Communication: Non-Verbal Observations
In Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel, ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’, the famous detective Sherlock Holmes comes across a hat and a walking stick. By closely observing these two items, he deduces the age and profession of the owner, the color of his hair and states that he has a dog. Most of the details turn out to be true. If one can deduce near truth from items belonging to an individual, one can deduce much more from the gestures, posture, dress and facial expressions of an individual. Similarly the use of space, time and intonation are aspects of non-verbal communication that convey information about the speakers. We shall consider two different situations in two locations and try to interpret the non-verbal cues received from the participants.
It was a hot afternoon. The boat was overcrowded. Bags of all shapes, sizes, colors and types lay on the floor untidily. With great difficulty, people found space to place their feet and balance themselves with the support of the bags. There were rows of benches along the sides and a few in the middle of the boat, but they were all occupied. People pushed ahead making space for more passengers until those in the front were almost near the engine. It puffed black smoke and made a loud noise as the boat left the shore and entered the calm river. A young man stood leaning against a plank near the engine. He seemed to consider himself lucky for getting enough place to stand. One could not fail to notice that he was not used to this kind of a journey. The boat journey was a novel experience for him. He looked at the other passengers, the engine, the flag on the mast, the birds flying past and the distant island as if it was a treat to his eyes. He seemed to be excited, which was not surprising. He must be one of those tourists visiting the biggest river island ‘Majuli’ in the Brahmaputra River. He was looking forward to this prospect anxiously and he was so preoccupied with the novelty of the experience that he did not seem to mind the noise, the smoke or the uncomfortable position. The fatigue of long travel was evident on his face, but it was mixed with a glow of excitement. From time to time, he glanced at some passengers who squeezed themselves among the luggage. A woman squatted spaciously at his feet, pushing aside some bags to make enough space. She was wrapped in a dirty sari, and was unmindful of it, revealing half her breasts. A baby wrapped tightly in the corner of her sari slept peacefully in her lap. The woman spoke in a shrill, complaining tone to the passengers around, as if they did not cooperate with her the way she expected them to. Her attitude indicated that she was trying to draw everyone’s attention towards her, and gain their pity. Another small child clung to the woman. It wailed occasionally and called out to the mother. She pushed him off roughly whenever he drew near. Her behavior did not affect him. He showed signs that he was used to it. The expression on his face showed that he had never known what self-respect is. Some of the people standing around felt pity for the child; however, they showed a kind of mute resignation knowing well that they could not do anything about it. Those who could not bear it just looked away. Another man in a striped coat stood on the opposite side of the engine. His gaze turned from the woman, to the child and to the other passengers, but his eyes were blank. There was no expression on his face. It was obvious that he was accustomed to the scene. Perhaps, he travelled daily. Although he was a part of the scene, he seemed to be aloof from it. The smoke, the crowd, the din and the woman who was trying to create a scene, nothing moved him. His face was listless. He too tolerated the discomfort, but there was a resigned acceptance of reality evident in his attitude.
Noise and commotion indirectly work on the mind. They disturb and tax the brain, taking away some part of the excitement in a new experience. On the other hand, silence conveys messages in an equally effective way, soothing the mind unknowingly. Let us look at a different scene in the college library. Most students prefer to exchange books during the morning break when there is maximum rush. The afternoon visitors make use of the reading room. Few students are reading books or newspapers. Tables and chairs are neatly arranged in rows. Four students occupy the chairs near the newspaper stand. A girl sits in the center row, engrossed in a book. She is plainly dresses and wears spectacles. Her hair is tied up at the back with a black ribbon; may be, she does not want the strands to irritate her while reading. One would be tempted to describe her as a sincere and studious girl. Her pose and manner of reading seem to warn people that she would not like to be disturbed! A young student enters quietly and talks to the librarian. The student wears a clean and crisp shirt, not exactly special, but chosen with care, as if to impress. His hair is recently combed and in place. The librarian points to some shelves. He walks over to the shelves and looks at the titles, then takes a book and flips its pages. He glances at the doorway. He walks the length of the shelf, looking at the titles, and then glances at the doorway. It is clear from his facial expression that he is waiting for someone. He picks up a book randomly and takes a seat far away from the others, choosing carefully, as if he does not want anyone to see what he is reading.
He starts reading the book, but it is clearly evident that he is not interested in reading. His frequent glances at the doorway reveal that he has come to the library with the intention of meeting someone. Whether the meeting was an appointment or not is not clear. It may be or it may not be. Whoever he was waiting for did not arrive and he could not hide his impatience. He fidgeted with the book, and shut it. He stared at the doorway, then at the clock on the wall, and again at the doorway. A little anger appeared on his face. Finally, he shut the book abruptly, got up abruptly, returned the book at the counter and walked out determinedly.
