The biggest challenge in this assignment was changing the purpose of how I might usually use emojis or visual images. This task was to relay information, and fairly specific information, to a reader in as clear of a way as possible. A plot can be a tricky concept to communicate, even when using standard written language. To communicate concepts of character, conflict, theme, and setting using only simple images that are designed to be versatile, near-universal, and clear in a small digital format makes the task even more challenging.
My experience using emojis has largely been in the world of text messaging, and depended a lot on the relationship between myself and the other person in the conversation. For example, my brother-in-law, who has limited experience in the more formal worlds of professional communication and academics, and I generally react and share through emojis or gifs. The common ground we have, (we’re both fans of the ever frustrating Toronto Blue Jays), makes it easy to use visual language in a way that makes sense. If I sent my mother the same messages in the same format, she wouldn’t be able to make heads or tails of it.
This assignment provides another example. I would wager that there aren’t many that would read my emoji summary and understand it, and not because it’s a particularly obscure choice, but because the images don’t provide a great deal of context. It is, however, a shared experience with my wife. I explained the idea behind this week’s assignment to her and asked to take a look at my emoji summary. She read the first few lines with a furrowed brow, trying to figure it out, but when she read the last line she literally spit out the tea in her mouth because she very suddenly ‘got it’, and it happened to recall a portion of the plot that was absurdly bizarre, dark, and funny.
My strategy was to start with the title, however the title had no real direct ‘translation’ from English to emoji, so I had to settle with a symbol that could be reasonably related. I then picked symbols from my chosen narrative that, roughly, corresponded to the plot. I did not attempt to use words or syllables simply because, when I considered it, it didn’t seem like it would be any easier to interpret; in fact, I think the message may have been further diluted.
I do think that if there are others who read this post and have experienced the same narrative I’ve chosen, that they will likely get the hint, (the chicken is the most likely clue), however I can’t see others understanding it.
I also decided to give ChatGPT a crack at deciphering what it represented. It circled very closely to the actual narrative, and asked for some subtle clues, so I did suggest the time period and region, ChatGPT finally arrived at an answer after a few attempts.