| The purpose of this study is to examine the potential of literature as a nonverbal research tool. The description of communicative body movement in The Odyssey, The Golden Ass, Troilus and Criseyde, Hamlet, The Vicar of Wakefield, Great Expectations, Washington Square, and Being There is discussed in an essay style suggested by Erich Auerbach's Mimesis, The Representation of Reality in Western Literature.; Since the works represent a wide historical span, an attempt is made to discover intimations of change in the description of nonverbal behavior over time. Several trends and tendencies are discussed. The shift from exaggerated and somewhat formulaic nonverbal forms in the early works, to more individualized and self-conscious performances in the later works seems to lend some support to the gestural theory of language origin. It is conjectured that Homeric formula was a faded reminder of a gestural language which originally prevailed. Hamlet's rejection of conventionalized forms of behavior marked a turning point and seemed to support the contention of media theorists that print de-tribalized man and encouraged detachment. The introduction of the new communication technologies, particularly television and film, may contribute to a new form of conventionalized nonverbal behavior, reminiscent of the earlier forms. |
