A Little Lit. Theory for Friday
I’ve been thinking about words lately. Not a bad idea for a journalist, from time to time, to think about words. Maybe I’m reverting to my undergraduate literary theory days, but lately I’ve been thinking about the ambiguity of words.
In a recent Tweet, Mindflyer Karina used the phrase “it’s all downhill from here.” Without context, what do you think she was saying? She was saying that it was smooth sailing here on out, that we’d overcome the hard part and could coast the rest of the way down the hill. But I was confused by her statement as first, because I consider the phrase to mean something negative; such as, we’d achieved the pinnacle, enjoyed the view, and now all that lay before us was the long, arduous journey back down the mountain. “It’s all downhill from here.” One phrase, two very different meanings.
(By the way, your interpretation of the phrase might also indicate whether you’re a “glass is half full” optimist or a “half empty” pessimist.)
Another example. One day, in the course of studio water cooler conversation, Rusty mentioned where the name of our business came from. The name is meant to convey an inspiration of creativity, like “letting your mind fly.” Pretty poetic for a web developer, huh?
I definitely hope that above phrase is the connotation that most customers associate with the name. I’m a little embarrassed to admit that the image I initially conjured based on the name “Mindfly” was a bit less appealing. I thought of it as having an idea stuck in your brain that wouldn’t go away (which would, hopefully, inspire innovative web sites), like a nagging fly that keeps buzzing around your mind. I know, I know…I said it was an unappealing image and that I was embarrassed to admit it. But that’s where my brain went.
Still, although provoking widely different examples of visual imagery, the meanings of our interpretations were essentially the same: ideas, creativity, innovation.
(And yes, I am aware that my “it’s-all-downhill-from-here-the-glass-is-half-empty-nagging-fly” interpretations are revealing me to be a bit of a pessimist…I blame the weather).
Finally, I’d like to direct your attention to the other end of Holly Street, to Bowl n’ Roll (207 W. Holly St.), which occupies the space where Mallard Ice Cream used to be. The restaurant was called Shahrazad (which still exists as a Bellingham Farmers Market prepared food vendor and a catering business), but the owners decided to change the name and the menu in September of this year. When they did, the name left me wondering.
Did “Bowl n’ Roll” mean bowls of soup and fresh rolls? Or was it more of a teriyaki bowl and eggroll establishment? (One of my friends pointed out that it would be also be a good name for a business that provided items for the use of illicit substances, or a bowling alley/roller skating rink).
The restaurant’s menu actually includes soup and rolls, as well as eggrolls and other “big bowls” of daily special items. The menu offers a variety of international dishes (and with prices capped at $4.99, it’s a great deal), but I wouldn’t have figured what kind of restaurant it was without stopping in to check out the menu.
My point (if there is one, besides an excuse to share “funny” stories about deconstructed language) is to remember to take care with words. The same phrase, in different contexts, can have opposing meanings. Or a phrase might have the invoke the same meaning, but the perspective of the reader reflects whether the phrase has a positive or negative meaning. And instead of one or the other, a phrase might even mean “all of the above.”
We each bring our own personal experiences and memories to the table when interpreting text—and we all interpret text, whether we’re examining the instructions for assembling IKEA furniture or reading Tolstoy—that shape our understanding. Words and phrases have the remarkable power to inspire, to break hearts, to fight injustice, to advertise…sometimes all at the same time.
Or, you know, maybe it’s just the weather.