Issues of language and communication come up in a number of contexts in The History of Love. Then again, this comes as no surprise, given all the reading and writing going on (see the "Literature-Writing" theme for more). One of the characters even titles a book "Words For Everything" (whether he is convinced of the truth of the phrase is another question). But perhaps the most significant aspect of communication in the novel is translation—literal translation between languages, yes, but also the whole interesting interaction (messy at times) between how we express ourselves and how we're then understood by those around us.
Questions About Language and Communication
- How does Leo becoming "invisible" after the war parallel his inability to speak Yiddish?
- What's significant about Leo speaking Yiddish at the funeral, as both a disguise and a tribute?
- Alma's mother is a polyglot (meaning, she speaks lots of languages), but Alma only speaks one language. How does this illustrate the differences between them?
- What's symbolic about Alma and Misha's phone calls?
- What's up with Bird's mysterious friend Mr. Goldstein, who "mumbles in three languages" (1.3)? Is there any connection between his multilingual speech and Bird's fascination with him?