It is hard to know if the possession of language is a gift or a curse to the human race. The novel Fifteen Dogs by André Alexis looks into the answer to this question. Fifteen Dogs is a story about a group of dogs that are given the ability of human language and thought. Two gods, Hermes and Apollo, have a bet to see whether the ability of language creates a better or worse world for the dogs. Initially, the dogs escape from the shelter and begin their new lives, but they soon realize how different a life with language will be. Throughout the novel, Alexis demonstrates that the use of language creates a sense of loneliness and isolation. This sense is shown through the complexity of language, the hierarchy it creates, and the creation of …show more content…
The word [corresponds] to no emotion he [can] recognize” (49). Since language is so focused on precise definitions and not the accompanying emotion, Nira and Majnoun are never able to truly understand each other at a deeper level. They are always separated by the unsaid feelings that cannot be portrayed through language. Language creates a disconnect between individuals through its complexity and inability to show emotion, which leads to a feeling of loneliness. Language also produces a sense of isolation through the creation of a hierarchy. In the novel, the use of language really divides the characters. Different levels of language comprehension create very diverse levels of society. Once the dogs are out of the shelter and living in the park, a huge division of the group becomes apparent. Some of the dogs begin to embrace this new ability while others try and revert back to their natural ways. Language is such a new concept, and only a few of the dogs are really able to catch on and understand it. Of all the dogs, Prince really takes to language. He understands its intricacies and is able to use it in abstract ways such as humour and poetry. To other dogs, this comprehension does not come so naturally, and the imbalance in their levels of understanding creates a great separation between the dogs. The use of language creates two sides to the pack,
What comes to mind when one thinks of the word ‘puppy’? It is probable describe a puppy as a lovable, adorable, and cuddly companion. However, one might also identify the animal as a menace and a liability or even as a delicious source of food. Why does this single word hold so many meanings? One’s past experiences and biases influences these conflicting views and attitudes. For instance, an individual’s fond view of puppies may exist because they were raised with puppies and consequently grew affectionate toward the animals. On the contrary, if another individual has not bonded with puppies as pets, then they will share the latter point of view. In the short story “Puppy” by George Saunders, the multiple characters view single events and
The author uses diction to shape the tone of the passage. That tone is critical of dog owners, but at the same time showingdisplays a fondness of dogs. You can see this tone throughout the passage in the author’s diction
The dogs first run into difficulty with their gift of intelligence when it becomes obvious to them that there are different levels of comprehension of their ability to communicate using their new language. Prince is a dog who shows a deeper understanding and love for language compared to the others. We see Alexis bring this point out in the novel when he says, “Prince's words had not been meant as a warning. Rather, he had been playing. He had been pretending. He had been speaking for speaking's sake. Could there be a more despicable use for words?” (28). Prince, being a very clever and curious dog, begins to expand the language,
The text that will be analyzed is a short story called The Secret Lion by Alberto Rios. This text is jam packed full of figurative language such as symbolism and personification. The story is a memory from the author himself about when he was growing up as a kid in the border town of Nogales, Arizona. He has just reached junior high and he is in the early stages of becoming an adult. He does not like the fact that he is growing up and he wants to stay as a kid.
The more we understand language variations, the more we will be able to connect with anyone in the world. This mean we all understand social justice in the world. Baldwin says “It goes without saying, that language is also a political instrument, means, and proof of power” (45). This quote is important to our understanding of language variations and social justice because language is power. Language is the most striking key to personality so without it you don't have anything. Meaning without language how would we express ourselves to one another.
Language is a very import part in our life, we carry it with us through all the steps, processes, moments experiences of our life, language built us and make us grow and the most important thing is that it grows with us, changes, modifies itself, and becomes more appropriate and specific. As we pointed out language help us to create and understand the world around us, gives meaning to everything and gives birth to emotions and feelings; a world without language would be meaningless and very lonely. Language it’s what help us grow up, the more we learn through it, the more we desire to experience and study in deep, leading us to new prospective, opening our mind to more specific and deep concepts, ideas, projects, goals. We really can’t
Language is common in the world it is the way humans communicate and relate to things with one another.Language is a powerful tool in the world because it can give power to people and can be used to manipulate through renaming people,stereotyping a person and using a euphemistic approach in addressing a person.
Language is an essential part of our daily lives. Language is used to communicate with other people to meet our needs and satisfy our understandings. Everyone uses one language or another. Some have an advantage and are able to use
In simple terms, language is commonly defined as the ability to speak to and communicate with others. In reality, the concept of language is far more complex. There are multiple ways in which language can influence the human experience. It allows us to measure empathy, understand the viewpoints of others, listen, and process emotions with the goal of correctly interpreting words and cues from others. Language, however, is an imperfect tool, and although we as humans develop the ability to use and express the same words, we are often unable to control the ways in which others receive the messages that our words are meant to convey. The book Fifteen Dogs illustrates the complexity of language and shows that there are multiple factors that contribute to the way we develop language and communicate with one another. Although each dog is granted human consciousness at the same time, they individually interpret language in their own way based on their experience and perceptions of the new world and the ways in which they form connections with each other and with humans. No dog was better able to communicate with both his peers and with humans than Majnoun. Despite his mastery of language, he struggled to fit in with groups. This essay will argue that Majnoun’s example illustrates the problem of using language alone to ensure effective communication. This will be accomplished by focusing on how Majnoun struggles to understand and feel empathy, the difference between speaking words
Ken Wiwa presents several ideas pertaining to language and culture within his essay, Get Beyond Babel. Wiwa explains that every language has a chance of dying out over time. For any language to survive through years of societal changes, it must be adapted so it can be used to embrace other cultures, new technology and new perspectives. Wiwa presents the concept that language is the same as culture. I do not agree with this concept because I believe that culture is carried by the people, not by the language.
In the novel “Fifteen Dogs”, by André Alexis, two gods, Hermes and Apollo, argue over whether giving dogs human intelligence will make the dogs more content or make their lives worse. Fifteen dogs are granted human intelligence, and the opportunity to use language, however for some dogs, specifically Prince, a mutt, the gift of language is not completely useful in all cases. In Prince’s situation, language has great benefits, yet it also has its disadvantages. Language is ineffective for Prince in many ways, he is disliked among his pack due to his use of language, nobody understands his poems, he cannot communicate with others, and his greediness of his language brought him great grief. With the use of language, Prince becomes encompassed
The claim, humans are the only animal that can acquire language has been the subject of much debate as scientists have investigated language use by non-human species. Researchers have taught apes, monkeys, parrots and wild children with various systems of human-like communication. Thus, one might ask, what is human language? According to Ulla Hedeager, A universally accepted definition of language or the criteria for its use does not exist. This is one of the reasons for the disagreement among scientists about whether non-human species can use a language. In nature, researchers find numerous types of communication systems, several of which appear to be unique to their possessors, and one of them is the language of the human species. Basically, the purpose of communication is the preservation, growth, and development of the species (Smith and Miller 1968:265). The ability to exchange information is shared by all communication systems, and a number of non-human systems share some features of human language. The fundamental difference between human and non-human communication is that animals are believed to react instinctively, in a stereotyped and predictable way. Generally, human behavior is under the voluntary control,
Humans act toward people, things, and events on the basis of the meanings they assign to them. Once people define a situation as real, it has very real consequences. Without language there would be no thought, no sense of self, and no socializing presence of society within the individual. (Socio-cultural tradition)
Although, there is no agreed definition of language among linguists, but we can say that language is the most sophisticated way of communication between any two human beings and far more complex than any other system of communication. The ability of acquiring and using languages is one of the properties that differs us as human beings from other species.
Language is the universal connection that brings all humans together. We share this common ground to communicate. The three major points that I would like to focus on are: How does language influence our culture? Does it define us, or does it refine us? And lastly, the impact that language has on our societies.