How language is the centre of our universe
The argument that language is a lens through which we perceive the world is something that many people might agree with. Most people, creatives and non-creative alike, would agree that media is a powerful tool that has shaped history, culture, and the existence of humanity as a whole. Although not inseparable, media and language are evidently intertwined. The idea that “the language one speaks influences the way they think about reality” is a linguistic theory known as the Sapir Whorf Hypothesis.
This idea is complex and fascinating to consider. In fact, it is one of the central ideas of “The Arrival”, a Sci-fi/thriller film released in 2016. It tells a story about a linguistics professor Louise Bank, who leads an elite team of investigators when suddenly gigantic UFOs appear in 12 locations across the world. Progressively, this event pushes countries to the verge of global war. The root of this political tension lies in not just a gap in understanding the language of the aliens, but the lack of willingness to try and put themselves in their shoes and perceive the world through the aliens lens of language. Louise is in a race against time to find a way to communicate with these unidentified foreign objects. The issue is, to understand them, the involved researchers have to be willing to transcend the barriers of English, Chinese and all the other languages in the places where the UFOs are located. Stepping out of your realm of perception is not only difficult but incredibly frightening, especially when so much is at stake.
The film makes us think about a global disconnect that we experience. It makes us wonder, to what extent does an appreciation for your counterpart’s language allow you to empathise with them? Considering the fact that we are students in an English-speaking environment, – with many of us having English as our second, third or even fourth language- it would be no surprise if we assumed that language can create a disconnect. Along the lines of the commonly expressed sentiment, people often voice that they are not able to show people who they really are when speaking English as opposed to their native language. Language is still a path to connect us, it gives us a sense of security and belonging. Despite that, even in the most dire situations, we find that we are able to surpass the language barriers because human communication is so much more than language. It’s what allows for such beautiful things like music and art to transcend space and time.
There are many valuable themes exhibited in this movie, and there are a few questions we can ask ourselves to be more aligned with the dialogue of this film. Question your perception of time, do you feel it to be extremely linear? Would you be open to viewing it in another way? How do you think you would respond in a similar type of crisis? These questions might not have definite answers because language both limits and expands our reality. On one hand, it creates barriers, but on the other, it creates opportunities to connect across cultures, time, and even species.
Featured image by @rowanneee, Pinterest.
