"WHEN WORDS GET IN THE WAY"

LIVING IN AMERICA CLARK FEELS AS IF HE IS "LOOKING IN A MIRROR WHERE EVERYTHING APPEARS THE SAME, EXCEPT IT'S REVERSED." CLARK FEELS THIS WAY BECAUSE "BACK HOME ON THE ISELAND, GREETINGS ARE USUALLY INFORMALL AND TAKEN AT FACE VALUE." HE GAVE AN EXAMPLE OF HIS NEIGHBOR MR.GABINSKY, OF HOW HE GREETED HIM. HE REFERED TO HIM AS "BOY" WHICH DID NOT BOTHER CLARK BECAUSE BACK HOME IT WAS ORDINARY FOR ELDER PEOPLE TO REFER TO YOUNG ADULTS AS "BOY" OR "GIRL". BUT ANOTHER NEIGHBOR AL WHO IS AFRICAN AMERICAN INFORMED CLARK THAT MR. GABINSKY WAS "DISRESPECTING HIM IN A BIG WAY." AL EXPLAINED THAT IT WAS DIFFERENT HERE IN AMERICA, THAT THE "B" WORD WAS WHAT THE WHITES REFERRED TO THE SLAVE BY AND WAS TO BE DEEMED DEGRADING. CLARK LEARNED THAT EVEN THOUGH WE SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE THEY MAY HAVE DIFFERENT MEANING FOR EACH OF US.