Internal Contact Zones

I want to expand on what Marian was saying about how creatures in themselves (such as dolphins) can embody a contact zone. Humans, in their own way, can also embody that contact zone, because we are filled with contradictions--artificial versus natural, empathetic versus selfish, good versus evil. We, as humans, embody these contradictions; they function as a yin yang at our core. What is interesting to me is how, within certain contexts, like when people are brought outside of their comfort zone, these complicated dichotomies can be brought to light. In A Hungry Tide, for example, Piya is both American and Indian, and that tension is highlighted when she’s performing her research along the river.

The question becomes how we can draw on the contact zones within us to make meaningful connections with other animals (including other humans)? Piya uses this dual identity (or internal contact zone) to navigate the world. Depending on the situation, she draws on one part of her identity more than the other. In order for us to make meaningful connections, we need to acknowledge our internal “identities” or “contact zones”, and to accept those of others.