ... be a good wife to you. She will bear you nine sons like the mother of our town.”
[The crowd]: “Ee-e-e!”
The oldest man in the camp of the visitors replied: “It will be good for you and it will be good for us.”
“Ee-e-e!”
This is not the first time my people have come to marry your daughter. My mother was one of you.”
“Ee-e-e!”
“Prosperous men and great warriors.” He looked in the direction of Okonkwo. “Your daughter will bear us sons like you.”
“Ee-e-e!” (Achebe 110)
This "converstation" berfore the wedding are some sort of ritual. The fact that Obierika is saying them outloud means that he is making a promies and hoping that this will come true. on the other hand, the crowds response is their way of agreeing with what Obierika says and hoping that this will come tru as well.
A parallel of this in our daily lives especially in political campaigns when candidates promise things and the audince listens ans responds cheerfully.
"The egwugwu house was now a pandemonium of quavering voices: Aru oyim de de de dei! filled the airas the spirits of the ancestors, just emerged from the earth greeted themselves... Aru oyim de de de dei! flew around the dark, closed hut like tongues of fire... The metal gong beat continuously now and the flute, shrill and powerful, floated on the chaos." (84)
This paragraph shows the ambience prevailing when the egwugwu show up. The call or salute they give each other gives the scene more vivrancy, and the description of the music on top of it all gives us more sense of the magical chaos these spirits bring. I really cannot think of a "salutation" that occurs here, because I have never been present at spirit incantations- however I can bet that people are quite formal when doing this and there are certain words one says...
"Life to you, my daughter." Ezinma's voice from the darkness warmed her mother's heart" (Achebe 99)
This is the point in the novel when Ezinma has being taken away by the priestess. This quotes is very significant because it shows the relationship that exists between Ezinma and her mother. Ekwefi has been following them all along, hoping to find her daughter. The simple sound of Ezinma's voice reassures her mother, as she realizes that her daughter is still alive. The strong bond that exists between the two can be understood when Achebe states that her voice warmed her mother's heart, since she notices that the one person she loves above everything in her life is still here.
“Ogbuefi Ezeugo stood up in the midst of them and bellowed four times, “Umofia Kwenu” and on each occasion he faced a different direction and seeemed to push the air with a clenched fist. And ten thousand men answered “Yaa!” each time.” (Achebe, 14)
This takes place at the beginning of the novel when Ogbuefi Udo wife is murdered and it is in fact what produces Ikemefuna’s migration to Umuofia. But the actual importance of this excerpt is focused on the pitch volume that Ezeugo uses. It is fascinating to see that the energy that he places in his bellows is in some way transferred to the ten thousand individuals around him as they respond to each of his yells. In some way it also displays Ezeugo as a symbol, the essence of authority.
It is relevant to this particular moment in the book because as the crowd “shouted with anger and thirst for blood” (Achebe, 15) it is evident that Ezeugo bellows impacted the multitude of people. It moved the crowd in such a way that it enabled them to want to act to such an extremity that they even consider murder for a sense revenge.
“Tufia-a!” the priestess cursed her voice cracking like the angry bark of thunder in the dry season. “How dare you, woman, to go before the mighty Agbala of your own accord? Beware, woman, lest he strike you in his anger. Bring me my daughter”
This scene takes place when Chielo comes to inform Okonkwo and Ekwefi that the oracle wanted to see Ezinma. Ekwefi and Okonkwo wanted to postpone it for later and offered their company but Chielo refused. Here we see examples of high pitch and enunciation in which Chielo is forced to raise her voice to impose the gods obvious power and that they shouldn’t be disrespected or questioned. Basically this raise in pitch was to show that the gods are most important over all things like paternal instincts. Another aspect found in this excerpt is that of enunciation, which is used to make chielos argument direct like when she says “ how dare you woman”( achebe) , and also add to the sense of urgency of gravity to the matter since the gods shouldn’t be left waiting. Using short phrases in a way represents how serious and important gods in their lifes since whe nit comes to them there are no rodeos in the conversation
“All he knew was that a few men had arrived at their house, conversing with his father in low tones, and at the end he had been taken out and handed over to a stranger.” (Achebe 18)
This quote demonstrates the effect of pitch volume in communication. “Low tunes” has a great impact in this quote because it gives it a different meaning without even mentioning a word of it. Ikemefuna knows that something is wrong without anyone telling him because of the volume in which those men were talking and the way that they just take him without explaining anything. That is why it is also a type of non-word sound. A parallel nowadays in our society is when people talk in low voices and you just know that something is wrong without them even telling you. Also when people leave things unsaid because they do not want to harm you, they prefer you figuring it out on your own.
"...We must root out this evil. And if our brothers take the side of evil we must root them out too. And we must do it now ." (Achebe 187). The word now in italics marks the enunciation that the speaker, Okika, is giving to his statement. This enunciation simply marks the importance of his message to his clansmen, marking a greater impact on them.
" Umofia was still swallowed up in sleep and silence when th ekwe began to talk... The faint ad distant wailing of women settle like a sediment of sorrow on earth."
The Intonations of the women and the silence in Umofia give this sense of death. This is when Ezedu's death is being announced, and it gives this sense of bizarre atmosphere before you find out that someone is actually dead. Even to Okonkwo when he finds out is Ezeudu he's shocked.
Post a Comment