Communication Concepts
Communication is the process involved in conveying of messages.
The messages have to be meaningful for them to be conveyed. The process of communication requires three facilitators, for exchange. First, there has to be the message to be delivered, the sender of the message and whom it is intended to reach, in this case being the recipient. Communication is a process that can take place across very long distances within a short time depending on the media of transfer. In communication, there exist several concepts that are used to bring out the vision of a producer of a movie. In the movie titled ‘The Help’, several communication concepts have been displayed through the different characters found in the movie.
Therefore, this paper will explore the concept of racism, supportiveness and self-concept as seen in ‘The Help’. Background Information ‘The Help’ is a movie that has been used to demonstrate the three major concepts used in communication. Communication has been used in the movie to bring out the objective of racism concept. Racism is a concept of showing discrimination amongst the various human traits. Racism is used to describe ethnic, cultural, color, languages and inter races discrimination. This concept has been used widely in this movie, and majorly has been seen through the laws that concern different ethnic or color groups.
For example, the blacks in the movie have experienced challenges with the type of jobs available for them. The white-collar jobs only preserved for the whites, while the work perceived by many individuals to be dirty left for the blacks. This concept of racism has been brought well as will be seen from the example of racism. The cultural backgrounds of most of the blacks have also been seen to be discriminated. The southern socialites are a good example to this concept (Black, 2010). The concept of self-concept has also dominated the movie through the various actions that have been seen through the characters.
Self-concept is the perception that an individual sees himself or herself to be related to. It mostly involves the image that an individual believes to be portraying. This can be the weaknesses or the strengths that brings out the self-image of an individual. In this movie, the concept has been brought out through the identity. Identity in this movie has been used in the concept of racism.
The self-concept of the different characters varies. For Minny, she allows herself to be abused by her husband despite her outspokenness when it comes to her friend Aibileen. She will not allow herself to be mistreated and she would rather get fired but be safe. Self-concept has been brought out by the two characters in the movie (Tate, 2011). Supportiveness is another concept of communication that has been brought out in ‘The Help’.
The characters have brought out the intended concept through the actions and activities that they have been assigned in the movie. Supportiveness is the act of showing positivity in relation with the individuals who have problems. Supportiveness addresses the communication, which has more inspiration to the affected party as opposed to not offering any inspiration to the person of the affected party. For example in his movie, Phelan is a good character to express the concept of being supportive especially when it comes to the black maids. Therefore, the concepts that are used to communicate have been brought out well in this movie (Black, 2010).
Application of the concept of supportiveness, self-concept and racism in the help Racism In this movie, Aibleen Clark and Minny Jackson are both blacks maids, who are middle aged. Clark is seen to have had spent most of her life raising the young ones of the white colored people. Both of them show the racism concept of blacks considered to be best in the dirty jobs as opposed to office work that has been preserved for the white. Being from the black community has brought out so many challenges to them. For example, Minny outspokenness has got her fired a couple of times. This is because, the black in the movie are not to speak their minds out freely, even when being depressed at work.
Skeeter is educated as more of an independent women and compared to her fellow friends, who are basically looking for good husbands while pursuing their degrees is carrying out a research. This research is a clear demonstration of racism in the movie. The bill that has been proposed is to let the black maids have their own washrooms since they are perceived to have different diseases affecting them from the white. With this form of discrimination against the blacks, Skeeter is trying to eliminate this kind of notion of the white through her book, called ‘The Help’ (Tynes et al., 2012).
The whites have proved it so difficult for the blacks that they even fear approaching them and talking to them freely. Aibileen is fired for not seeking for permission to use her employee’s bathroom. She is forced to use their washroom during thunderstorm even it is better constructed in a shelter. Racism as a concept of communication has been shown through the act Hilly not wanting to be involved in righting of the book, challenging the white community for their racism (Tynes et al., 2012). Supportiveness Skeeter who is a young woman from the white community finishes her degree and her first job is that of being a columnist with homemaker hints.
When she finds her maid gone she has suspicious of what could have happened to her and decides to right a book. The maids in this movie show the communication concept being supportive. They are willing to help Skeeter by answering some of the questions she has set as part of the research tools, although at first they are scared of losing their jobs by answering the questions. Minny declines offering to help Skeeter because she has a rich socialite for a husband. She later demonstrates her supportiveness by contributing her views. Skeeter herself demonstrates the supportiveness by first caring for the welfare of the black community.
She intends to stop the racism that is continually spreading with no hope of ever coming to the end. Her research meant to bring out equality amongst the white and the black. She is supportive to the complete eradication of the racism (Patricia, 2008). Miss Stein is also supportive to the book, since she offers advice that is more poositive to Skeeter to add more evidence to her contributions on the racism being imposed on the black community. She shows some positive interest in the book.
Therefore, the concept of supportiveness that comes with proper communication is well demonstrated in ‘The Help’ movie (Patricia, 2008). The act of being supportive can still be evidenced by the act Skeeter is making sure that her book is out during the time of demonstrations by the civil rights community. Her intention of capturing the attention of many white during this crucial time is still connected to her being supportive to the black community. She shows empathy by talking in their behalf something that none white would have easily done (Patricia, 2008). Self-Concept Skeeter who is a degree graduate has a perception to be a self independent woman.
She is not interested in sourcing money from wealthy men, but instead she sees herself to be a strong woman. Her strength can be demonstrated by her great movement of writing the book to relieve the black maids from their suffering in the hands of the white people. She perceives herself worth being listened. If she was not a strong woman, she would have not approached the biggest of the publishers in the New York City. Her self-concept is perceived to be a strong woman (Enrique, 2008).
The maids, on the other hand perceive themselves to be more inferior due to the subjection of racism they have undergone previously. Racism has narrowed the minds of the maids believed that they should never even complain when being harassed by their employees. ‘The blacks’ self-concept depicts the weak woman in the society. This is because since most of them are not learned, they have always opted for the least in life. They cannot compete with their fellow age mates who are blacks.
Minny seems to have a high self-esteem among the maids. This can be seen by her act of never being ready to compromise her life for anything worse. Minny perceives herself as being equally important to the community as the white. She does not compromise getting sick by using the washroom that is only meant for her white employers. She is ready to face any wrath that her employer imposes on her. Minny shows her braveness when she refuses to heed to the whites needs, but goes for what she thinks is rightfully hers.
Therefore, this movie communicates the concept of self-concept through the characters (Enrique, 2008). Conclusion In summary, the movie ‘The Help’ has demonstrated the different concepts that can be used in communicating an idea. The communication concepts like supportiveness, self-concept and racism have been brought out by the involved characters, clearly. The movie being the message, while the audience being the recipients. The message has been conveyed through the use of media machines like television and internet.
The different concepts that have been used in ‘The Help’ have emerged successful since it is easy for the audience differentiates the different aspects of the story. Skeeter has contributed to the major development of all the concepts in the movie, therefore making the movie a success for viewing and leading to its fame.
