Let me show you the clip of the first time he performs this “Bible gesture.” He’ll use it four times in 33
seconds all with different “meanings”. Moreover, when he talks about prayer, notice he is using the Moral
Accounting schema.
16 [CLIP Edward-struggle-books: 33’’]
Clip 2: Edward (00:02:57 - 00:03:30)
1. I was [reading the Bible] I need somethin’ more so I figured [this is it] /
Embodiment of action Deixis
2. ‘n then / ya know the bible thing was where ya know i’ was a ya know
3. you have to get the [right books so they got like] ya know so many different books
Metonymy
4. you gotta find the right book so it was like struggle ‘n then /
5. Now do you think prayer is important?
6. ↑ Yeah /
7. Ok, why?
8. Cuz it always does something for you '
9. So what I found out is if you don’t pray
10. somebody’s not gonna be looking out for you /
11. so [if you pray ] the:n they’re gonna hear the prayer and they’re gonna be lookin’ around ‘n
Prayer
12. doin’ something for you
These associations - bible-prayer-Jesus-"the right thing”-“the way the world works”- “the something
more” - may seem evident, but this is only because they are so entrenched in our own conceptual systems
as Westerners. However let’s remember that they are contingent, and not necessary. They are fruit of
Edward’s experiences and interaction with his own world. Keep in mind that non-Christians would deny
these associations, and perhaps even some other Christians might wish to argue with them. What is
interesting though is that Edward did not manifest these associations either consciously or intentionally,
rather the gestures provided a backdoor to Edward’s conceptual system by embodying his system of
phenomena and beliefs.