Language, words, slang - they uncover more about us and society than we think. The way we communicate today as opposed to ten years ago can show us where we are now, what's important to us, and how things have changed.
When Anna spoke down about 'sub-80s,' and Henry asserted that "everyone [in the bar] is a quality person" because they were all 'plus-80,' their words betrayed the influence EI scores had on their language. Moreover, they perpetuated a sort of caste system that values people based on numbers versus actual personality (science fiction, anyone?).
In almost every work we've read or seen, a hierarchy has been at place. Sometimes on the basis of race, other times on the basis of class, and still other times on other foundations. The hierarchy in Snowpiercer, for instance, was one that existed due to the difference in carriages within the train, which translated to a difference in class. Snowpiercer's a great example of hierarchy too since the rungs on the ladder are so clearly laid out.
In terms of how hierarchy plays into our study of Asian-American science fiction, it's clear that hierarchies exist in our society in the forms of discrimination and prejudice against POC's and minority groups. Representation in films like Everything Before Us and Robot Stories is one method of breaking down such systems.
Jenn,
ReplyDeleteI love your point about the connection between the reinforcement of social hierarchies through language, and thought your imposition of science fiction as an explicit telling of such a relationship was especially powerful. You mentioned how comments like 'plus-80' and 'sub-40' were directly connected to some determined numerical value attached to each person, and how these values, however reflective they were of actual characteristics or ideas, were used to qualify individuals; I loved this exploration of the language because if we remove the science fiction lens, the speculative, technical part which separates us from them, the distinction between our two worlds actually becomes quite difficult to ascertain. Phrases like 'he/she is ..., he/she must be ...!' are all too common in our everyday language, and these assumptions are not always based on race or various aspects of identity, but can be rooted in something as simple as a certain class level, or manner of dress, or basic demeanor. I kind of lost my train of thought, but I think the gist of my comment is as follows; the social hierarchies that you mention are prevalent throughout own experiences, and the science fiction narratives seem not to be speculative of some untouchable future, but instead of a clearer world in which such systems are made more explicit and accessible. Cool stuff.
Great post,
Terrence
Jenn,
ReplyDeleteHi! I love this post, tons to think about! one of the things that struck me in this is how the "sub-40" insult seemed different than many of the insults you hear today....then i realized its because it isn't using another marginalized group as an insult! wow! so refreshing! insted of "you throw like a girl" or "that's gay" or "you look so ratchet" it was based on something more fluid and changeable, and it didn't target a specific, and marginalized, group. though it's still pretty mean, i found it to be less offensive than other insults we hear on the reg.
cheers!!
tina