Speech Comm

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

[Today CJ teaches class in a pair of jeans and a man's tshirt that is five sizes too big for her. She looks well rested, but tense.]


201--Speech
Deliver the speeches you've been working on.
**************************************


301--Register and Grief

Ok, gang. Sorry about yesterday. Didn't meant to just cut out on you. This topic is going to be unavoidable, so let's just work with it. How do we talk about grief? Death? Sadness?Everyone copes differently, but what is the register we use to speak to each other? To superiors, such as teachers, counselors, doctors, or clergy? How do euphemisms infulence how we see death? I know we have a lot of different backgrounds in here, would you like to explain death in your culture? We're going to keep this professional people. If you need to leave, do so. I honestly can't deal with this today, so we're going to play normal, all right?

Comments

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

On a smaller scale, yes. A secretary tends to be one of the most involved, and known figures in a group or company, so his or her death can potentially cause an impact.

A political figure is a bit more contraversal, especially one such as Lenin. The cult of Lenin was a fusion of political and religious ritual, inspired by both genuine reverence and a political desire to mobilize the masses around a potent symbol. Zinoviev, Stalin and Trotsky sought to enhance their own credentials and cast aspersions on their rivals by utilizing Lenin, and by quoting from his works, showing how even after his death, he had a great impact on communication in the Soviet Union.

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

And do you recall the details of his death? When he was lying in State?

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

*leans back, thinking for a moment*

Lenin died January 21st 1924, aged fifty-three, due to complications from three strokes. He was emalmed and put on display in Red Square. In three days, more than one million people visited to say their farewells.

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

Now, what does that say about grief and register?

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

It says a lot about the need to express grief.

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

Could you imagine that some of those milliion visitors were expressing grief, not for Lenin himself, but perhaps for their own loved ones who had died? A projection, a transferance of grief, perhaps? [As she questions Elizabeth, her voice keeps dropping, until she's almost whispering when she mentions projection and transferance.]

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

*starts to nod*

CJ? *places a gentle hand on her arm* Are you okay?

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

[She smiles weakly] Non....Oui...Je'suis fatigue.

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

Voulez-vous que j'aie continué avec le reste de la classe ? Je n'ai pas des objections

[prof-cregg.livejournal.com]

No, Elizabeth. I need normal. I need routine. Thank you though.

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

*nods, and gently squeezes CJ's arm comfortingly*