How the Medium Changes the Message: Chanie Wenjack
Messages could be interpreted differently. Whether it’s through another character’s perspective, or someone else’s mind, the message has the ability to change. However, what alters it significantly for sure is the medium in which it presents itself in.
A message could be shaped to befit the contents of a medium, as one form contains certain codes and conventions another doesn’t. By doing so, you can either elevate or downplay (or both) specific elements of a story, and the result is a different message in each case.
For example, let’s take a telephone and a cell phone as a medium and compare their abilities. When communicating through a telephone, you have an auditory channel in which the message may seep through, but, however, no visual aid to watch it play out. Now let’s consider the capability of a cell phone. With a cellphone, you can access all the conventions a telephone has, plus more. Visual aid is there, as one may send a picture through text messaging for the other to form a greater comprehension of the message being sent. Auditory assistance is present, as one may simply call a person to verbally communicate with them. You have color (through a photo sent while texting) to enhance the emotions, possibly even other sounds for enrichment if necessary as well.
That was just one example, there are a multitude of others. For instance, let’s delve into how the medium impacted the message of Chanie Wenjack’s story. The factual sequence of events was persistent, but what changed were the features each medium consisted of. These additional components all welcomed extra emotions to the one interpreting the message. Let’s take a look and see how they did that.
Throughout the film, the audience were able to view the changes in expression on Chanie's face. Many films utilize facial expressions as a tool to enhance the message, as the visible expressions would aid in a larger communication process when combined with other film conventions (audio, color, etc.). For example, in the film, Chanie was walking along the railroad when all of a sudden, he came across something familiar. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was a piece of craft he constructed back at the residential school he is fleeing from. The look of surprise was evident on his face as he recalls the similarity. Chanie is displaying his personal emotions and giving more context to the situation he is in (as the surprised face may display how shocking the discovery was. )
But, however, there is another convention akin to facial expressions that plays a vital role in film: body language. Body language means the way we carry ourselves. Its role in a film is vital, as it can express one's thoughts, attitude, emotions, and perhaps even personality. For example, let's take a scene from Secret Path.
Chanie is seen on the railway tracks, trudging along the path, his head hung low, hands in his pockets.
From this scenario alone, one can assume he may have felt hopeless, distressed, perhaps maybe even tired. I mean, who wouldn't in his situation, it is only normal that he may have felt those emotions. Anyways, back to the observation, we can conclude the impact one's body language has on portraying emotions is immense, and only enhances the message further.
These movements are also an aid for those who may have hearing-impairment. The movements assist an individual to interpret the story using solely their eyes. But, it's simply not only the movement that plays an immense role in films, audio is important as well.
Throughout the film, but more so specifically the animated component, audio plays. Secret Path Incorporates a soundtrack which plays simultaneously with a scene which correlates with the lyrics of the song (being played). By doing so, a viewer has auditory aid to describe the story being unfolded in front of them. Without such assistance, some individuals may find it complicated to solely rely on the imagery to tell the tale.
Songs compose of lyrics, instrumentation, melody, rhythm, the quality of a singer's voice, other qualities of the recording, etc. These components all assist in an individual's interpretation of a message. When listening to the Secret Path songs without visual aid, we are left with only our imagination to formulate the possible scenarios being described by the artist (Gord Downie). For instance, with the song The Secret Path, we are given these details:
THE SECRET PATH: SECRET PATH SONGS (go to 23:58)
Chanie is walking down a said secret path
Apparently, there is no secret path
By combining the two forms of details (lyrics and instrumentals), we may conclude Chanie is feeling lost and hopeless. Additionally, this isn't the only song where the tone and message can seep through, various songs on the soundtrack encompasses a different story. Through listening, we are given an insight on Chanie's emotions during that time.
Words in a novella take place against the context of silence, meaning that there is no auditory aid for interpretation of the story. The reader is solely left to visualize the scenarios written with their mind.
Novellas consist of a point of view (who is telling the story). With Wenjack, the story was told through the eyes of Chanie himself (first person). First person narration instantly places the reader inside the narrator's mind, which allows for an intimate depiction of their thoughts and emotions, and, ultimately, forms a sense of closeness between reader and character. Additionally, a novella has a plot.
The plot is, arguably, the most important element of a story. It is literally the sequence of events and, in that sequence, we learn more about the characters, the setting, and the moral of the story. Without it, a novella wouldn’t even exist.
The plot is, of course, the most vital part of any novella. It is the sequence of events and, within that sequence, one can form a greater comprehension about the setting, the moral of the story, and the characters. Without this component, a novella wouldn't even exist.
In conclusion, through this novella, the message has to be interpreted with the absence of visual and auditory aid (although there are small pictures on pages, those images do not assist with the interpretation of the text. )The novella definitely goes into more depth of Chanie's thoughts due to it being narrated through Chanie's mind, assisting the reader to further comprehend and learn the thoughts and feelings of Chanie, and, ultimately, learn more about who he was as a person.
Looking at how the medium shapes and changes the message of Chanie Wenjack’s story, we can form the conclusion that it (the medium) has an immense impact on how we perceive a message. Each medium downplays or enhances certain elements of a story, resulting in a different message in each case.
Boyden, Joseph. “Wenjack.” Google Books, Penguin Random House, 2016, books.google.ca/books? id=Zo8TDAAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=Wenjack&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj-zt72jMzQAhUi7oMKHatVAq4QuwUIHTAA#v=onepage&q=Wenjack&f=false.
CBC Arts. “Gord Downie’s The Secret Path.” YouTube, uploaded by CBC Arts, 24 Oct. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGd764YU9yc&feature=emb_title.
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