I read a very good novel some months back in which the hero and the heroine meet by looking at one another across a river. The first part of their relationship develops in a pantomime style of sign language. This novelist's creative development of relationship without language calls to mind one of my own personal quirks; I am almost obsessive about watching body language and facial expressions.
When I meet people, I watch only their faces and bodies. If you ask me after the meeting what Nancy was wearing, nine times out of ten I will have no clue at all. Maybe a general impression of color, but that's about it.
I contrast my focus on the language of faces and bodies with some other women I have met who are hyper-aware of clothing and shoes. What does it mean that I watch the way people behave, and they watch trappings that adorn people?
Both systems of reading people can tell the witness a great deal. That's why in my novels, I consciously strive to use clothing as an indicator of status or emotional condition. By contrast, I don't have to make any effort to write about facial expressions or body movements. Those descriptions, I have to pare down!
Although for the sake of variety I try to balance my description in my novels, in reality, I won't ever be a woman who remembers clothing. I'm too firmly convinced that what I see in people's faces and in how they move is really important information. I'm always looking for character, in the Victorian sense. Who is this person inside? Is she someone who will be loyal, or fickle? Does she watch me while I talk to her, or do her eyes flick around the room to see if someone more important is present? Is her gait light and free, or does she walk with a slow step and stooped shoulders?
There's a huge quantity of internal stuff constantly revealing itself through the language of the body. My full-time pursuit of reading that language means that I just don't have the time or the inclination to focus on what economic bracket a person occupies (shoes and jewelry) or where she shops. The only interesting character trait revealed by dress is how much a person cares about the way others perceive her.
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6 comments:
Wow, using clothing as "indicator of status or emotional condition"
Never thought of that. But it's true. My girl starts out with dark clothing, leather, etc.
Then, after her conversion and finding love, she wore brigher clothing, etc.
Interesting.
I love your description of how you only have a "general impression of color" after talking to someone. My husband teases me all the time because I can have a deep personal half hour conversation with someone and not recognize them the next day because she changed her hairstyle and has different clothes on! I have a very hard time remembering anything about how the person I talked to looked, but I usually can recall every word of the conversation for a LONG time. A blessing and a curse... I always wonder how many times I've offended people when they see me at church because I smile and give them a polite greeting, but don't remember that they poured their heart out to me at a retreat or something! (or pass them in a store and don't recognize them at all!)
I get bored with books that focus on the details of clothing and houses. I want to know what's happening with the people, not what they wear. Unless it is esential to develop the story, I could care less what they wear. In the theater of my mind, I envision the story in my own way...
I think I undertand what you mean. I'm a people watcher also. I find it esential to observe a person's behavior and manner in order to discern what's happening around me. Good post.
Well, I notice both appearance and emotion...for instance, I noticed you had cute little "faux" snakeskin or some pattern like that on your pants at church last Sunday, and you had your thinking face on as you whooshed past me in church....do I don't think all people go one way or the other. I am hyper aware of lots of stuff....ask me some time about smells.....I can't get away from them.....
I think you're right about most people mixing their modes of perception, Amy. I'm the weird one with my imbalance. :-)
As long as it wasn't my smell that struck you as I whooshed by, I'm fine. But I am curious about your smelling powers.
I spend about 80% of my time with a stuffed up nose, and I still smell things that other people would swear to you were not there. I can pretty much tell what restaurant my husband might have been in by how he smells. FLying Star smells different than Chik-fil-A, etc. If i eat at a restaurant, I can't stand that my hair will smell like food until I was it again the next day. I'll ask people "can you smell enchilada in my hair?" and they have no clue what I am talking about. Don't even get me started on B.O. It was even worse when ever I have been pregnant. There was a particular cologne that some person kept wearing when they came to my Kinkos. I could smell it the moment he walked in the door...it smelled somewhat of vanilla....and made me completely naseaus so I had to leave and have someone else wait on him. Still can't stomach the smell of vanilla candles or air freshener. Speaking of Kinkos, did you know that working around copiers, toner, and paper also leaves a particular smell on your skin and clothes? Curry...oy....if someone has eaten curry I can't be near them...and even very strong garlic....and oh, fish...that's the worst. If someone has cooked and eaten their fish at home and then left their house and comes into contact with me...I totally smell it. Touching/cutting raw onions, my fingers will smell no matter how many times I wash them. And the worst part...the smells seem to stay in my nose no matter what. One of my favorite smells...bleach/chlorine...because it covers all other smells. It's bad to be me in a stinky place!
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