Tally Marks

The other day Abby and I went to see what proved to be a very painful movie. It was about a sixth grade class that raises a pig at school and then has to decide whether to bequeath the class pet to the third grade or turn her into pork chops by sending her to the “meat center” (aka slaughter house). Before coming to a conclusion, many class votes ensue, each one recorded on the blackboard with a series of tally marks. But not the conventional US four verticals followed by that resounding, diagonal slash.

Japan also uses a series of lines to count groups of five but arranges them in the order of the character commonly read as tadashi and translated as “correct” in this context. Learned in first grade, this 5-stroke kanji is one of the easiest and most logical to write – all Japanese characters must be written with the correct stroke order or else! Ironically, teachers often use this tally system to keep track of bad behavior by marking each digression on the blackboard with a correctly ordered, chalk stroke. One of the boys in Eve’s class had the dubious distinction of twelve full “tadashis” in one class alone!

Now back to the movie. Towards the end of the film, after months, weeks and days of heated discussions, the class decided to vote one last time. Tear-stained, traumatized and tormented, they agreed beforehand that this would be their final resolution. Slowly, slowly those tally marks were recorded on the board, the vote swinging first in one direction and then in the other. Unsurprisingly, the result was a tie. This left the ultimate and deciding vote in the hands of sensei. Uh-oh. Let’s just say the director did not go for the Hollywood ending.

I suppose the sign of a “good” movie is one that makes you think, emote and ponder your own actions. As far as we were concerned, the movie was preaching to the converted. Hopefully it will persuade others to think first and eat second.