WHAT is silence? Absence of speech or a means of communication? Rebellion against words or surrender to authority? Symbol of power or powerlessness? This seven-letter word can be compared to a chameleon as it changes its meaning depending on the social context in which it is observed. When it is observed in libraries, the purpose is to ensure peaceful atmosphere so that students can study without any disturbance. Isn’t it interesting that the same silence which is appreciated in libraries is discouraged in social gatherings to such an extent that in order to kill it, people engage themselves in ‘plastic communication’?
Although silence is universal, in some culture it is highly symbolic. For instance, in Roti, an Island in eastern Indonesia, silence is perceived as a sign of distress. People of Roti are extremely fond of talking. While describing the speech behaviour of the people of Roti, James Fox (1974) writes: “For a Rotinese the pleasure of life is talk.” Besides the people of Roti, Jewish east-coast Americans are also talkative. In Denmark, on the contrary, people love silence; Danish people can remain silent for hours in each others’ company.
Silence accompanied by gestures plays an important role in communication. Southworth in his paper entitled, South Asian Emblematic Gestures (1992) writes: “It is a maxim of non-verbal studies that when two people are in each others’ presence, they ‘cannot not communicate’. Even silence is communicative.”
Commenting on the use of silence among South Asians, he writes: “While it seems to be true that South Asians do not show any overt sign of gratitude in many situations where westerns would expect ‘thank you’, it is not the case that when a Hindi or Marathi speakers doe snot use a verbal expression of gratitude, gratitude is not expressed. There are several non-verbal ways in which gratitude can be expressed, including facial expression (smiles, use of the eyes), head tilt, touching, and perhaps others.”
The causes of silence are endless. Different people relapse into silence for different reasons. One of the reasons might be inadequate command of language. First language as well as second language learners often pass through a silent period before they begin to speak the language with considerable ease. This silent period helps them internalize the rules of the language they are exposed to. Another reason might be the lack of confidence. It has been observed that most second language learners despite having adequate command of the language hesitate to speak because of their diffidence. These are, however, not the only reasons behind silence. Sometimes moments of extreme happiness or sorrow can also deprive people of the ability to speak. Eliot’s lines from the first section of The Waste Land reflect the speakers’s inability to give voice to her feelings.
... I could not
Speak, and my eyes failed, I was neither
Living nor dead, and I knew nothing,
Looking into the heart of light, the silence.M
Sometimes people deliberately shrink away from words because of their belief that words lack power to express innermost feelings. This belief is supported by Hardy’s comment in Far from the Madding Crowd: “Those who have the power of reproaching in silence may find it a means more effective than words. There are accents in the eye which are not on the tongue ... It is both the grandeur and the pain of the remoter moods that they avoid the pathway of sound.”
T.S. Eliot’s lines from Four Quartets reinforce the idea:
Words, after speech, reach
Into the silence.
No matter what the reason behind silence is and what it does, one thing is certain that everyone cannot understand the language of silence, and this inability to comprehend silence most of the times results in a communication breakdown. It is often said that one has to be extremely careful in choosing words, for they can make or mar any relationship. The same holds true for silence. It is important to know when and where to remain silent. If silence can save us from trouble, it can also be a source of trouble. An example is that of a person who is accused of committing a crime. If that person doesn’t say anything in his defence, his silence is taken as a confession of his crime.
The question arises why people remain silent, when they are required to speak? This question doesn’t have a single answer. Some people remain silent out of sheer indifference. They are least bothered about what is gong on in society. Some avoid raising their voice against injustice because of the fear of being exposed themselves.
There is yet another reason behind people’s reluctance to break the chains of silence and that is lack of courage. The result is that they suffer endlessly. They do to even realize that a person, lying on his deathbed, groaning in pain is better than a person suffering in silence. For the former is under no obligation to conceal his pain, whereas the latter is under every obligation to do so.
People who remain silent and endure injustice remain victims of oppression. Unless they break the fetters of silence, there is no hope for any change. History is replete with examples of people who refused to be imprisoned by silence and rebelled against the existing circumstances to bring improvements. When will we be able to escape from the prison of silence?
WHAT is silence? Absence of speech or a means of communication? Rebellion against words or surrender to authority? Symbol of power or powerlessness? This seven-letter word can be compared to a chameleon as it changes its meaning depending on the social context in which it is observed. When it is observed in libraries, the purpose is to ensure peaceful atmosphere so that students can study without any disturbance. Isn’t it interesting that the same silence which is appreciated in libraries is discouraged in social gatherings to such an extent that in order to kill it, people engage themselves in ‘plastic communication’?
