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Christine BarreraSection 4A Typical ReunionIt is a pleasant afternoon at the ship dock in New York City. After leaving the ship he had been traveling on for a couple of years, Richie Tenenbaum carries his bags to the front of thedocking station. He waits for Margot, his adopted sister, to escort him on the Green Line bus and bring him back to their parents house to see their father who claims to be dying. Richie has beenriding the sea for a couple of years, and Margot has been living with her psychiatrist boyfriendand on this day they are meeting for the first time in a long time. Richie sits in a chair next to his bags wearing a tan suit, large sunglasses and a red, white and blue sweatband (which he never removes). The Green Line bus pulls up in front of the station and Margot steps off looking like amovie-star in her long fur coat. Margot and Richie are average citizens; they have alreadyaccomplished much in their careers as a playwrite and ex-pro tennis champion.The interaction begins when Margot steps off the bus, pauses for a long second while her chin length blonde hair blows in the wind, and makes eye contact with Richie which theymaintain throughout her slow-motion walk towards him. Because of the movie director, time isslowed down and by the time she stops about five feet in front of Richie, it is an anticipatedmoment. The first thing Margot says is, “Stand up straight, let me get a look at you.” Richie isstanding and has his arms crossed over his chest while he tries to stand taller and gives a smallsmile. Margot responds with, “What is so funny?” Richie continues to smile and simply shrugs.“Well, it’s nice to see you too,” Margot responds sarcastically, because even though Richie doesnot look entirely happy to see her, there is a mutual understanding that they are both happy to seeeach other. The short dialogue is followed by another long pause and silent interaction in whichMargot’s slight smile turns serious. Now the camera, instead of showing only each character
while they are responding to each other shows the scene from farther back. Both Richie andMargot have their arms crossed over their chests, and at the same time they uncross their arms,and come toward each other for an embrace (Anderson, 2002).This interaction is a scene from the beginning of the movie The Royal Tenenbaums. Itstarts with all of the children gathering back at their childhood home after being disconnectedfrom each other for a number of years. This is not an unfamiliar meeting for most people inAmerican culture, as it consists of silences, odd, minimal and superficial dialogue and not much physical interaction. This dialogue can be explained outside of the cultural context throughJakobson’s Functions and Peirce’s index. Sometimes words are not necessary to have a completeconversation between people, as Richie and Margot show in their dialogue. Richie does notspeak even one word yet the way he feels is completely coherent to Margot.Jakobson’s metalinguistic function is in Margot and Richie’s interaction. Most of whatMargot says can be described as metalinguistic because she is talking about Richie’s phaticgestures. “Well it’s nice to see you too,” is an example of Margot’s use of the metalinguisticfunction. In this statement she uses the word “too” as if she is agreeing with Richie even thoughhe did not say “it’s nice to see you” in the first place. She is speaking with sarcasm because hedid not say he is glad to see her. Richie actually said nothing at all which could even be taken asthe opposite of being glad to see someone. She is using the metalinguistic function also becauseshe is noting through her language how Richie is not using language. She could also beresponding to his phatic body language. If so, she would be responding to his body languagewith the metalinguistic function, as if his body language implied that he was glad to see her. Sheis familiar with his body language and with what he is saying through the way he holds his armsand with the slight smile he gives. If Margot and Richie were part of two different cultures, or if
they did not share the same language, these functions would not apply, but as they are able tocommunicate well, these functions serve as a way to break down their interaction to make itmore coherent to a person of a foreign culture.Jakobson would also explain this conversation as having a representational function. Thespeech is not what creates the vivid conversation. The actual dialogue is very short, only anumber of seconds, and it is only spoken by one person, Margot. It is the representationalfunction of the interaction which is dependent on the context of the interaction and makes it acomplete conversation. There is not much speech to refer to; in fact, if one did hear onlyMargot’s words, that person would not be certain as to the meaning of her statement, “what’s sofunny?” Without being aware of the representation of the message in the context, one mightguess she is annoyed or angry which is incorrect. Margot is happy; she is joking and laughingwith her brother. The representational function can be seen through the context of theconversation.The phatic function is shown in the content of the conversation. The people involved inthe conversation must make contact to each other in order to use the phatic function inconversation. Margot and Richie represent very well how phatic interaction can be achievedthrough a small amount of dialogue, as long as there is some sort of contact, as Jakobson’sdiagram shows, and in this case it was necessary to be visual contact. For example, this sameinteraction could not be repeated over the telephone and use the phatic function, because it isunlikely Margot would be able to tell that she is making contact with Richie. The connection of their eyes is also a phatic function in the interaction, and this type of interaction is very limited inthe ways that it can be used to establish contact.
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| Upload Date: | 07/08/2009 |
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