We've talked a lot about communication in class, especially when discussing Dracula. Many people observed that communication was essential to defeating Dracula. While the characters, especially Seward and Jonathan, rely heavily on written communication to record and share their knowledge of Dracula, they also recognize the importance of oral communication. In fact, the oral traditions and legends of Eastern Europe ultimately provide the information that allows them to kill Dracula and the Three Sisters and, most importantly, to remove the taint from Mina's soul. By accomplishing these tasks, the characters successfully protect the Western world and their little community from a dangerous outside threat. As such, Dracula emphasizes the importance of talking to humanity and the crucial role it plays in the dissemination of knowledge and the protection of community. "Hush" similarly explores the complexity of communication and how it affects the establishment and protection of human communities.
In the article, "Screaming to be Heard: Reminders and Insights on Community and Communication in 'Hush'," Patrick Shade argues that the episode, "Gains dramatic and educative value by imaginatively exposing these diverse modes of communication and, importantly, their corresponding impact on community and communal living" (2). Joss Whedon states that, "What ('Hush' is) about is the idea that when you stop talking, you start communicating - the idea that language, because it's so specific and constrictive can interfere with actual communication. Everything was about language" (Whedon as cited in Shade 3). The first part of the episode emphasizes how talking often makes genuine communication difficult. To do so, Whedon presents a series of conversations where language impedes rather than facilitates understanding between Buffy's main characters.
The exchange between Buffy and Riley following Dr. Walsh's class most obviously illustrates this point. Although Buffy and Riley are clearly attracted to one another, their secret identities prevent them from acting on their mutual attraction. Buffy employs her aptitude for verbal banter to mask the fact that she accidentally admitted her plans for the evening consisted of patrolling. Likewise, Riley conceals his duties with the Initiative by claiming he plans on grading papers for her class that night. When they lean in for their first kiss, Buffy stops short because she realizes that she hasn't turned in any papers for the class, so Riley doesn't have any papers to grade. As a result, they part in confusion with feelings of mutual dissatisfaction. Buffy recognizes that talking constantly impedes the establishment of a romantic relationship with Riley and tells Willow, "I get nervous and I start babbling, and he starts babbling, and it's a babble fest. Plus, every time we talk I have to lie. The slayer thing comes up one way or another. I wish I could just come clean" (Buffy as cited in Shade 4). Talking causes similar problems between Xander and Anya. After Anya asks Xander how he feels about her, he fumbles for words and tries to deflect the weighty question with a joke. However, this approach alienates Anya and makes her question the basis of their relationship. As Shade notes, "Hush" demonstrates how, "The verbal sometimes undermines the usual goals of communication - whether sharing meaning, preparing for consummating action, or presenting the truth" (5).
Once the Gentlemen arrive and steal the voices of Sunnydale's residents, "Hush" vividly, "Highlights the advantages of the nonverbal by creatively exposing the vast field of gestures that underlies and often goes unnoticed because of the verbal" (Shade 6). In fact, Buffy and Riley finally act upon their mutual attraction and reveal their true identities thanks to the loss of their voices. When they run into each other in the streets of Sunnydale while out patrolling to maintain order, their inability to talk prevents them from using language to convey any creative excuse for leaving. Instead, they, "Allow themselves to express the depth of their concern for one another with a first kiss" (Shade 6). Similarly, their encounter while fighting the Gentlemen reveals their respective abilities and secret occupations and doesn't allow them to use words to avoid the truth. Xander likewise benefits from nonverbal communication. When he arrives at Giles's house and sees Spike standing over the prostrate form of Anya, he assumes that Spike has killed her and promptly punches him. Anya wakes up, sees this, and finally learns how much Xander truly cares for her. She displays her joy by using an explicit signal to invite Xander to bed. Using these occurrences and others, Whedon, "Underscores the fact that genuine communication occurs in the absence of talking," and that, "Gestures can speak volumes, and they prove especially well-suited to revealing feelings and demonstrating abilities" (8). However, Shade believes this is too simple an understanding of the message of "Hush."
The episode also illustrates the complexity of communication and doesn't favor one mode of communication over another. While "Hush" does emphasize the advantages of nonverbal communication, as already noted, it also exposes its natural limitations and and how, "Gestures can be misinterpreted, often with humorous results" (Shade 9). The most humorous example of this occurs when Buffy, asking how to kill the Gentlemen, gestures vertically with her fist to indicate that she should stake them. The rest of the Scoobies interpret her gesture as a sexual one and look at her strangely. She clears up the misunderstanding by repeating the gesture with a stake in her hand. A similar situation occurs when she gestures to Riley to destroy the box containing the voices of Sunnydale's citizens. He assumes she wants him to destroy one of the jars containing the hearts of the Gentlemen's victims. Buffy must redirect his efforts to the box by mimicking a hinge and the opening of a lid with her hands. These incidents show that not only are gestures vague and easily misunderstood, but they restrict people to interacting and communicating with those nearby (Shade 10). Additionally, Buffy and Riley must use their voices to progress to the next stage of their relationship, for progress, "Requires revelations about their identities that can only be conveyed through stories about the past" (Shade 12). Thus, verbal communication allows people to expand the scope of their interaction beyond the present to the past and future.
Shade also made an interesting point about how necessary communication, both verbal and nonverbal, is to the establishment and protection of community. By stealing the voices of the people living in Sunnydale, the Gentlemen restrict how the citizens can interact and isolate them from one another in many ways. Shade bases his understanding of community on the insights of American pragmatists, such as Dewey and Mead, who state that communication enables community to develop in the first place, for, "Language utilizes sounds as signs for mutual assistance and direction, making participation - acting with rather than merely alongside others - possible" (15). In other words, language, both verbal and nonverbal, enables people to actively help one another and to share common goals, thereby establishing a community. As such, Shade would certainly agree that Mina, Holmwood, Jonathan, Van Helsing, and Seward form a distinct community for they use language to help one another and to elucidate and pursue a common goal, the destruction of Dracula. The Scooby Gang constitutes a similar community, for their shared history, "Gives them a common understanding of the meanings of gestures, artifacts, and acts related to the practice of slaying" (Shade 17). This remains intact after they lose their voices and allows them to confront the crisis with a relatively calm demeanor and to develop a plan of action. Without this shared understanding, their gestures would be meaningless.
I mostly agree with Shade's interpretation of "Hush" and that it emphasizes the complexity of human communication and interaction. However, I believe he discounts Whedon's statement that episode illustrates that people only begin to communicate when they stop talking too soon. In fact, I would argue that the episode clearly demonstrates the superiority of nonverbal communication. If one considers communication and common interests - the most powerful of which are economic and religious - to be the basis of community, nonverbal communication assures the survival of the Scooby Gang and Sunnydale as well (Shade 19). While many of Sunnydale's residents are understandably disturbed by the loss of their voices and some chaos ensues, important signs of order remain. Commerce and religion still exist. As Buffy and Willow walk to Giles's house, they see people entering the liquor store, selling message boards, and gathering around a minister for comfort. When people are faced with a crisis, "They resort to basic resources which include not only personal relationships of friends and family, but also the public structures represented by economics and religion" (Shade 19). Although the gentlemen weaken these forces, they fail to completely destroy them. While the Gentlemen successfully isolate their victims, they cannot eradicate the nonverbal modes of communication that society uses, which allows Sunnydale to maintain relative order and the Scooby Gang to share knowledge and coordinate the destruction of the Gentlemen. In the end, "Hush" shows that nonverbal communication is clearly more powerful than verbal communication.
Shade, Patrick. “Screaming to be Heard: Reminders and Insights on Community and Communication in ‘Hush.’” Slayage: The Journal of the Whedon Studies Association. Whedon Studies Association, n.d. Web. 3 Oct. 2011. <http://slayageonline.com/>.
In the article, "Screaming to be Heard: Reminders and Insights on Community and Communication in 'Hush'," Patrick Shade argues that the episode, "Gains dramatic and educative value by imaginatively exposing these diverse modes of communication and, importantly, their corresponding impact on community and communal living" (2). Joss Whedon states that, "What ('Hush' is) about is the idea that when you stop talking, you start communicating - the idea that language, because it's so specific and constrictive can interfere with actual communication. Everything was about language" (Whedon as cited in Shade 3). The first part of the episode emphasizes how talking often makes genuine communication difficult. To do so, Whedon presents a series of conversations where language impedes rather than facilitates understanding between Buffy's main characters.
The exchange between Buffy and Riley following Dr. Walsh's class most obviously illustrates this point. Although Buffy and Riley are clearly attracted to one another, their secret identities prevent them from acting on their mutual attraction. Buffy employs her aptitude for verbal banter to mask the fact that she accidentally admitted her plans for the evening consisted of patrolling. Likewise, Riley conceals his duties with the Initiative by claiming he plans on grading papers for her class that night. When they lean in for their first kiss, Buffy stops short because she realizes that she hasn't turned in any papers for the class, so Riley doesn't have any papers to grade. As a result, they part in confusion with feelings of mutual dissatisfaction. Buffy recognizes that talking constantly impedes the establishment of a romantic relationship with Riley and tells Willow, "I get nervous and I start babbling, and he starts babbling, and it's a babble fest. Plus, every time we talk I have to lie. The slayer thing comes up one way or another. I wish I could just come clean" (Buffy as cited in Shade 4). Talking causes similar problems between Xander and Anya. After Anya asks Xander how he feels about her, he fumbles for words and tries to deflect the weighty question with a joke. However, this approach alienates Anya and makes her question the basis of their relationship. As Shade notes, "Hush" demonstrates how, "The verbal sometimes undermines the usual goals of communication - whether sharing meaning, preparing for consummating action, or presenting the truth" (5).
Once the Gentlemen arrive and steal the voices of Sunnydale's residents, "Hush" vividly, "Highlights the advantages of the nonverbal by creatively exposing the vast field of gestures that underlies and often goes unnoticed because of the verbal" (Shade 6). In fact, Buffy and Riley finally act upon their mutual attraction and reveal their true identities thanks to the loss of their voices. When they run into each other in the streets of Sunnydale while out patrolling to maintain order, their inability to talk prevents them from using language to convey any creative excuse for leaving. Instead, they, "Allow themselves to express the depth of their concern for one another with a first kiss" (Shade 6). Similarly, their encounter while fighting the Gentlemen reveals their respective abilities and secret occupations and doesn't allow them to use words to avoid the truth. Xander likewise benefits from nonverbal communication. When he arrives at Giles's house and sees Spike standing over the prostrate form of Anya, he assumes that Spike has killed her and promptly punches him. Anya wakes up, sees this, and finally learns how much Xander truly cares for her. She displays her joy by using an explicit signal to invite Xander to bed. Using these occurrences and others, Whedon, "Underscores the fact that genuine communication occurs in the absence of talking," and that, "Gestures can speak volumes, and they prove especially well-suited to revealing feelings and demonstrating abilities" (8). However, Shade believes this is too simple an understanding of the message of "Hush."
The episode also illustrates the complexity of communication and doesn't favor one mode of communication over another. While "Hush" does emphasize the advantages of nonverbal communication, as already noted, it also exposes its natural limitations and and how, "Gestures can be misinterpreted, often with humorous results" (Shade 9). The most humorous example of this occurs when Buffy, asking how to kill the Gentlemen, gestures vertically with her fist to indicate that she should stake them. The rest of the Scoobies interpret her gesture as a sexual one and look at her strangely. She clears up the misunderstanding by repeating the gesture with a stake in her hand. A similar situation occurs when she gestures to Riley to destroy the box containing the voices of Sunnydale's citizens. He assumes she wants him to destroy one of the jars containing the hearts of the Gentlemen's victims. Buffy must redirect his efforts to the box by mimicking a hinge and the opening of a lid with her hands. These incidents show that not only are gestures vague and easily misunderstood, but they restrict people to interacting and communicating with those nearby (Shade 10). Additionally, Buffy and Riley must use their voices to progress to the next stage of their relationship, for progress, "Requires revelations about their identities that can only be conveyed through stories about the past" (Shade 12). Thus, verbal communication allows people to expand the scope of their interaction beyond the present to the past and future.
Shade also made an interesting point about how necessary communication, both verbal and nonverbal, is to the establishment and protection of community. By stealing the voices of the people living in Sunnydale, the Gentlemen restrict how the citizens can interact and isolate them from one another in many ways. Shade bases his understanding of community on the insights of American pragmatists, such as Dewey and Mead, who state that communication enables community to develop in the first place, for, "Language utilizes sounds as signs for mutual assistance and direction, making participation - acting with rather than merely alongside others - possible" (15). In other words, language, both verbal and nonverbal, enables people to actively help one another and to share common goals, thereby establishing a community. As such, Shade would certainly agree that Mina, Holmwood, Jonathan, Van Helsing, and Seward form a distinct community for they use language to help one another and to elucidate and pursue a common goal, the destruction of Dracula. The Scooby Gang constitutes a similar community, for their shared history, "Gives them a common understanding of the meanings of gestures, artifacts, and acts related to the practice of slaying" (Shade 17). This remains intact after they lose their voices and allows them to confront the crisis with a relatively calm demeanor and to develop a plan of action. Without this shared understanding, their gestures would be meaningless.
I mostly agree with Shade's interpretation of "Hush" and that it emphasizes the complexity of human communication and interaction. However, I believe he discounts Whedon's statement that episode illustrates that people only begin to communicate when they stop talking too soon. In fact, I would argue that the episode clearly demonstrates the superiority of nonverbal communication. If one considers communication and common interests - the most powerful of which are economic and religious - to be the basis of community, nonverbal communication assures the survival of the Scooby Gang and Sunnydale as well (Shade 19). While many of Sunnydale's residents are understandably disturbed by the loss of their voices and some chaos ensues, important signs of order remain. Commerce and religion still exist. As Buffy and Willow walk to Giles's house, they see people entering the liquor store, selling message boards, and gathering around a minister for comfort. When people are faced with a crisis, "They resort to basic resources which include not only personal relationships of friends and family, but also the public structures represented by economics and religion" (Shade 19). Although the gentlemen weaken these forces, they fail to completely destroy them. While the Gentlemen successfully isolate their victims, they cannot eradicate the nonverbal modes of communication that society uses, which allows Sunnydale to maintain relative order and the Scooby Gang to share knowledge and coordinate the destruction of the Gentlemen. In the end, "Hush" shows that nonverbal communication is clearly more powerful than verbal communication.
Shade, Patrick. “Screaming to be Heard: Reminders and Insights on Community and Communication in ‘Hush.’” Slayage: The Journal of the Whedon Studies Association. Whedon Studies Association, n.d. Web. 3 Oct. 2011. <http://slayageonline.com/>.
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