Intracultural Travel or Adventures at Home in The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm

Abstract

Rather than look at children as they move between cultures, this article examines the child protagonists of The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm as they move within their own culture. Although this multi-cultural novel is from the science fiction genre, the psychological reality of encountering different peoples holds true. Tendai, Rita, and Kuda are unique characters: they live in isolation within their own culture. This isolation allows the children to experience each segment of their culture as if they were outsiders to it. Both the narrator and narrative are set up to help the reader find the various subcultures visited as lacking—this despite several overt statements about not making judgments. In the end, what could be a novel of understanding and acceptance turns out to be a terrific adventure story, but rather typical in that any culture that is not the protagonist's own is dangerous and inferior.