MovieChat Forums > Igby Goes Down (2002) Discussion > An Igby-Chomsky connection

An Igby-Chomsky connection

posted 7 years ago by rzajac
2 replies | jump to latest

Just had a flash.

The whole "Chomskyan revolution" in linguistics, back in the day, was based on the premise of the human capacity for acquiring and passing on language as an innate part of being human. Chomsky cites a piece of validating evidence; that we acquire this powerful, practical skill with language *in spite of the fact* that we generally do so from incomplete and often flawed samples as we're growing up. Adults use language imperfectly and often semaphorically; we learn our languages quite well from a weird, ad hoc school.

Well, that's really the moral of Igby: He became fledged as a full man in spite of being surrounded by almost nothing *but* incomplete and flawed samples of manhood.

QED

--
And I'd like that. But that 5h1t ain't the truth. --Jules Winnfield

[–] aGuiltySoul 7 years ago

yes, indeed. one might also say incomplete & flawed samples of humanity

It is the stark contrast between Ollie and Igby...almost from the cradle, how they respond to their cold, damaging upbringing...that never fails to fascinate.

It's not what a movie is about, it's how it is about it.
RIP Roger Ebert

[–] rzajac 7 years ago

Good point. You round it out nicely.

--
And I'd like that. But that 5h1t ain't the truth. --Jules Winnfield