Look me in the… mouth?

“I didn’t think the author was literally referring to his eyes. Instead, I thought he meant it figuratively. That is, he meant to say, examine me closely . . . as I read I found there was a double meaning.”

http://www.umasswiki.com/wiki/Class:COM352_-_Group_Dynamics_-_Spring_2008/course_outlines_and_in-class_activities/eighth_day_of_class/Test#look_me_in_the_eyeThere is a substantial difference regarding meaning when combined with the visual on the cover of the book. When I first read the title of the text in the syllabus, I was thinking in terms of the quote above. I figured that many literary works use clever titles to not only catch attention, but to convey ideas which are not necessarily directly stated. After seeing the book in person, I realized that the meaning might be slightly more direct than I had originally thought. The young boy with his eyes tightly closed gave me a sense that he was being instructed to look someone, possibly an authority figure, in the eyes and was strongly resisting.“His eyes are shut on the cover to convey that he doesn’t want to reveal or share anything when in fact he’s letting us into his life through his retelling of experiences.”My first ideas about the meaning of the title could easily drift more towards the gist of the above, as the incorporation of the cover visual greatly changed the meaning for me. When this additional information is added, there are more interpretations available. Could the boy being trying to hide from something or someone? Is there some untold truth that is being concealed behind the scrunched face and crinkled eyes? This is indeed clever and intriguing as a book title cover.“The image I had was a book about truth and integrity, with looking someone in the eye traditionally being a visual clue of honesty.”This led me to a final dimension of thought, the last quote written here. The meaning has transformed from a purely physical action to a symbolic form of honesty and integrity. Depending on how different cultures interpret eye contact, we could determine that this young boy is avoiding telling the truth, being non confrontational or any other number of meanings associated with the human eyes.