Writing a non-verbal character

veinglory · Dec 11, 2006

I would be interesting in hearing aout any books in which a non-verbal character is well portrayed--by which I mean and intelligent being that does not use or understand human verbal language. In my case I am thinking of an alien but it could be a non-verbal human, or animals or even an object.

I keep finding that my passages from alien (monster) POV seem not just 'transliterated' into language but pressing it onto the aliens point of view and I am not sure how to avoid this.

Willowmound · Dec 11, 2006

Jack London's Whitefang books.

Whitefang is a dog in 19th century Alaska.

Matt Lipp · Dec 11, 2006

Whitefang was the first book that popped into my head as well.

veinglory · Dec 11, 2006

The alein who appears in the story as a monster has a method to communicate with his own kind but it has no symbollic langauge -- being very direct and literal. (Yes, there is a Frankensteinian theme). So in my mind it is closest to being a very intelligent animals. I am having trouble shoe-horning that perspective into langauge without implying that its perspective is more human than I want to....

[frustrating]

Lyra Jean · Dec 11, 2006

in my short story, my MC is a human who meets up with a mermaid. She has no vocal chords. I thought about using telepathy but now I'm not so sure. I was thinking ecolocation and body language like dolphins maybe.

Willowmound · Dec 11, 2006

Lassie!

By Eric Knight.

Lassie Come Home is the full title.

TheIT · Dec 11, 2006

David Weber's Honor Harrington series (military SF, first book is On Basilisk Station) has a race of intelligent catlike creatures who pair up with humans, almost like familiars. They're non-verbal, but they have a psychic link with their partners.

Beastmaster by Andre Norton might also help. The book, that is, not the movie or TV series. There's little resemblence between the book and the shows. The book is SF and the main character can communicate with animals.

Hellspark by Janet Kagan is also good. The plot is about a group of researchers who are trying to determine whether the native race on an alien planet is intelligent by figuring out whether they have a language.

Éclairer · Dec 11, 2006

Matt Lipp said:
Whitefang was the first book that popped into my head as well.

Yeah, me too.

Snow Dog by Jim Kjelgaard.
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell.

Éclairer · Dec 11, 2006

Not necessarily books, but still good portrayals of non-verbal characters:

Snoopy and the little yellow bird.
Wylie Coyote
The Black Stallion --I don't know when that movie was made; a while ago. It's a good one though.
Chewbacca (sp)
Herbie (maybe he understood humans... so I could be getting off track)

Éclairer · Dec 11, 2006

Curious George

Mark Lazer · Dec 12, 2006

Invisible Monsters - Chuck Palahniuk

And Peter Susskind's The Perfume as well, yeah? I read that a long time ago in High School, half, and in German, so forgive my lousy memory.

Evaine · Dec 12, 2006

There's a short story where the alien character communicates by dancing, like bees do - but I have no idea of title or author, sorry.

icerose · Dec 12, 2006

Well I'm writing a story that the strong supporting character never says a word because she physically can't. I'll let you know how that goes for me lol.

PeeDee · Dec 12, 2006

I did a short story, a number of years ago, in which the main character is someone who never shuts up and drives everyone next....except that I never, in the course of the story, wrote a single word of dialogue for him. He never said anything during the story. The only reason you knew that he never shutted up was because the other characters kept dreading him running his mouth.

He was always talking, it's just that when the reader and the viewpoint of the story got there, that's right when he stopped speaking.

It was a fun story.

(this probably doesn't help at all.)

greglondon · Dec 12, 2006

Boo Radley in "To Kill a Mockingbird"

ETA: whoops. He doesn't "use" verbal expression, but he does "understand" it. never mind.

moth · Dec 12, 2006

I'm not sure if this is what you're looking for, but the first thing that popped in my mind was the dog (Woofer) in Dragon Tears by Koontz.

farfromfearless · Dec 12, 2006

There are a number of ways your character might communicate:
1. Pheromones - chemical based communication as exhibited between many species of insects: http://www.beyonddiscovery.org/content/view.page.asp?I=2714

semantics are not necessary in this form as it is purely chemical, however, the act of initiating communication could in itself be an illustrative device.

2. Photonic Communication - again this does not require semantics but does offer some options for interesting biological features for your character that may be required for communication to be initiated - bio-luminescence, ocular luminescence, etc.

3. Good ol' telepathy - Its a good standby, and you could always mix this with any of the above forms of communication.

maestrowork · Dec 12, 2006

Cujo. Then of course, it was partially written from the dog's point of view...

Simon Woodhouse · Dec 12, 2006

I've written something that features a mute robot. He (it) isn't a main character (doesn't have a POV), but he is there throughout the whole book. To show what he's thinking, I went for the 'actions speak louder than words' approach. When he's unhappy with someone, he won't look at them. When he's angry, his movements are faster and more direct. In the end he becomes quite a thoughtful being. What I especially like about him is the fact he won't age, so if I want to go back and write a sequel, he'll still be around.

dmytryp · Dec 12, 2006

In Robert Jordan's WOT series, Perrin talks to wolves

Oddsocks · Dec 12, 2006

I can't think of any examples, but you can focus on the perceptions and content of decisions when in this character's perspective - what it sees, hears, feels and does. Decisions can be influenced by reminders and memories without language, too. It will obviously be in words, but it doesn't have to indicate that it thinks in words (this wouldn't be in first person, would it?).

Writing a non-verbal character

veinglory

volitare nequeo

Willowmound

Lightly salted

Matt Lipp

veinglory

volitare nequeo

Lyra Jean

Two years old now.

Willowmound

Lightly salted

TheIT

Infuriatingly Theoretical

Éclairer

Éclairer

Éclairer

Mark Lazer

Evaine

icerose

Lost in School Work

PeeDee

Where's my tea, please...?

greglondon

Planet Wookie techno geek

moth

my own two hands

farfromfearless

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray

Simon Woodhouse

dmytryp

Oddsocks