Rashmi Navalpakkam, Week 11 - The Powerful Enigma of Unspoken Truths

        As I was reading Everything I Never Told You this week for our AP Language and Composition class, I noticed how much weight the secrets and the words we don’t let out carry. Thinking about the small portion I have read of the book so far, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of intrigue and question why we keep secrets and words we want to let out bottled up inside of us when language and speaking with others are supposed to be a form on communication. 

        Words have such great power, especially when we want to simply communicate a complex thought, feeling, or message to others. Yet we unnecessarily complicate things by keeping secrets, lying, and not telling others what’s truly on our minds. Theoretically, it would be easiest to say whatever’s on our minds, especially since there are no restrictions that stop us from expressing our opinions. However, it often feels like there’s something innate that’s subconsciously affected us, not allowing us to express our emotions and perspectives clearly. 


        I also do this often, but I don’t have a particular reason as to why I would rather keep my emotions and thoughts to myself rather than express them. While one such reason could be because of personality, comfort level with expressing thoughts, or something else entirely different, the reason why we humans complicate such a simple process (which is truly not so simple because of the amount of trouble we face to execute it) of letting out our emotions is certainly a big enigma. 


        I look forward to reading more of Everything I Never Told You because I especially believe that it will have a lot of insightful information to offer us about this enigma. After reading this book, I hope that I can learn an enlightening thing or two about this enigma of open communication and understanding within a family. Learning about the devastatingly powerful consequences of unspoken truths is crucial to developing a more compassionate and empathetic society. 



(Image Credit: Unspoken Words - Vintage - Drawings & Illustration, Entertainment, Other Entertainment)


Comments

  1. Aarya PatilFebruary 17, 2024 at 7:29 PM

    Hi Rashmi! I found your reflection on the themes of secrecy and the importance of communication in Everything I Never Told You to provide intriguing observations about the intricacies of human nature and familial relations. I think that you effectively highlighted the power of words and the importance of communication in conveying thoughts, feelings, and messages effectively. While doing all this, you also acknowledge the tendency for individuals, including yourself, to withhold emotions and thoughts, despite the inherent value of open expression. The curiosity behind the reasons for this behavior demonstrates a thoughtful awareness of the nuances involved in human communication. While addressing the potential influence of personality traits, comfort levels, and other factors, you also recognize the deeper, subconscious forces that may contribute to the reluctance to express oneself fully. Furthermore, by expressing your anticipation for further insights from Everything I Never Told You, you demonstrate a genuine interest in exploring the intricacies of familial dynamics and the consequences of unspoken truths depicted in the novel. The want to learn and grow from the narrative is relatable, as I would like to further learn the lessons from this novel as well. Overall, I found your reflection to capture the importance of the themes explored in the book, providing a thoughtful analysis of the enigma of communication and the potential impact of unexpressed emotions. I also cannot wait to continue reading the book and find out more about the importance of communication in families. Great job!

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  2. Ayush ChaurasiaFebruary 18, 2024 at 3:16 PM

    Hi Rashmi! Thank you for revealing to me the mystery of why people keep secrets and offering some possible explanations for the causes of that “enigma.” As I read Everything I Never Told You (EINTY), I paid attention to the secrets that members of the Lee family were keeping from one another, but I never analyzed why they may have decided to do so—your explanation of the various reasons a person may keep a secret helped me realize that the web of secrets in EINTY is much more complex than it appears. I agree with your statement that you do not really know why you shy away from expressing your emotions (I feel the same), and that is likely part of the reason why Lydia kept her struggles a secret from her family. The “simple” process of telling the truth is absolutely something that most people struggle with—as you said, truth-telling is much more complicated than just speaking because of the implications it may have on interpersonal relationships or a person’s emotional state. In the context of EINTY, Nath likely decides to withhold the information he knows about Lydia’s lack of friends because he knows it would cause unnecessary distress to his parents. As a whole, this blog post was engaging to read, and the final paragraph effectively wrapped up your ideas about “unspoken truths” while expanding on how those may affect people in real life; as I continue reading EINTY, I also look forward to learning more about the implications of secrets.

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  3. Sampan MehtaFebruary 19, 2024 at 9:10 PM

    Hi Rashmi,
    Your blog made wonderful points about how people make their lives unnecessarily complicated by keeping secrets, by lying, or just not expressing their emotions which affects themselves and others around them. I am one of those people who has made this mistake before, of hiding my emotions and keeping secrets which ultimately hurt me more than the people I was hiding things from. Expressing emotions can certainly be difficult and humiliating, as it is most of the time unclear about how the other person will react or respond, and that fear is what can keep most of us from revealing how we truly feel about something. But reading your blog helped me realize the true power that openly communicating really holds, and emotions might be difficult to deal with, but ultimately it would be better for everyone if you just explained how you are feeling. There are some issues that can arise, which is why I am extremely careful with my emotions around people, because I always think ahead about how they will feel or respond, and I would advise others to do the same. It is a matter of feeling comfortable with sharing and expressing your emotions, and doing so with the wrong person can cause even more problems. So, while open communication is very important to keep a healthy life, it is important to always feel comfortable with what you share, what emotions you express, and most importantly, who you express them with.

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