Vows of Silence and How They Might Relate to Getting Into the Air Force Academy
When I first heard of Dwayne's vow of silence, I was initially confused about what it had to do with becoming a pilot. Nietzsche's writings never specifically advocate for a vow of silence, and I wondered how silence would contribute to Dwayne's admission to a highly competitive school that requires interviews, so I decided to research vows of silence and their significance because I really have nothing better to do with my time.
Although it has religious connotations, no major world religion has monastic orders with complete vows of silence. Even the strictest vows set apart some time for speech. I was also surprised at the fact that vows of silence, like hunger strikes, are used by secular organizations to protest societal issues, such as LGBT discrimination. I even stumbled upon an article written by a woman who took a vow of silence in order to become a better listener. Some of the purported benefits of a vow of silence that I found online included increased willpower, decreased impulsivity, and some more vague things like "awareness."
Despite the questionable benefits and preclusion of interview completion, Dwayne's vow of silence undeniably serves a narrative purpose. Dynamic range in music is the difference between quiet and loud parts of the song, and some scientists even use it as a measure of musical complexity. (It's a somewhat flawed measure for that purpose, but their is generally a correlation between the two) The massive contrast between Dwayne not speaking for the entire movie until he screams "F---" increases the emotional impact of the scene. Whenever Dwayne picks up his notepad, we are reminded of his perseverance and dedication towards his dream until he is ironically prevented from achieving it, rendering his effort and vow pointless. His screaming may also function as a literal catharsis, as Dwayne releases the psychological tension.
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