Objectification of Language

In reconsidering Bakhtin's essay, one particular quote stands out to me. He states that, "Language arises from man's need to express himself, to objectify himself" (67). It seems like he's saying that, through words, we create concrete evidence of our feelings/thoughts/experiences. Or perhaps these words are not even evidence, but somehow direct embodiments of what goes on in the human mind, since there is no other way to communicate it but through language of some sort or another.

Bakhtin's statement reminded me of when McCloud states that, "We humans are a self-centered race. We see ourselves in everything" (32-33). If people create language because they need to somehow see evidence of themselves in the physical or iconographic world, then this would to some extent explain why humans look for representations of themselves even where none exist. We identify with images like cartoons because they reflect our desire to communicate with others and therefore see expressions of ourselves. In direct speech, we can see the evidence of our communication on the face of the addressed. In text, we see evidence in the words that are written on the page, that can then be read and interpreted. And in cartoons, we see evidence in the images that reflect emotions and thoughts. Perhaps despite the many genres and styles of text/speech, language has a simple end, and one which it is hard for us to recognize because we are so used to seeking it...