Stella!!!
A third post in the same day! This is what happens when I work...I end up taking breaks and writing about random things.
As part of my Fourth of July extravaganza, I went and saw WALL-E, Pixar's latest digitally animated tour de force. And as a side note? After watching the previews at that movie, it appears that all films this year are going to be digitally animated. And 3-D. I'm not sure how 3-D came back in vogue, but apparently, it's the new talkie.
Anyway, I probably wouldn't have seen WALL-E if left to my own devices. I like Pixar's stuff and animated stuff in general, but I hadn't heard anything about this one, other than the fact that it was about a robot. But, investigation unearthed really good reviews, so off I went with the gang--and I'm glad I did. The reviews were totally justified. If I'd had any idea that this cute animated flick secretly housed a dark vision of humanity's downfall and rebirth, as well as stark metaphors about environmentalism and dystopia...well, I would have been there on opening day.
On an only slightly less profound note, I was especially enchanted by the minimal dialogue that the robot protagonists had. They usually spoke in one word sentences, and often, that one word would be either their own name or another character's name. Yet, in saying that one name, they were able to convey a whole world of context and meaning. And at first, I thought it was brilliance on the part of the movie makers for thinking of that. But, while the execution might have been brilliant, the concept isn't that revolutionary.
And finally, we get to the point of this post. Conveying complex messages and meanings merely by speaking someone's name is something we do all the time. Half of my conversations with my cats consists of me simply saying their names a certain way, whether it's a staccato chastisement for being on the counter (Katie!!) or a sing-song declaration of affection upon finding an adorable fuzzy ball sleeping on my couch (Kaaaatieeee...). Each pronunciation and inflection has its own range of meaning, and my cats understand each one perfectly well.
Likewise, everyone knows the terror of your parents saying your full name in that voice. That meant you were in trouble, even if they never said another word. Even grown up, when I hear my full name, I wonder what I did wrong. And on the opposite side of the spectrum, saying someone's name can communicate a world of love and sentiment--a technique I've discovered I put into my books a lot without even realizing it. In the Vampire Academy world, Rose has noted with amazement that Dimitri can simply say her name and, based on his tone, let her know that he either cares about her or that she needs to get her act together. In the succubus universe, Seth, short on (spoken) words, also frequently expresses his love for Georgina by saying only her name.
My favorite part of this name-communication phenomenon is when you're able to mix multiple messages and feelings. For example: whenever I relate wacky mishap to a certain friend of mine, she can shake her head and say my name in a manner that tells me she is both sympathetic to whatever went wrong and also highly amused at the crazy circumstances I continually find myself in. Similarly, I often speak the boyfriend's name in a way that lets him know that he has both exasperated me and endeared himself to me--and that while I don't understand why those two always happen together, it amuses me and makes me like him more. And finally, while this last example doesn't involve our actual names, Caitlin Kittredge and I have refined the word "Dude" into several distinct meanings, ranging from "That is so wrong and totally unjust" to "Seriously? OMG. That's the best thing I've ever heard!"
See the power a name holds? Enough to write a whole post about it. And my one-word title here is much more awesome than something lame like "What's in a name?" (at least it is if you're a Tennessee Williams fan). What about you guys? Am I alone in using the name as a means of communication?
As part of my Fourth of July extravaganza, I went and saw WALL-E, Pixar's latest digitally animated tour de force. And as a side note? After watching the previews at that movie, it appears that all films this year are going to be digitally animated. And 3-D. I'm not sure how 3-D came back in vogue, but apparently, it's the new talkie.
Anyway, I probably wouldn't have seen WALL-E if left to my own devices. I like Pixar's stuff and animated stuff in general, but I hadn't heard anything about this one, other than the fact that it was about a robot. But, investigation unearthed really good reviews, so off I went with the gang--and I'm glad I did. The reviews were totally justified. If I'd had any idea that this cute animated flick secretly housed a dark vision of humanity's downfall and rebirth, as well as stark metaphors about environmentalism and dystopia...well, I would have been there on opening day.
On an only slightly less profound note, I was especially enchanted by the minimal dialogue that the robot protagonists had. They usually spoke in one word sentences, and often, that one word would be either their own name or another character's name. Yet, in saying that one name, they were able to convey a whole world of context and meaning. And at first, I thought it was brilliance on the part of the movie makers for thinking of that. But, while the execution might have been brilliant, the concept isn't that revolutionary.
And finally, we get to the point of this post. Conveying complex messages and meanings merely by speaking someone's name is something we do all the time. Half of my conversations with my cats consists of me simply saying their names a certain way, whether it's a staccato chastisement for being on the counter (Katie!!) or a sing-song declaration of affection upon finding an adorable fuzzy ball sleeping on my couch (Kaaaatieeee...). Each pronunciation and inflection has its own range of meaning, and my cats understand each one perfectly well.
Likewise, everyone knows the terror of your parents saying your full name in that voice. That meant you were in trouble, even if they never said another word. Even grown up, when I hear my full name, I wonder what I did wrong. And on the opposite side of the spectrum, saying someone's name can communicate a world of love and sentiment--a technique I've discovered I put into my books a lot without even realizing it. In the Vampire Academy world, Rose has noted with amazement that Dimitri can simply say her name and, based on his tone, let her know that he either cares about her or that she needs to get her act together. In the succubus universe, Seth, short on (spoken) words, also frequently expresses his love for Georgina by saying only her name.
My favorite part of this name-communication phenomenon is when you're able to mix multiple messages and feelings. For example: whenever I relate wacky mishap to a certain friend of mine, she can shake her head and say my name in a manner that tells me she is both sympathetic to whatever went wrong and also highly amused at the crazy circumstances I continually find myself in. Similarly, I often speak the boyfriend's name in a way that lets him know that he has both exasperated me and endeared himself to me--and that while I don't understand why those two always happen together, it amuses me and makes me like him more. And finally, while this last example doesn't involve our actual names, Caitlin Kittredge and I have refined the word "Dude" into several distinct meanings, ranging from "That is so wrong and totally unjust" to "Seriously? OMG. That's the best thing I've ever heard!"
See the power a name holds? Enough to write a whole post about it. And my one-word title here is much more awesome than something lame like "What's in a name?" (at least it is if you're a Tennessee Williams fan). What about you guys? Am I alone in using the name as a means of communication?