[lit-ideas] Re: Sunday waffle...

  • From: "Steven G. Cameron" <stevecam@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Mon, 30 May 2005 12:19:03 -0400

**One of my favorite scenes has the burgeoning understanding by the 
Enterprise crew using "Juliet on the balcony" as an image of young love 
to explain the language-metaphor usage of the Tamarians -- as a concept 
to Picard.

**Your approach sounds fun and interesting.  The ending is touching -- 
we rely enormously on our cultural myths as instructional underpinnings: 
Tanach, Edith Hamilton, Robin Hood, etc.

TC,

/Steve Cameron, NJ


Ursula Stange wrote:

> That's interesting, Steve.  I only use the bit where the alien and 
> Picard exchange stories as the alien lies dying.  I tell my classics 
> students that the story they're learning has and will continue to stand 
> the test of time as here it is alive and well in the 24th century.   I 
> also refer to a lot of ST in my intro phil course. I've seen somewhere 
> on the net that someone is teaching a 'philosophy of Star Trek' course.  
> I know there's such a book as well. 
> 
> And that should have been, "Temba -- his arms wide."
> Ursula
> North Bay
> 
> Steven G. Cameron wrote:
> 
> 
>>Ursula Stange wrote:
>> 
>>
>>
>>>This article came across my screen this morning and seemed related to
>>>the Sunday waffle.  It reminded me of an old Star Trek episode where
>>>the crew must try to communicate with an alien people who speak only
>>>in metaphor.  I've occasionally used part of the episode in my class
>>>because Capt. Picard tells the story of Gilgamesh.  I believe it was
>>>called "Darmok" but the most memorable line was "Temba, with arms
>>>wide."
>>>   
>>>
>>
>>**The "Darmok" episode is extremely useful in my communication courses 
>>-- been showing it for years also, Ursula.  Communication by metaphor 
>>only -- is an incredible concept to grasp for undergrad Comm. majors.
>>
>>TC,
>>
>>/Steve Cameron, NJ
>>
>> 
>>
>>
>>>Coincidentally, I reread this week, George Orwell's little treatise
>>>on the demise of the English language.  He makes the point that some
>>>metaphors get so old and stale that they no longer carry their
>>>original meaning with them and get used entirely superficially (and
>>>misquoted into the bargain).  His example was the use of 'towing the
>>>line' for 'toeing the line.'  What power can a metaphor have if half
>>>the population associates the wrong image with it?  Perhaps it
>>>doesn't matter, though.  The phrase eventually takes on a meaning of
>>>its own which we can learn from context.  We understand the idea of
>>>limelight, for instance, even when we don't know why it's called
>>>that.
>>>
>>>http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa003&articleID=000BE01D-E7E3-1294-A7E383414B7F0000
>>>
>>>
>>>Ursula, towing the line all by herself in North Bay
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>>   
>>>
>>
>>
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