Language and Identity in "Scorched" and "Wide Sargasso Sea"

Multi-Faceted Relationship between Language and Identity in “Scorched” and “Wide Sargasso Sea”
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October 20, 2023
Understanding the complex nature of language and identity is essential for anyone, not just for any reader. Language is one of the distinguishing characteristics of people that has led to our current state as a civilization. This ability to communicate distinguishes us from other animals; it may appear to be a superficial talent, but it is much more than that since it affects every area of human life. Words can excite individuals and even transform a society through inspiring quotes and speeches. Language is a distinctive feature of civilization worldwide; it carries culture and the individuality of those who use it.
Language, as a critical component of human communication and expression, is crucial in developing and reflecting individual identities. In this essay, the author will compare and contrast two pieces that extensively utilized and put into action the power of language and its effect on conveying feelings and emotions. The relationship between language and identity is examined with remarkable depth and complexity in "Scorched" by Wajdi Mouawad and "Wide Sargasso Sea" by Jean Rhys. While both novels examine the significant influence of language on personal identity, they do so in different circumstances and with different emphases. To better compare and contrast these two works, first, we need to have a summary of the two works.
Narrative Summaries and Discussions
Scorched
The story of Scorched focuses on a woman, Nawal Marwan, who left two children upon her death; these two children are estranged from her because of her untimely death. She is a young, hopeful woman at first but then becomes a war-torn survivor, which will shape her identity and the action she is about to do before giving birth to her two children. The two children are Jeanne and Simon twins (Mouawad, 2010). The mother would give a series of letters and instructions to her children; this letter was given to her by a notary named Lebel. Lebel is entrusted with the woman's story for it to be revealed to the story later on (Mouawad, 2010).
The narration unfolds as the twin tries to know their mother's past life. A series of flashbacks and present-day scenes are well distributed in the story as they embark on a journey to know their mother's mysterious past. They rely on oral accounts of people who once knew or interacted with their mothers. As they learn from the stories of others, they then discover shocking and profoundly troubling secrets that their mothers had back when she was still alive. The Lebanese Civil War greatly influenced their mother's actions, and they shaped her identity and the lives of those around her (Zahzah, 2012).
As said in the story, the oral account of people and the letters left by their mothers is the primary language they utilized to uncover their mother's past life. Aside from these two, the usage of silence as a form of expressing feeling is utilized in the first half of the play. In addition, the drama delves into the complexities of Lebanon's language variety and cultural identity. Nawal's quest entails learning m...