Lost in Translation

This past class really got me thinking about who is to blame when things are 'lost in translation'? And furthermore, do people from different cultures view or define the world in a different way than others based on a difference in language?

In my opinion, things are lost in translation for two distinct reasons: either the words of the language have multiple meanings (and determining the intended context proves difficult), or people are just too lazy or uninterested to search for the original meaning of a text or piece of language. This whole idea reminds me of that game telephone that I'm sure we all played when we were younger. You start with one person who says a sentence or phrase, and often times, the last person blurts out something completely different than what was originally said. I feel as though this happens all too often - one language thinks that this text means one thing, when really it means something completely different. And as it is used and taught in the wrong context, the work takes on multiple meanings and is therefore said to be 'lost in translation'.

To address the other question - I think about how we, as humans define and organize our thoughts. Without language, I would not have any thoughts - I have come to think in words. When I see something beautiful (such as a sunset or the ocean) I describe it in words. But think to how a person from another culture would define something like that. Not all languages have words that directly translate. Therefore, we could be missing out on some great understanding of the world because we do not have the words to describe it.



Now I'm not saying that people have to have a language to appreciate the beauties of the world, but think of this in another way. Language has come to be closely associated with culture and with the given traditions of that culture. People of one culture may feel that the sunset has a worldly power, while others may see it simply in terms of natural beauty. My point here is that language is an important part of world communication - it serves as one way to relate to other people and develop similar ideas. It can serve as a barrier between two people who do not speak the same language, and as a means to see and define the world within our own minds.

We need to take a step back and realize that language can be 'lost in translation' if people do not make a conscious effort to hold onto its worldly importance and fully recognize the many sides to language that have come to be so important in defining our lives.

A Symbol of Past and Present

In completing my reading of the novel Power, I came to the realization that Omishto had grown out of her once dire need for her boat. Throughout the novel, Omishto's boat had served as her safe place from which she could observe the world. It was the one place that she could go and escape from all the pressures of home and life. It was also the one thing that seemed to anchor her to the memory of her real father, for he had given it to her.

In time, however, Omishto begins to let go of the tight grasp that she figuratively holds on the boat. This boat that had once been such a significant aspect in her life, almost functioning as a part of her, had suddenly lost its purpose and place in her life. On the one hand, it was evident to me just how much Omishto had matured in the course of the novel and how it made sense that her need for such a thing would fade. But on the other hand, I was surprised at her willingness to let go. At this point, I was reminded of the storm, and how Omishto was so quick to risk her life to save her boat. For something that had been so important to her such a short time ago, she seemed awful quick to let it go.

Although many times we grow out of the things that once held such meaning in our lives, I believe they should continue to serve as symbols of the past. I feel that although Omishto no longer needs the boat to serve as her safe place, it should now serve as a constant reminder of how she came to be where she is now. The events of her life unfolded from the day of the storm, and therefore, the boat will always serve as a symbol of what carried her to where she now finds herself.

Belief vs. Knowledge

This past class, we began to discuss the difference between belief and knowledge. This discussion really got me thinking about my own definition of these two terms, both of which play such a large part in my life.

If you take a step back, what we know and what we believe are two things that come to define us and how we relate to others in the world. For example, when we are of a certain faith, we relate more to the people who share that similar faith with us - those who believe in the same things. Those who believe things entirely different from us are not as easy to establish a relationship with because overcoming differences often proves harder than accepting similarities.

Knowledge, on the other hand, can be viewed as a tangible piece of our world - it implies understanding and an underlying search for truth. Every human has a natural tendency to search for knowledge and truth in their everyday lives. Our society has come to define knowledge as intelligence, or how much we understand the inner workings of the world in which we live. It seems as though our beliefs have almost lost their significance in the modern world - where everyone strives to find certainty within the tangible realm of the universe.

In my opinion, our beliefs hold a special importance in our lives because they serve as a reminder that we are human and cannot know all. There are some things about our world that must be left unknown, leaving us with a freedom to form our own opinions about them - whether they turn out to be true or not in the end does not matter. Everyone needs to establish their own set of beliefs, because our beliefs come to define us in a unique sense. Every person can learn the same, invariable facts, but beliefs offer us the chance to see the world through in our own way- and this is something that is worth taking advantage of.

The Power of Nature

To Omishto, the most exciting and intriguing part of life comes from the natural world that surrounds her. Nature, with all of its power and beauty, serves as her main source of inspiration and comfort. In the course of reading, it was evident that Omishto does not seem to connect with any of the people in her life except for Ama. Nature offers her an outlet, an outlet to the complications she seems to experience within her family. Within her own mind, Omishto personifies her natural surroundings, maybe as a way of replacing the relationships she lacks with the actual people in her world. On the very first page, she tells us that "the earth was bleeding". On page 21, she describes "a cloud, heavy and thick, laying itself down on us, muting the sounds of the land."

Omishto's life has become all about observing and watching the world, describing it in ways that bring meaning to the things that others often fail to see or appreciate. Omishto's descriptions of nature are beautiful and intrigue the reader by providing them with vivid images within their own minds. "It is beautiful here, this place I call mine, where clouds are born from water" (2). Nature plays such an important role in defining Omishto's identity, that she describes it in such a way that does not downplay its importance. The descriptions capture not only the beauty of nature, but they also reflect the underlying meaning that Omishto has come to attach to each aspect. This world is the place she can call her own, and she shares it with us in the way that she presents it to us. Through this, the reader develops more of an appreciation for their natural surroundings and is invited to recognize the power and significance of nature within their own lives.

Lucy's Struggle with Displacement

Throughout the novel, it is evident that Lucy often feels out of place in her American home. However, it is also evident that she has no desire to return home to her family in the islands -- as we get the impression that Lucy did not feel as though she belonged there either. As Lucy struggles to find her true identity, we realize that it can really only be uncovered by discovering where she belongs in the world. Displacement is this innate feeling of being someplace uncomfortable or unfamiliar. This describes the way that Lucy feels in her home in the States. At one point, she sings herself to sleep, "Put yourself in my place, if only for a day; see if you can stand the awful emptiness inside" (8) It seems as though Lucy left her home in search of something more -- something that goes beyond the monotonous life with her family. However, Lucy has not yet found that place or feeling she has been searching for - that one place where she can feel at ease and comfortable with herself as a person.

Towards the beginning of the novel, Lucy tells us, "I was only an unhappy young woman living in a maid's room, and I was not even the maid. I was the young girl who watches over the children and goes to school at night" (7). Clearly, Lucy has a negative self image, as she struggles to find herself in the midst of so many people who treat her as if she does not belong. Lucy describes the many people that just do not relate to her, and also tells of the people that dislike her for simple, irrelevant things (such as the way she talks). These are the people that contribute to her negative sense of self and keep her from finding that place she can call her own.

In my own experience, the feeling of displacement can only be removed when others take the initiative to include you in the new environment. Throughout my life, I have lived in four different states. The feeling of displacement became common to me, but always faded as others began to include me in their everyday lives. Soon, the unfamiliar place was not so distant to me -- it became a place that I could call home. As I began to get comfortable in the new place, I began to learn things about myself and to develop positive aspects regarding my overall sense of self.

I feel that this is what Lucy is so desperately in need of. In order for her to overcome her feelings of displacement, she needs someone that will make her feel at home -- someone she can relate to, and someone that does not make her feel as though she does not belong. Lucy also needs someone that will contribute positively to her sense of self. Only then will she truly find a place she can call home.