The 1960s may have been big on freedom of speech, but you'd never guess it from the way people communicate in Something Happened. Basically, communication in this novel just doesn't happen.
Slocum speaks in curt sentences to those at work, and he and his wife rarely speak about anything of great substance. His children have nothing much to say to him, and when they do, it often ends in either an argument or one party feeling upset. Derek can't speak at all as a result of his disability, and even if he could speak, Slocum wouldn't want to listen, anyway.
Questions About Language and Communication
- Why aren't people in Slocum's world good communicators?
- What is the danger in speaking freely at the workplace? At home?
- How do Slocum's inner monologues contrast the ways in which he communicates with others?
- Would Slocum ever speak freely about what is on his mind? Is it in his nature ever to do so?
Chew on This
Slocum, the members of his family, and those at the office don't explicitly express what's on their minds, because their social conditioning has trained them not to do so. If they were to speak the truth, the decorum of 1960s cookie-cutter society would shatter.
Slocum and those around him are more comfortable keeping their thoughts to themselves because it is a sign of maturity. Slocum's children are allowed to say what they think because they don't know any better, but soon the day will come when they'll learn it's imperative to everyone's happiness to keep their mouths shut.