The Beauty of Language

In the book No Talking, the author Andrew Clements enlightened readers with a seemingly unimportant competition among fifth grade students. To claim victory, these noisy kids, the unshushable turned themselves into well-behaved students by not talking for two days. During the competition, students redefined communication and the use of language. Before long, teachers began to notice the unusual but subtle behaviors of the fifth graders and took advantage of the competition to teach students the art of language. Even though the competition seemed to be a simple game, it became a meaningful and educational social study as the event developed.

Language is a double-edged sword. At the beginning of the book, a number of conflicts broke out between the protagonists, Dave and Lynsey, the leaders of boys and girls respectively. For instance, at mealtime in the cafeteria, they initiated the no talking competition. Language could bring clashes and barriers to relationship. On the other hand, language benefits people and facilitates communication with others. At the end of the story, Lynsey delivered a twenty-seven-word speech, which made an even to the competition. It seemed that both fifth grade boys and girls have settled the conflicts they had, even though both Lynsey and Dave apparently didn’t apologize for their rude words to each other. They used facial expressions and gesture to be reconciled and perceive their bias towards each gender. Thankfully, the competition not just bred hostility but bridged the relationship in the end.

Equality is a crucial factor in successful communication. If people couldn’t have the same equal status, people aren’t going to reach mutual communication. In the story, Mrs. Hiatt, the principal of Laketon Elementary School, always gave accurate orders, and set precise goals. Her school never went over because she never let any teachers nor students to miss the results that she demanded. Although with her strict orders, the school kept moving a clockwise, it seems that Mrs. Hiatt never had a genuine and sincere communication with students. She tried to control everything. Even when all the fifth graders were obeying the rule, not talking, it still made her uncomfortable because this wasn’t from her command. Dave even had a conflict with Mrs. Hiatt because she shouted at him and demanded him to talk. He yelled back at the principal and argued that everyone got the right to remain silent. After this violent argument, Mrs. Hiatt calm down and apologized to Dave for her rude words. They had a more equal conversation after they forgave each other. Surprisingly, this competition continued to go on, not just among the fifth graders, but also other students of different ages, teachers, and the principal. Equality builds a win-win situation between speaker and listener and further constructs good relationships.

In addition, the novel also addresses the cultural and educational differences between East and West, which shapes our mindset and attitudes towards life. For the students in eastern countries, we don’t usually raise our hands to answer questions. We don’t have many opportunities to discuss or debate in class because we are not encouraged and motivated to do so because of time constraint. However, it seems perfectly understandable for students in western countries not to blindly obey rules and not to be afraid to challenge. As the naughty boy, Dave, in the book he fought for his right and argued with Mrs. Hiatt. In this story, I considered that students in western countries have been encouraged not to be afraid to express their own opinions and fight for their rights. In fact, it has now become a priority in many eastern counties to encourage students to be proactive and question about what they learn from schools or parents. Ultimately, we can construct our knowledge by thinking critically to face challenges in this rapid changing world.

This competition has turned the noisiest fifth grade boys and girls from enemies to friends. The kids forgot about the quarrel and reconcile with each other. This novel is thought-provoking since it unfolds the use of language from the kids’ perspectives. Perhaps, it reminds adults of the magic and beauty of the language.