I noticed in Wide Sargasso Sea and later on in Midnights Children the term poisonous snakes being used. As a person who collects and study reptiles as a hobby I fine the use of this term ignorant. I first call into question if the authors know the difference between poisons and venoms and choose for their characters not to or if they themselves are unaware of the differences. Since I am unable to attain this information I will assume it is only the characters who do not understand. First, there is no such thing as a poisonous snake as poison must be ingested or passively enters the body (most poisons can also survive the process of digestion and heat, while venoms cannot). Venoms are actively injected into the body threw a wound inflicted upon the victim by the assailant. Venom and poison are both toxics and will attack the body in very much the same way, but venom is always an organic compound, while poison can be both organic and inorganic (that is why they can survive the process of digestion and still cause their intended damage). So, in essence one could consume snake venom and feel no ill effects (unless they have open sores, or cuts in the upper digestive tract). An example of a poisonous animal is poison dart frogs and they must be handled directly or indirectly for the poison to be effected. The frogs do not bite, but rather the toxins enter through the pores or an already opened wound or sore. The idea of poisonous snakes almost makes seem that they cannot be touch, handled, or consumed. That instead these creatures are to be killed or left alone completely. Venomous snakes being described as “poisonous” seem to make them far more dangerous than they really are that they can kill a person by more than just biting them. In Midnight’s Children, snake poison is used for medicinal purposes, though venom should still be applied regardless as all snake venoms are nothing more than specialized saliva. As evil creature that they are portrayed, there are cases as used in Midnight’s Children where they can be life savers and not the demons that most people take them for (Wide Sargasso Sea for instance).
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ReplyDeleteInteresting, but how does Rhys' confusing of the two terms relate to some theme or important idea in the novel? Does it make the snakes seem more dangerous, more alien? Is it a character or the narrator who uses the term? In which section does it appear?
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