Do the eyes have it?
In my reading of fiction (and some non-) I don't think I've found a single author who can resist crediting the eyes with an incredible range of expression, which I challenge as to actual veracity. Other than a few obvious "actions" of one's eyes, like squinting or wide open or sidelong glance or tears - all of which can denote totally opposite reactions, requiring the rest of one's face and possibly bodily movements, to define their actual meaning - one's eyes are useless to indicate emotion, in my judgment. If we were presented with a large page of pictures of just eyes and asked to determine what each pair was communicating, I maintain that we would fail abysmally to correctly identify even 10%.
I think some authors use references to eyes' so-called expressions to fortify a position in their story and/or to move it along because they can't figure out any other way to do it. Except for using the obvious ones referred to earlier, I want them to stop it.
Gr. Barb
posted by Grandma Barb @ 6:32 AM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Who's in charge of presenting this demand to the author's in question...?
And I'm all for the test page of eyes; let's get someone on that experiment right away. There's got to be some 5th grader out there looking for a science project.
Just to clarify the rules: I would suggest that the eyebrows be lumped with the eyes while gauging expressiveness. An author ought to be allowed this shorthand in descriptions, using the word "eyes" to refer to the eyes and their accoutrements.
Barbi
Does anyone know how to edit comments?
Just wondering....
HUORNS and ENTS
Just in case you are wondering....
Caleb is our eldest son, and Kiara is our "daughter in love". Since our sons were "wee ones" they heard Tolkien at bed time. That's why I thought it would resonate with Caleb. Both Huorns and Ents are from Tolkien's splendid mind and words. You may recall they are tree-like creatures and ancient guardians of the forest, with thoughtful and peaceful spirits. Treebeard is likely the one of most reknown, depicted well in the LOTR movies. Thanks for your comments on their blogspot. I wish you well.
Tom
Tom: thanks so much for your clarifying the huorns and ents; strange that I don't recall the huorns, but the ents are firmly entrenched in my mind. They're even frequently in the crosswords I do. I got involved in the Tales of Narnia and the Lord of the Rings series when my kids and grandkids got "into" them. Don't you wonder how people can have such inventive minds and can create good things out of imagined creatures and locations? 'Twill be nice to meet your whole family someday; have met Caleb and consider him a winner, even though he can't walk on his hands as well as Kiara....
with happy thoughts - Barb K. P.S.: Burna and Barbi are coming this weekend; I hope to have Burna help line up "skype" with K. and C. during that time.
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