Problematize Post- Cathedrals

Cathedrals demonstrate how difficult it can be to use words. When the narrator tries to explain to Robert, a blind man, what a cathedral looks like he gets frustrated because he can not find enough accurate words to describe the buildings. Words are funny tools. We use so many of the same words for such different things, but when trying to describe something to someone we often times lack the “right” words.

I once heard that Eskimos have at least 50 words for snow. When I think of snow, I come up with: white, fluffy, flakes, cold, wet, crunchy. That is only about six words. I am sitting here trying to think of more ways to describe snow but I am coming up blank. How would I describe snow to a blind man? For one thing, a blind man has no sense of color, so by saying snow is white it will do no good. How does one describe color to someone who is color blind? Is it possible? Not really.

I am going to pretend that I am talking to a blind man and attempting to describe a dog to him. The dog has four legs, a tail, a snout, a wet nose, two eyes, paws on each foot, floppy ears, and a fluffy coat. As you read this, you may be picturing a dog but that is because you have seen a dog before so you know what a dog generally looks like. I am willing to bet anything that from that description (which I think is fairly accurate for a dog) that you are not picturing the same dog I am. The chances of that happening are rare. So, even when I explain what a dog looks like to a blind man, and he touches the dog and plays with it, it is likely that he will not see the same dog I am seeing/describing. Everyone is unique and everyone sees things in a unique fashion.

In American culture we use the word “love” as an ambiguous term. A husband may say “I love you” to his wife but he may also say, “I love chips”. Does he love chips as much as he loves his wife? Or does he love his wife in the way that he loves chips? I certainly hope not. So then why do we use the same word for such different objects? I believe that is just easier that way and as Americans we like everything to be quick and easy. It is sad when you think about it.