Pet Second Half Reflection

Communicating is not just Speaking.

    In the second half of Pet, I noticed that Emezi draws particular attention to the importance of projecting a message and the different forms in which one can be communicated. Sometimes, as Emezi's narrative has made clear, justice runs deeper than simply eliminating the problem source. Doing so may provide a sense of redemption (haha, very in line with our characters here...) for an individual, which is certainly important and should be prioritized, but the rest of a society would miss out on being exposed to the truth. If people simply focused on eliminating a problem whenever it popped up rather than focusing on being vigilant and reconstructing the root causes, then they really won't be fixing much of the problem at all. To help resolve this, it seems as though Emezi is encouraging her readers to be attentive and receptive to all forms in which people communicate their troubles. From there, Emezi pushes the idea that how an individual goes about listening and responding to that expression is crucial. Learning, understanding, and projection of the truth will allow a community to continue to better reform themselves rather than giving temporary "solutions" to their issues. 

    It is first important to recognize how essential it is to consider the ways in which an individual communicates. For Jam, signing and telepathic communication are the ways in which she is most comfortable in expressing herself. Moss, Redemption's brother, finds his strongest voice through drawing when he can't bring himself to verbally express his pain. Likewise, Bitter's most grand sense of self expression and personal truth is communicated in her paintings within her art studio. When an individual can find their voice through a mode that makes them feel most comfortable, they are able to communicate more clearly and effectively. When other's are willing to be receptive of another's way of expression, then more productive conversations can occur. From productive communication, the opportunity for reconstructive, effective action that respond to one's concerns rises. When there is a language barrier, on the other hand, there is a disconnect between individuals that is hard to breach. Making an active effort to respect, understand, and respond to how an individual chooses to communicate will help eliminate that obstacle. The different forms in which the characters in Pet expressed themselves were largely understood and accepted, which created an environment for amicable communication and potential for change thereafter. 

    What follows from this emphasis on accepting all forms of communication is what the recipient of this expression chooses to do with the information presented before them. How someone handles the message that they receive is just as important as the listening part. When Pet, Jam, and Redemption respond to Moss's claim about his uncle, Hibiscus, abusing him, Jam makes it clear that how they conduct their response and actions going forward is essential in making things right. After Hibiscus was beaten down, seconds from death, Jam plead with Pet and Redemption to think about what killing Hibiscus would really do, reasoning that, "...the town will learn nothing this way...[the families will] keep pretending all the monsters are gone; they won't remember to look for them. They might not believe us," (Ezemi 185). By saying this, Jam is acknowledging that Moss's expression entails something deeper for their town. Eliminating Hibiscus will stop Moss from enduring Hibiscus's tortures, but it will not save him from anyone else who may have similar desires. Likewise, it will not save all of Lucille's civilians from the same fate. Hibiscus would be gone, but other monsters would still have room to fester and emerge. By understanding all that Moss's message entailed, meaning that it inadvertently confirmed that monsters can still rise in Lucille, Jam was able to act in a way that not only created justice for Moss, but for all of Lucille.