Like art, language is one of the main ways humans connect with each other and form a community. That's definitely a big deal in Bel Canto, as people who might never meet in other circumstances learn to communicate with each other and work together (think terrorists and diplomats cooking dinner together or Japanese electronics execs playing backup for American opera stars). But language can also be a barrier to communication, especially since many of the people in the novel don't speak the same languages. Sometimes, music bridges that communication gap for them. In other cases, folks find ways to learn each other's languages or make use of Gen, the translator. Which makes language, and communication in generally, a biggie in the world of Bel Canto.
Questions About Language and Communication
- In this novel, it seems as though music allows certain forms of communication that language can't always achieve. Does that mean music is more powerful, or just different? What can music do that language can't?
- Roxane Coss sings in tons of different languages, some of which she doesn't even know (it's normal in the opera world). What does it say about the nature of communication that she's able to communicate effectively when she's singing, but not in so many languages when she's speaking?
- As the translator, Gen plays a vital role in connecting people to each other and helping the whole group become a community. How is that similar to Roxane's role as the singer, and how is it different?
Chew on This
Music is a more powerful medium of communication than language in Bel Canto.
Opera can move people deeply in this novel and give them a sense of connection to each other, but language is necessary to help them manage everyday cooperation. For things like cooking, for example.