Rafael and Beth's Blog
Rhetorical object:
We chose a cartoon that depicts an interaction between a Western, English speaking person and a Chinese street vendor. The Western customer speaks to the vendor in Cantonese and the vendor replies in English. As the interaction continues, the two men get angrier until the bubbles above their respective heads read: “Jerk, can’t he see I speak Cantonese?!!” and “Jerk, can’t he see I speak English?!!”.
Audience:
Each time the Westerner speaks in Cantonese, his words are spelled out in Cantonese in the American alphabet, but also spelled out in Chinese characters and translated into English. This suggests that the intended audience is anyone who reads either Cantonese or English. Consequently, we can deduce that the author is attempting to make a rhetorical appeal that affects both Westerners and Chinese.
Rhetorical message:
The main rhetorical message of the cartoon has to with the role of language in cross-cultural interactions. Often Americans think that the ultimate sign of respect for a foreigner is speaking in his or her native language. The author is trying to suggest that cross-cultural interactions are highly contextual and that language is just one of many barriers to success. That both people are able to speak the same language does not imply that they will be able to cooperate and communicate effectively.
If you are to do business in Asia you better learn a lot about the culture and the ways of that country, otherwise you are in for a world of pain (and shame). For an example we can take a person that are going to Japan for a business meeting, when he meet the boss (a Japanese older gentleman) he tries to shake he´s hand, the boss will take this as an insult since they don’t great each other that way, they bow. So if you don’t know how things are done in a country you won´t make it all too far. In a sense you don’t need a common language to get along with someone, but if the cultural difference is too big and nether one want to try bridging the gap, then you will have trouble.
What are the effects?
In some ways, this cartoon is discouraging because it suggests that there may be some intangible elements to any cross-cultural interaction that you cannot overcome. On the other hand, it is enlightening because it forces you to question how these two men could have changed their behavior to get along better. Should the two men speak the language of the country they are in? The cartoon doesn’t specify what country it is. Is this deliberate? This cartoon is a strong rhetorical argument that we should continue to study cross-cultural interactions so that we can do business together without offending each other.
Interesting side note from collaboration:
Beth automatically assumed that the Western English speaking character was a Westerner, but Rafael pointed out that the drawing could depict any man from a Western nation that speaks English well. He sees little distinction between Americans and any other Western European nation where people speak English fluently.