A pointed index finger can mean many things. It can direct our attention to something, show us which way to go, or demand silence. It all depends on context—the situation in which it is used. This is what philosophers refer to as ‘indexicality’. And yes, you guessed it, the word ‘indexicality’ comes from the name of that particular finger.
Birdy from ‘Here’ gameWessel the cat from ‘Here’ game
At the University of Malta’s Institute of Digital Games, Prof. Stefano Gualeni has been playing around with this concept. Featuring the voice acting talents of independent game developers Emily Short and Pippin Barr, Gualeni has created a video game called Here, designed for players to engage with (and get confused by) the concept of indexicality.
Here’s gameplay poses the question of what it means when we say ‘here’ in a game world, and how many meanings of ‘here’ can exist side-by-side in a video game. It uses the trope from Japanese Role Playing Games of going on quests to retrieve bizarre items from classic locations. Spooky caves and castles are all part of the repertoire of locations that players can explore. But then, where do you go if ‘here’ is your instruction? What if ‘here’ isn’t where you think it is? What if you’re supposed to go upside down instead?
A scientist and a linguist board a helicopter, and the scientist says to the linguist, ‘What is the cornerstone of civilisation, science or language?’ It might sound like the opening line of a joke, but it’s actually from the opening sequence of the film Arrival (2016). In the film, aliens have landed on our doorstep, and our scientist and linguist have been chosen as suitable emissaries to establish contact. The scientist, perhaps wishing to size up his new colleague, then poses the question. Whose field has been more important to the advancement of the human race? Science or language?
In reality, they are both wrong (or both half-right). It is true that language was necessary for us to organise as a species, forming complex networks of cooperation over vast distances and time. Without specialising our efforts and collaborating, we could not have built our great structures, supported large communities, or migrated over all continents. Yet, without science, without improving our understanding of the natural world, we would still be at its mercy.
Science is the tool we use to change circumstance. When populations are dying from an infectious disease, we create a vaccine. When we’re unable to grow enough food to support ourselves, we develop a better strain of crop. When we struggle to transport materials over great distances, we create machines that will do it for us. Science is our secret weapon, transforming problems into possibilities. However, science alone means little. If innovation dies with its creator, who does it help? Science must be communicated to others before it can make a difference in any meaningful way.
It would be incomplete to bestow language or science with the title of ‘the cornerstone of civilisation.’ It was science communication that really drove our development. And I don’t just mean this in the external sense. After all, is the transfer of genetic information from one generation to the next not science communication? What are we but a biological game of Chinese Whispers, the message mutating through each host but somehow continuing to make sense over millions of years?
The human race not only benefits greatly from science communication; we are the product of it. It is embedded into our biological and cultural history. Proof that it is not just knowledge but the sharing of knowledge that is the real root of power.
Hemm min jgħid li konna viċin gwerra ċivili, hemm min ma jaqbilx. Li hu żgur hu li fil-letteratura, is-snin tmenin ħallew impatt b’diversi modi; mhux biss fin-narrattiva li nkitbet dakinhar, imma wkoll l-epoka bħala sfond ta’ plott jew ispirazzjoni għall-awturi kollha li sabu refuġju fiha biex jesprimu l-arti tagħhom. Kliem ta’ Emanuel Psaila.
Emanuel Psaila
L-aspett soċjali għandu importanza kbira u l-medda taż-żmien hija vitali biex nifhmu dak li ġara fit-tmeninijiet, nifhmu għaliex seħħ, x’ġiegħel lill-poplu Malti jirreaġixxi b’dak il-mod, u x’sehem kellha l-letteratura f’dan kollu. Fuq kollox: kien ir-riżultat pervers tal-elezzjoni ġenerali tal-1982 li qanqal dan kollu? Jew l-għeruq kienu ilhom ġejjin mis-sittinijiet u saħansitra mit-tletinijiet?
Kienet ħaġa naturali li fit-teżi tiegħi Is-snin tmenin u l-prożaturi Maltin (iggwidat minn Dr Adrian Grima) inwaħħad flimkien żewġ affarijiet li nħobb: il-politika u l-letteratura. Apparti minn dan, fis-snin tmenin kont żagħżugħ militanti fi ħdan grupp politiku. Biss it-teżi għenitni nifhem perspettivi oħra, nara affarijiet li sa ftit snin qabel ma kontx nifhimhom, kif ukoll li nfittex it-tekniki u l-għodod tal-letteratura li titkellem fuq dan iż-żmien.
Il-letteratura li dejjem ippruvat tqanqal ħsibijiet ta’ kuxjenza ċivili u soċjali kienet tappartjeni lill-esponenti xellugin u fit-tletinijiet bdejna naraw kitbiet minn dawk li ftit snin qabel kienu xxierku fil-Partit Laburista Malti (hemm bosta biex issemmihom kollha). Dawn kienu jafu x’ġara u x’qed jiġri f’pajjiżi oħra, bħal Franza, l-Ingilterra, il-Ġermanja, u l-Istati Uniti, u għalhekk użaw il-letteratura biex imexxu ’l quddiem l-ideoloġija tagħhom. Użaw stili u ġeneri differenti, imma l-għan ewlieni kien li jnisslu kuxjenza soċjali, biex jgħinu lill-batut, jedukaw, u jgħallmu.
Lejn l-aħħar tas-sebgħinijiet u l-bidu tat-tmeninijiet din l-istrateġija fil-letteratura ntużat minn kamp ieħor differenti u rajna esponenti tal-lemin jiktbu letteratura diretta b’għan li tikxef il-qagħda politika reali tal-epoka. Trevor Żahra kien minn ta’ quddiem nett. Il-kotba tiegħu Trid Kukkarda Ħamra f’Ġieħ il-Biża’ u It-Tmien Kontinent huma novelli li jattakkaw b’ironija diretta u b’sarkażmu qawwi lill-gvern tal-ġurnata. Żahra wkoll daħħal element qawwi ta’ politika fi ktieb għat-tfal Qrempuċu f’Belt il-Ġobon fejn mhux faċli ssib il-parodija midfuna taħt parodija oħra. Biss meta l-qarrejja jindunaw biha, l-ironija tant tkun qawwija li ssir drammatika.
Ktieb li kien fuq fomm kulħadd fit-tmeninijiet huwa r-rumanz Fil-Parlament ma Jikbrux Fjuri (1986) ta’ Oliver Friggieri. Huwa rumanz filosofiku ħafna u ftit kien hemm min fehmu, biss nofs Malta xtrat ir-rumanz u n-nofs l-ieħor warrbitu. Dan ir-rumanz intuża bħala propaganda mill-Partit Nazzjonalista għall-elezzjoni tal-1987. It-tnedija tiegħu f’lukanda prominenti kienet qisha manifestazzjoni u saħansitra nqaleb bħala dramm u ntwera għal ġimgħa wara ġimgħa. Madanakollu l-istrateġija rnexxiet u l-letteratura kienet strumentali biex issir bidla.
Apparti l-letteratura tas-snin tmenin, dan iż-żmien sar sfida biex tinkiteb narrattiva dwaru. Wieħed minn tal-bidu li uża dan l-isfond kien Immanuel Mifsud. L-Istejjer Strambi ta’ Sara Sue Sammut huwa kollu mpoġġi f’dan il-kuntest. L-ironija, is-sarkażmu, u ċ-ċiniżmu jinħassu sew u għalkemm inisslu tbissima fuq fomm il-qarrejja, iħallu stampa reali.
Clare Azzopardi ilha tesperimenta fuq is-snin tmenin u ktieb wara ktieb qed iżżid id-doża tagħha. Id-dramm tagħha L-Interdett Taħt is-Sodda jitkellem dwar il-kwistjoni politika reliġjuża tas-snin sittin u minn hemm naraw kemm Azzopardi qed tnawwar fil-fond fuq żminijiet li kienu nieqsa mil-letteratura tal-epoka. Fin-novella Linja Ħadra, li hija parti minn ġabra li ġġib l-istess isem, hemm l-ewwel mistoqsijiet u l-isfond huwa l-istrajk tal-għalliema f’nofs is-snin tmenin. Id-doża politika, għalkemm sottili, żdiedet f’ġabra oħra ta’ novelli – Kulħadd Ħalla Isem Warajh – fejn isem Dom Mintoff, personaġġ li jiddomina t-tmeninijiet, jinsab minqux f’kull novella taħt l-akronomu PDM. Jidher li Azzopardi qed tipprova tgħix il-memorja tas-snin tmenin permezz tal-letteratura. L-aħħar rumanz tagħha, Castillo, jitkellem b’mod ċar fuq it-tmeninijiet, dwar il-bombi li kienu jsiru, dwar ir-rwol tal-pulizija u dwar r-relazzjonijiet li kellu l-Gvern Malti ta’ dak iż-żmien, speċjalment ma’ Gaddafi.
Pierre J. Mejlak isemmi t-tmeninijiet mil-lenti ta’ tifel żgħir li trabba fil-Każin Nazzjonalista tal-Qala, Għawdex. F’Qed Nistenniek Nieżla Max-Xita hemm xi novelli b’laqta awtobijografika li fihom nistgħu nħossu t-tensjoni tal-elezzjoni ġenerali tal-1987 kif ukoll iċ-ċelebrazzjonijiet mar-rebħa tal-Partit Nazzjonalista.
Ġużè Stagno fix-xogħlijiet tiegħu jdaħħal battuti ta’ persuna li għexet Marsaxlokk u jitfa’ botti bħall- kwistjoni tat-televixin tal-kulur li kien novità għal dak iż-żmien.
Is-Sriep Reġgħu Saru Velenużi ta’ Alex Vella Gera għandu l-plott ibbażat proprjament fuq kumplott ta’ qtil tal-Prim Ministru Dom Mintoff u miktub b’mod miftuħ, tant li n-narratur u l-protagonist huwa Nazzjonalist kbir.
Hemm ukoll kittieba oħra li jużaw dawn is-snin bħala sfond biex jibnu l-plott u rumanz li l-ftuħ tiegħu huwa bbażat fuq din l-epoka huwa Xandru Miżżewweġ u Gay ta’ Javier Vella Sammut.
Kull deċenju fih tiegħu, u kollha xi ftit jew wisq għenu fl-iżvilupp tal-letteratura. Inħoss li fit-tletinijiiet ippruvajna nersqu lejn dak li kien qed jiġri barra minn Malta, imma l-gwerra tellfet l-iżvilupp ta’ kollox u kellna nistennew sal-ħamsinijiet biex bdejna naraw xi ħaġa żgħira. Fis-sittinijiet il-Moviment Qawmien Letterarju, għalkemm kien progressiv u kien hemm bżonnu, żamm lura milli jitkellem dwar l-attwalità speċjalment dwar il-kwistjoni politika reliġjuża. Biss is-snin sebgħin u tmenin reġgħu xprunaw lill-kittieba biex jiktbu fuq il-fattwalità u ma jibqgħux iktar passivi.
Is-snin tmenin, bit-tajjeb u l-ħażin tagħhom, u bit-turbulenza tagħhom, għenu ħafna fl-iżvilupp tal-letteratura Maltija u għalkemm għaddew tliet deċenji, kienu u ser jibqgħu jiġu mfittxija minn kittieba biex fuqhom isawru x-xogħlijiet tagħhom.
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