ANALOGOUS MENTAL OR EMOTIONAL EXTENT

He showed but a slight interest in the proposition. (mfs)

The speaker was accorded a fairly cordial wel

(m o s)

2. Presenting, itemizing, addressing, describing, indicating, denying.

PRESENTING

The expressiveness of the middle plane supine gestures in presentation lies in their actual resemblance to the movement in offering a material object. If a single object, person, fact, thought, or emotion is to be offered, affirmed, proposed, suggested, or in any other way put before the audience, the middle front supine should be used. To indicate numbers or extent in connection with presentation the oblique or lateral may be employed as the case requires. I propose this measure in good faith.

(mfs)

We submit these cases for your careful consid(m o s)

eration.

The whole matter is thus at your disposal. (m 1 s)

ITEMIZING

This common feature in speech includes various series in analysis, classification, number, comparison, and contrast. It is closely allied in its nature to presentation but its expression calls for a series of movements either repeated in the same plane or, if greater distinctness is desired, progressing from front to oblique to lateral.

Ten twenty thirty minutes passed.

(mfs repeated)

Men, women, even children, are petitioning. (mfs, mo s, m 1 s)

In one case you have a surplus; in the other a

deficit.

(mfs, mos) 1

DIRECT ADDRESS

In asking, appealing, demanding, welcoming, and the like we instinctively reach out toward the audience for the purpose of gaining, holding, or intensifying the attention. The vertical plane of the gesture is determined by the size of the audience. For addressing one person or a small group the front plane is used; to include

1 The use of both hands would be appropriate in cases of this kind; see pages 54-57.

larger groups the hand should be swept to the oblique or lateral as the case requires.

Will you, sir, kindly prove your assertion?

(m fs)

Only you few survivors can appreciate those

(m o s)

early struggles.

This great assembly must voice a unanimous

(m 1 s) 1 protest.

DESCRIBING

The verbal picture of an object, scene or action is often made more clear or impressive by movements which suggest size, form, or character. For example, in stating that "The rider dashed across the open space" a rapid stroke from front to oblique at "dashed" adds greatly to the vividness of the picture. All objects, scenes, or actions on a level with the speaker should be expressed with the middle plane gestures unless they are of very limited extent and are depicted as being at the speaker's very feet. In other words a sense of perspective should always be observed in using descriptive gestures.

1 The use of both hands would be appropriate in cases of this kind; see pages 54-57.

It may be well to note here that innumerable special motions of the hands can be used for descriptive purposes. Typical examples of these are as follows: moving the hands up and down, palms facing, to suggest parallelism; moving the supine hand in a short curve to show concavity; moving the prone hand in a short curve to indicate convexity; touching the tips of the thumb and first finger to depict something exceedingly small. These illustrations merely suggest the possibilities of which the speaker may take advantage to stimulate the imagination of his audience. He should avoid attempting to be too literal in making descriptive gestures; the public speaker is not the actor, and a hint of size, shape, or motion goes a long way.

The runner dashed forward.

(m fs)

The machine glided easily over the knoll.

(f to o curve)

The great curving shore was lined with cottages.

(1 sweep)

INDICATING

In contrast to the descriptive gesture the gesture of indication aims chiefly to point out

and, therefore, moves directly toward the object to be located instead of sweeping to a termination. The position given to the object in the imaginary scene will determine whether the front, oblique, or lateral should be used. Generally speaking, the lateral gesture gives the impression of greatest distance since it carries the hand farthest from the audience. It is to be observed that the location given to any feature in a scene should be maintained in case of subsequent references throughout the presentation, unless the point of view is statedly changed.

Here he stood, unable to move a step.

(m fs)

An old fort was visible a little to the right.

(m o s)

From the very outskirts of the crowd a shout

arose.

(m 1 s)

DENYING

There is a tendency to brush aside any object which is distasteful or false. Denial and negation are closely akin to expressions of distaste or disbelief and are, therefore, fittingly represented by a sweep to the oblique. If more vigorous negation is desired, the lateral may be