This week we watched the movie Arrival and the episode “Darmok” From Star Trek: The Next Generation. From watching these two we can see the communication between people/species when you do not speak the same language. It is very easy to connect these two due to the fact that part of the main premise of them is the main characters trying to learn/understand the language of the other species that they are interacting with.
In the movie Arrival the main character, Louise, is trying to understand the language of the heptapods who have appeared around earth to understand why they are there. By seeing the heptapods and trying to learn their language from the writing they show her. She attempts to understand just based on viewing and her interpretation. It’s not until she develops a sort of telepathic connection to them, essentially rewiring her brain, she finally is not only able to understand them when they help her understand time but in turn it helps her learn their language.
In the episode “Darmok” From Star Trek, we see the Enterprise trying to communicate with the Tamarians. Both the Tamarians and the Enterprise to not understand what the other is saying and so that all attempt to communicate until the Captain of the Tamarians transports himself and Captain Picard to the surface of El-Adrel, Picard and The captain of the Tamarians have to be patient in order to communicate and understand one another better and face the unknown enemy. The two ended up bonding and even though in the end the Tamarian captain was killed Picard understood the Tamarians language and was able to communicate with the Tamarian crew and let them know what happened and avoid conflict.
2 thoughts on “Module 4”
Hi Rebecca!
I liked your post! It’s very “cut to the chase”. For Arrival, I think it’s important to note the connection between Louise and the Heptapods isn’t just telepathic but it is also temporal. An example of this is towards the end of the movie where Louise has a vision of a gala where she meets Chinese military commander Shang (who also has a temporal telepathic connection with the Heptapods) and Shang, having seen this particular event in time as well tells Louise how to abort his attack on the Heptapod ships by telling his past self the last words his wife said to him before she died. I think this scene is important to not only the story but the level of consciousness the Heptapods exist in. They see time as non-linear and can communicate with past and future beings all in one time.
tpenske
I think It’s really great that you pointed out that the bonding took place, and there was still a successful results even though the tamarin captain was killed in the end. One might assume other wise, but the other group of people put their individual success and value aside in the face of the potential consequences on the entire group of people. Such as more widespread harm from the large intimidating monster if they had not succeeded. I also find it interesting that you bring up the retiring of the brain. I belive this is generally overlooked. Yes, she definitely began to endure stand them to a certain degree but she also begins to be able to understand them on a deeper level later.
Olivia Nobs