How Does History Affect The Standpoints Of The Main Character
1. Describe the context I which the action takes place. Which elements of the film give information about the context? How does the context affect communication patterns between the characters?
The film Slumdog Millionaire takes place in modern day India and goes in and out of the past and present slums of India. Jamal Malik is a young boy from the slums and is best friends with his brother, Salim Malik. The slums of India contain nothing but dirt roads, half build huts and outhouses to use the restroom, which is all adjacent to a trash dump yard.
The communication throughout the film is spoken in mainly Hindi, with some English. The communication between the characters is pretty even with each other, in the sense that everyone understands …show more content…
each other. 2. Describe different social and cultural identities that emerge in the course of the film. How are these identities constructed? How can the communication perspective help in understanding the identities of the characters? What is the relationship between identity and context? Do identities and associated issues change for particular characters over the course of the film? What influences these changes?
The movie progresses, Jamal and Salim must fend for themselves. They stick with each other through thick and thin. The language reveals about each character shows different personalities between the two brothers but just they way they converse with each other and other characters. For Jamal, he is always in the present and soaking up what’s going on around him, which helps him to become the next millionaire based on his life experiences. He also is a very people person, kind hearted and is always caring for others, such as Latika, his love, and even strangers. Salim, is a very passive person, doesn’t care about anything but himself, and Jamal. Salim is also the go with the flow type, constantly adapting to his surroundings and making the best out of that life. The personalities shown in these two characters show two very different languages in the same language/culture. The ways they speak and act reflect on what each character has to offer to the film.
These personalities show more and more over time throughout the film, as the boys grow older. Once the boys are separated, they have to build a new life to take care of them, and the life they choose tends to make these personalities be more apparent. 3.
How does history affect the standpoints of the characters? What do you learn about perceptions of history from the film? What is the relationship between history and identity issues of the main characters?
History affects Jamal and Salim, coming from living in the slums are their lives, by wanting better than what they had growing up, and security because they lost their mother as young children. History is what caused them to leave and be safe and to fend for only each other. For Jamal, history only made him stronger even though he seems to want to put everything in the past, except for his love Latika and the experiences to what helped him to answer the questions correctly on “Who Wants to Be A Millionaire.” 4. What can you say about communication styles and language use in the film? What did language reveal about particular characters? What social structures affect the use of language?
The language used in the film is Hindi, and English. The communication style is very laid back between Jamal and Salim, using a lot of low context style communication. They get to the point when speaking to each other, because they are constantly on the go and don’t have time to have a formal sit down conversation when trying to convey
messages.
Like said before in question two, the language reveals about each character shows different personalities between the two brothers but just they way they converse with each other and other characters. For Jamal, he is always in the present and soaking up what’s going on around him, which helps him to become the next millionaire based on his life experiences. He also is a very people person, kind hearted and is always caring for others, such as Latika, his love, and even strangers. Salim, is a very passive person, doesn’t care about anything but himself, and Jamal. Salim is also the go with the flow type, constantly adapting to his surroundings and making the best out of that life. The personalities shown in these two characters show two very different languages in the same language. The ways they speak and act reflect on what each character has to offer to the film. 5. Analyze the use of nonverbal and spatial codes that are present in the film. How do characters use these codes? How is space constructed? Identify the elements that reveal these elements.
Some nonverbal codes in the film are when Jamal is on “Who Wants to Be A Millionaire,” he shakes his head no, but says yes. He is asked if his answer was his final answer, and he almost tricks the host. Jamal is a very respectful character and shows it even on the television show. Even thought the host of the show isn’t American, he speaks English the best, and Jamal still speaks to him as if he is an authority figure. It is his show, and wants to have respect, especially for being the first only millionaire winner, before Jamal. Jamal is serious when playing the game and has his heart set on winning, coming from a life of living in the slums. Jamal shows much respect for the host, by being a bigger man, on and off screen, of the television. Jamal also brushes off the negative joke the host says to be funny, acting like he never heard anything. 6. What values are revealed in the film? Be sure to refer to the Taxonomies we have discussed in class.
Family values are revealed the most throughout the film. Jamal and Salim stick with each other through think and thin. When one would be in trouble, the other is right there behind him to save him. Jamal and Salim are all each other has, so they constantly have each other’s backs, and will never leave one another’s side. Because of the country evolving over the years, Jamal and Salim must make a life for themselves and adapt to the every changing lifestyle. Being Malik brothers will always be a major value to them. 7. Can you identify cultural and social issues of power, hierarchy, and political concerns that are present in the film? Whose perspectives are considered? Why are those used and not others?
Towards the end of the film, Jamal and Salim go their separate ways, still adapting to the ever-changing surroundings of their country, Salim takes a different path and joins a bad workforce. He works for one of the country’s gangsters and one of the guys who nearly blinded Jamal as a young boy. This level of power affected Salim negatively, because once Jamal found his brother again, it only drew them father apart and later resulting in Salim’s death.
Political power played a major role when Jamal was being questioned for cheating on “Who Wants to Be A Millionaire.” Men, who played a government level role, they questioned him while watching the recorded videotape from being on the television show, hung and choked Jamal to get answers out of him.
Only Jamal’s perspectives were considered, because the film is consisted of present day and flashbacks of his life, so you only see where he is coming from and why no one else is taken in to consideration because there is no story behind the other characters. 8.
The film Slumdog Millionaire takes place in modern day India and goes in and out of the past and present slums of India. Jamal Malik is a young boy from the slums and is best friends with his brother, Salim Malik. The slums of India contain nothing but dirt roads, half build huts and outhouses to use the restroom, which is all adjacent to a trash dump yard.
The communication throughout the film is spoken in mainly Hindi, with some English. The communication between the characters is pretty even with each other, in the sense that everyone understands …show more content…
each other. 2. Describe different social and cultural identities that emerge in the course of the film. How are these identities constructed? How can the communication perspective help in understanding the identities of the characters? What is the relationship between identity and context? Do identities and associated issues change for particular characters over the course of the film? What influences these changes?
The movie progresses, Jamal and Salim must fend for themselves. They stick with each other through thick and thin. The language reveals about each character shows different personalities between the two brothers but just they way they converse with each other and other characters. For Jamal, he is always in the present and soaking up what’s going on around him, which helps him to become the next millionaire based on his life experiences. He also is a very people person, kind hearted and is always caring for others, such as Latika, his love, and even strangers. Salim, is a very passive person, doesn’t care about anything but himself, and Jamal. Salim is also the go with the flow type, constantly adapting to his surroundings and making the best out of that life. The personalities shown in these two characters show two very different languages in the same language/culture. The ways they speak and act reflect on what each character has to offer to the film.
These personalities show more and more over time throughout the film, as the boys grow older. Once the boys are separated, they have to build a new life to take care of them, and the life they choose tends to make these personalities be more apparent. 3.
How does history affect the standpoints of the characters? What do you learn about perceptions of history from the film? What is the relationship between history and identity issues of the main characters?
History affects Jamal and Salim, coming from living in the slums are their lives, by wanting better than what they had growing up, and security because they lost their mother as young children. History is what caused them to leave and be safe and to fend for only each other. For Jamal, history only made him stronger even though he seems to want to put everything in the past, except for his love Latika and the experiences to what helped him to answer the questions correctly on “Who Wants to Be A Millionaire.” 4. What can you say about communication styles and language use in the film? What did language reveal about particular characters? What social structures affect the use of language?
The language used in the film is Hindi, and English. The communication style is very laid back between Jamal and Salim, using a lot of low context style communication. They get to the point when speaking to each other, because they are constantly on the go and don’t have time to have a formal sit down conversation when trying to convey
messages.
Like said before in question two, the language reveals about each character shows different personalities between the two brothers but just they way they converse with each other and other characters. For Jamal, he is always in the present and soaking up what’s going on around him, which helps him to become the next millionaire based on his life experiences. He also is a very people person, kind hearted and is always caring for others, such as Latika, his love, and even strangers. Salim, is a very passive person, doesn’t care about anything but himself, and Jamal. Salim is also the go with the flow type, constantly adapting to his surroundings and making the best out of that life. The personalities shown in these two characters show two very different languages in the same language. The ways they speak and act reflect on what each character has to offer to the film. 5. Analyze the use of nonverbal and spatial codes that are present in the film. How do characters use these codes? How is space constructed? Identify the elements that reveal these elements.
Some nonverbal codes in the film are when Jamal is on “Who Wants to Be A Millionaire,” he shakes his head no, but says yes. He is asked if his answer was his final answer, and he almost tricks the host. Jamal is a very respectful character and shows it even on the television show. Even thought the host of the show isn’t American, he speaks English the best, and Jamal still speaks to him as if he is an authority figure. It is his show, and wants to have respect, especially for being the first only millionaire winner, before Jamal. Jamal is serious when playing the game and has his heart set on winning, coming from a life of living in the slums. Jamal shows much respect for the host, by being a bigger man, on and off screen, of the television. Jamal also brushes off the negative joke the host says to be funny, acting like he never heard anything. 6. What values are revealed in the film? Be sure to refer to the Taxonomies we have discussed in class.
Family values are revealed the most throughout the film. Jamal and Salim stick with each other through think and thin. When one would be in trouble, the other is right there behind him to save him. Jamal and Salim are all each other has, so they constantly have each other’s backs, and will never leave one another’s side. Because of the country evolving over the years, Jamal and Salim must make a life for themselves and adapt to the every changing lifestyle. Being Malik brothers will always be a major value to them. 7. Can you identify cultural and social issues of power, hierarchy, and political concerns that are present in the film? Whose perspectives are considered? Why are those used and not others?
Towards the end of the film, Jamal and Salim go their separate ways, still adapting to the ever-changing surroundings of their country, Salim takes a different path and joins a bad workforce. He works for one of the country’s gangsters and one of the guys who nearly blinded Jamal as a young boy. This level of power affected Salim negatively, because once Jamal found his brother again, it only drew them father apart and later resulting in Salim’s death.
Political power played a major role when Jamal was being questioned for cheating on “Who Wants to Be A Millionaire.” Men, who played a government level role, they questioned him while watching the recorded videotape from being on the television show, hung and choked Jamal to get answers out of him.
Only Jamal’s perspectives were considered, because the film is consisted of present day and flashbacks of his life, so you only see where he is coming from and why no one else is taken in to consideration because there is no story behind the other characters. 8.