Barry-Smith Revised

Revision Assignment 3

Lynda Barry’s comic strip “Today’s Demon: Common Scents” gives a message of tolerance. The comic strip opens the door to societal intolerance of difference. The way we talk, the way we look, or the cultural difference that makes ethnicity special. One’s heritage gives an individual a sense of belonging and pride. Heritage is special. Unhealthy pride causes intolerance. Barry’s topic in “Today’s Demon: Common Scents” is an uncomfortable subject for those who want to stand with the politically correct crowd. It is un-nerving for some who have not decided to follow the alliance of injustice. Essayist , Zadie Smith wrote “Speaking in Tongues” with similar ideas of intolerance and diversity as Barry’s comic strip. Her message also opens the door to societal views of multiple ethical backgrounds. Her wording and term are quite different from Barry’s but the message was very similar. Using Smith’s terms give greater understanding of Barry’s comic strip. Both authors focus on how society has dealt with intolerance, bigotry, and bias for centuries. Yet instill, cultural indifference still exist. Barry’s comic strip demonstrates the intolances of difference in unsimiliar cultures. I believe Barry’s main purpose of the comic strip is to show that all cultures have distinctions, therefore tolerance, empathy, and understanding, needs to commune peacefully as a society.
The author writes this comic strip for society as a whole and it can reach by the masses. Easy accessibility of a newspaper or news articles on the web help in delivering information. Comic strips are a part of society’s daily media. In addition, the majority understands the format of the message written in comic strips. Barry’s message of tolerance might be discussed at the dinner table; it can be viewed at the office; and most important the message is delivered. On the other hand, Smith’s audience includes many individuals who have multiple ethnicities. Those whom faced the lack of multiplicity: it simply means a large varity. Barry’s message in “Today’s Demon: Common Scents” is shown in a comic strip format. The comic strip is a method that communicates fun but important ideas. Comic strips are in politics, news, and the media, just as a friendly reminder, “this situation” is still over our heads but still needs a resolution. It gives a more relaxed message for serious situations. On the other hand, Smith’s message in “Speaking in Tongues” is in an essay format. This issue of intolerance literally has not been resolved for centuries. There were men of the past such as William Wilberforce of England, Mohammad Gondi of India, and Martin Luther King of United State of America who also questioned the mindset of those whom think intolerance is an alternative for a solution. These men lived in different time but they all seen tolerance, empathy, and understanding as means to coexist in the world.
Another strategy Barry uses is displaying herself as a young child. Most children are usually unbiased and are free from judgment. Children don’t see color, heritage, or pride. Displaying herself as a young child also lightens up communicating the message. Smith’s strategy to communicate intolerance was viewing ethical identity as a voice. The more complex one’s heritage the more voices a person has. An individual that has more than one ethnic heritage has multiple voices. How do Barry and Smith handle these sensitive issues of society so well?

Barry as a young child in the comic strip “Today’s Demon: Common Scents”, welcomed a variety of different smells: “I have always noticed the smell of other people’s houses, but when I was a kid, I was fascinated by it. No two houses ever smelled alike, even if the people used the same air fresher”.

Barry comments: “what’s that kind again”?
Neighbor comments: “Fresh Evergreen Glen”

Barry comments: “Yeah. At the Bidman’s they got the same kind but here it smells like a fresh, um, bus bathroom”.

Demonstrating her ability not to judge others, as she states: “Some of the smells were uncomplicated, like the cat pee smell of the house next door. The lady had 14 cats. It was hard to stay and visit. She sometimes burned incense with also smelled like cat pee”.

Barry action: breathing through my mouth
Neighbor 2: “have some peanut brittle, dear. Just pick the fur off if you’re fussy, but it won’t hurt you none” (Barry 52).

Barry as a young child in the comic strip “Today’s Demon: Common Scents” welcomed the variety of different smells. The variety peaked Barry’s interest, not only the smell but also the people behind the smell. She became more interested in her neighbors. Visiting all the houses in the neighborhood she learned more and more about the people she lived with. Barry as a young child began to learn flexibility. “Flexibility is the ability of being bent, usually without breaking. Barry does not make any judgment about her neighbors she just looks and listen as she realizes the differences”. As a child in the comic strip, Barry shows compassion by making no critical remark about neighbor’s difference yet instill also realizing they do exist. There was no judgment.
Learning this skill of tolerance allowed Barry to have an open mind, learn about other cultures while adding more knowledge to her heritage. In Zadie Smith book “Speaking in Tongues” also view learning or adding as a way to bring cultures together. She states, “I thought I was adding Cambridge to Willesden, this new way of talking to that old way. Adding a new kind of knowledge to a different kind I already had. And for a while, that’s how it was: at home during the holidays, I spoke with my old voice, and in the old voice seemed to feel and speak things that I couldn’t express in college, and vice versa” (Smith 1).
Smith expresses how multiple voices – (viewing ethical identity as a voice) can be used at different time and view it as adding to her original ethical identity.