Earlier this semester, Dr. McCoy wrote a blog post discussing the Everett quote that we are all likely very familiar with by now: “It’s incredible that a sentence is ever understood.” The quote is originally from Percival Everett’s novel, Erasure. While reading the novel would definitely provide me with some helpful context that I could use to better understand the quote, I still believe I am capable of comprehending the quote, though in a different way, allowing the circumstances of my own life to inform me in my understanding.
Of course, the quote was still relatable for me, even at the beginning of this semester since I have experienced my own share of miscommunication in many different areas of my life. From work to school to relationships, I have always aimed to both understand the words of others and make myself understood as well. This can be a challenging process and miscommunications can create awkward, uncomfortable situations. However, this semester the quote took on greater meaning for me, as I began to undertake new responsibilities and encounter and learn from new, original perspectives.
This semester, I started working as an Undergraduate Lab Instructor, or ULI, in the physics department. The lab I work in is for The Science of Sound, so we often work with speakers producing loud, high pitched sounds, which can cause headaches and miscommunications alike since it can be hard to hear the questions of students over the buzzing of frequencies. Even without the noisy atmosphere, understanding is still not guaranteed.
My boss, the creator of the lab, often laments the lack of understanding among lab students during our weekly lab instructor meetings. As an instructor, I have noticed that students understandably get confused when reading the directions written in the lab manual and attempting to translate the words they have read into actions they must take to complete the lab. Their confusion is only natural since the directions were written by an individual with a doctorate in physics, an experience the students do not share.
However, my boss is often bewildered by the fact that students are sometimes unable to execute the lab manual’s instructions. This is in part because he has meticulously corrected and re-written it over the years with the intention of making it ever clearer. Listening to his frustrations, I was reminded of the Everett quote and realized just how true it was. It genuinely is incredible that my boss’ instructions are ever understood by the Science of Sound lab students.
The truth in the Everett quote that Dr. McCoy first introduced at the beginning of the semester became all the more apparent in my reading of I am Not Sidney Poitier. The novel is teeming with instances in which characters struggle to understand each other and illustrates the danger inherent in this confusion and the verity of the miracle that lies in true understanding.
Indeed, instances of misunderstandings in Everett’s novel often lead to disorder and, at times, violence. For example, when Not Sidney attempts to introduce himself to fellow peers during his youth they are frequently unable to understand that Not Sidney is trying to tell them his name. However, his peers do not recognize that Not Sidney could really be his first name and instead assume that Not Sidney is toying with them. They resolve to mercilessly beat Not Sidney in order to punish him for this “disrespect”.
There are other incidences in which our picaresque hero attempts to introduce himself by his given name, Not Sidney, that are not met with brutality. Despite the fact that the misunderstandings in these cases do not cause acts of violence, they are still damaging for Not Sidney. Because his name produces a lack of understanding in those he meets, Not Sidney eventually becomes motivated to introduce himself as “Sidney Poitier” or simply, “Poitier”.
In thus introducing himself, Not Sidney has sacrificed a part of his identity, his very name, so that he may generate greater understanding in those around him. Though this form of misunderstanding does not result in any physical punches, it still represents a brutal blow to Not Sidney’s identity.
Everett’s quote now bears greater meaning for me as I weigh it against other ideas I have learned over the course of the semester. In particular, learning the definition of the Greek word ‘eidolon’ has provided me with yet another way to interpret and build on Everett’s words. According to Google, eidolon has two definitions: an idealized person or thing, or a phantom or specter.
I have found a relationship between these definitions and the quote we have referenced so widely this semester. When I translate my thoughts into sentences, spoken or written, I am attempting to transpose the eidolon of my thoughts. In speaking or in writing I am always aiming to relay my thoughts in an ideal way. I seek to make my speech clear and ensure it possesses the meaning I intend to convey.
However, this goal is rarely met and my sentences become the second definition of the word eidolon: phantoms and specters. As soon as the words leave my mouth, they lose the potential to convey my genuine intentions. Thus, the people I speak or write to are left with the shadows of my true meaning since they cannot readily know the intentions of my words.
Furthermore, people may be unable to easily access the experiences that have shaped my life and that regularly inform my perceptions and assertions. Thus, it incredible that my words, the ghosts of my intentions, can ever be understood. When they are understood, even in the slightest, it can create feelings of relief, pride, and comfort in me and I’m sure in others as well.