The Movie “The Notebook” Research Proposal Samples

Communication

The movie, “The Notebook” is based on a novel written by Nicholas Sparks. The film, released in the year 2004, portrays the societal class and the gaps in communication. The story opens with a high society women, Allie falling in love with Noah, who belongs to a lower societal strata. One of the significant depictions of this romantic movie is that of class difference. The main protagonists of this movie has been portrayed by James Garner and Gena Rowlands.
The film vividly portrays the class difference and the society that existed in the 1940s. The film vividly portrays Noah as a low class worker who stays with his father. On the other hand, Allie has been portrayed to belong to a wealthy family and is preparing for college education.
The American society has defined societal expectations of conduct from men and women. One of the significant gender roles is that of women to be submissive and men to be aggressive. The societal expectation of this gender role is often in conflict if one or both players defies the cultural aspirations of sexual conduct. The Notebook depicts the female character to be confident and affluent and she rebels against the helpless and delicate personality that the society expects her to be. The significance of dominance is associated with money and riches that Allie possesses and her character being headstrong also depicts her to have more power as compared with Noah.
Notable reactions can be seen when Noah mentions his hourly income to Allie’s mother. Such reactions depict the class and societal difference that exists even in today’s world. The manner in which Allie’s family is upset about her relationship with Noah and the manner in which Allie’s mother refrains Allie from having any contact with Noah has been vividly depicted in this movie. The film skips from present to past and the societal belief in the past portrays gender difference. This can be seen from the societal belief of Allie’s family to expect a man to be wealthy so as to fulfil the needs and aspirations of his wife. In this case, Noah does not quality to be the perfect husband for Allie because he is poor.
The film also depict another societal construct of the dichotomy of keeping up with family traditions as compared with the aspirations of an individual belonging to that particular society. Allie, in particular, has to constantly face familial pressure for having a relationship with Noah, who belongs to a lower class. She is often reprimanded by her mother and Noah is disliked by Allie’s family because of the class difference. During the Second World War they are separated as Allie goes on to become a nurse and Noah enlists himself with the army.
The film has depicted the manner in which social norms and constructs revolving around ancient portrayals of gender has changed. Signifiers and new symbols have appeared to display the shift in social norms that has reshaped the role of gender and sexuality. This has been vividly displayed in The Notebook.
The portrayal of Allie to be headstrong and to remember her emotions for Noah is a depiction of the shift in the gender role of the female from being submissive and subservient to that of being dominant and headstrong. The manipulative and rebellious nature of Allie as she seeks to re-join Noah is also a portrayal of her rebellion towards societal expectations of gender in this movie. This is seen when Allie comes to know that Noah has remodelled her dream home on the eve of her marriage.
The same scheming nature is also seen in Allie’s mother as she makes all efforts to create a rift between Noah and Allie. The manner in which Allie’s mother conceals Noah’s letters from Allie and the two go their separate ways is a portrayal of societal expectations in the 1940s.
On the other hand, the film also portrays the manner in which Noah asserts his dominance on Allie by persuading her to go out on a date with him. His bursts of anger, impulse conduct and promiscuity is displayed to be in sync with the societal portrayal of the male to be dominant. At the same time, Noah’s creation of the dream house helps in rekindling the relationship between Allie and Noah. Several aspects of Noah’s character in The Notebook, like the significant intrusion into personal space, disrespectful language and aggression is representative of the society’s expectations of the male to be dominant. This gender role is aptly portrayed by Noah.
The Notebook, vividly describes the characters of Noah and Allie and the manner in which a relationship thrives despite societal opposition. The film has subtly portrayed the emotions of power and dominion, masked realities, control and forced roles played by gender. The manner in which individuals have to sacrifice their aspirations to appease societal roles is significant in this film.