Analysis Of Nonverbal Communication In 500 Days Of Summer

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Life can offer a seemingly perfect relationship that takes a sudden drop towards separation without the realization that communication between partners has shown signs of deterioration early on in the connection. The film, 500 Days of Summer, directed by Marc Webb and produced by Steven J. Wolfe, recounts the story of a relationship set in the lives of Tom and Summer, two characters that met at their jobs in the same greeting card company. Although Summer made her doubts of love and relationships clear from the beginning, she and Tom soon develop a more intimate relationship. From the start, Tom was instantly convinced that Summer was the one person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. However, Tom began to realize too late in their …show more content…

Through the communication that occurred within the relationship of Tom and Summer, it is apparent that misinterpretations of nonverbal communication and the styles of managing conflict ultimately led them to their relationship’s demise. Nonverbal communication contributed a large part in creating relational uncertainty within Tom and Summer’s relationship. There were multiple occasions within the film when Summer’s behavior may have led Tom to believe that she wanted more than the platonic relationship she established. For example, Summer kissed Tom in the copy room of the greeting card company after she discovered that he had feelings for her at a workplace karaoke night. “A kiss…can mean anything from a polite but superficial greeting to the most intense arousal” (205) states the communications textbook, Looking Out Looking In. In other words, a kiss is very dependent on contextual factors in order to gauge its significance. Haptics, the study of touching, can be applied to this situation to better understand Tom’s interpretation of the event. At this point, Tom and Summer’s …show more content…

Although Summer consistently showed signs of her stance on love and relationships, Tom interpreted her feelings as those of romance. Communication can be ambiguous to the point that the existence of conflicts will be guaranteed. Tom and Summer’s relationship inevitably fell to its demise due this ambiguity and incompatibility, an occurrence that I have experienced myself. Since I come from a high-context culture, it is preferred by society to keep to myself and avoid directness. From this, I had often hoped that my partner would be able to pick up on my nonverbal behaviors much more effectively than they did. This assumption that others are like us is a debilitative tendency. For this reason, I believe that Tom should have established his feelings more directly towards Summer instead of letting his actions speak. Since people have different perceptions of life values, it is important to gauge the understanding of the other person and have a mutual boundary set within a relationship. However vague communication can be, communication serves as a significant function within our relationships and our

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