Overview
The task in this paper is to analyze the communication that takes place in a movie, television show, or novel using a communication theory. Art forms such as movies, TV shows, and novels sometimes try to imitate life, make a point, or simply entertain. Regardless of their intended purpose, they often contain a set of messages that are rich with opportunity to analyze human communication. The goal of this assignment is to increase your familiarity working with communication theory and to see how well communication (as depicted in one of these art forms) is explained by a particular theory.
General guidelines:
- Your paper should be 5-6 pages in length, not including your title page or reference page. Papers that deviate from this length by more than half a page in either direction will receive a grade reduction.
- You do NOT need an abstract, but you should follow APA 7th edition formatting guidelines in all other respects (title page, citations, page numbering, reference list, etc.).
- Your paper is to be typed using 12-point fonts and 1-inch margins and double-spaced throughout.
- Your paper must be in Word format (either .doc or .docx). PDF, Pages, and all other formats are unacceptable.
- Your paper is due by 11:59pm on its assigned due date.
Specific guidelines:
- Locate a movie, television show, or novel that presents either a storyline or a specific scene that can be explained using communication theory.
- Organize your paper about the movie into four sections:
A. The first part of your paper should describe the character(s) who take part in the communication event(s) you will be analyzing. Provide descriptive detail so that the reader has an idea what the characters are like. You might describe how the characters are introduced, what they do, who they are, etc. This section does not need to be too long (note how many points it is worth compared to section 3).
B. The second part of your paper should describe the communication event(s) that you intend to explain (e.g., a conversation, a speech, a relationship, a broadcast, etc.). As with your description of the character(s), make the communication event(s) clear to the reader. You do not have to describe everything that happens in the movie, show, or novel; describe only the event(s) that you will analyze with theory.
C. Provide a theoretical analysis of the communication event(s) depicted using communication theory as a guide. How does the theory account for what happened? Your analysis should highlight both events in the movie, show, or novel that were consistent with your theory, and events (if any) that were inconsistent with your theory. You may apply a single theory or draw from multiple theories, but I would suggest limiting the number of theories to no more than three. Your goal is to provide an understanding of the communication events in the movie, TV show, or novel that can be explained by the theory or theories you selected. Using too many theories can limit your analysis. Although you will need to refer to events in the movie, show, or novel as you make your arguments, this section should not simply reiterate your summary of the events that you provided in section B.
D. Conclude by commenting on the utility of the theory. Was it able to explain the communication events that you chose? How well did your theory “fit” the events you were trying to explain? Make an argument to support whatever position you take on the usefulness of the theory.
NOTE: Someone who reads your paper should be able to determine where the four sections begin and end. Using headings is a useful way to accomplish this (HINT: use the words printed in bold for your headings).
- Include a reference page at the end of your paper in which you provide a citation to your movie, TV show, or novel, formatted according to APA 7th edition format. You should also cite the references for the communication theory/theories you discuss. These should come from the foundational literature written by the theory developers or other scholars.
Evaluation: Your paper will be evaluated using these criteria:
1. Description of the character(s). (out of 10 points)
2. Description of the communication event(s). (out of 20 points)
3. Application of the theory to the communication event(s). (out of 40 points)
4. Commentary on the usefulness of the theory. (out of 10 points)
5. Clear, grammatically correct writing, effective word choice, and careful proofreading. (out of 10 points)
6. Proper APA formatting of all references. (out of 10 points)