When Theory Met Movie

by | Nov 13, 2020 | Movie

Directions:
Choose one of the following films/shows to watch: Spotlight, The Terminal, The Founder, Emily
in Paris (3 episodes), The Intern, Succession (3 episodes), The Devil Wears Prada, Unbelievable (3
episodes). After viewing/observing/analyzing (perhaps many times) this film (or episodes),
please respond to the questions below. Be sure to:
number your responses,
write in complete sentences,
fully address the questions asked,
be specific about the connection to concepts related to organizational communication
(focusing on the communicative connection/observations),
and site readings from our course.
In all cases, be sure to provide detail-rich examples from the film and from course readings to
support your responses. You may want to provide a few examples per answer. When in
doubt—give more information.
Please do not just say, “this is an example of [concept] because there are X and Y.” Make sure
to be specific about what you mean by [concept], refer to specific tenants that inform the
concepts (definitions via citations). Remember that this exam is to show depth in
understanding of the concepts from this semester. This assessment is designed to explore your
knowledge, comprehension, and application of course readings and in class discussions in how
they relate to your selected text. With all questions make sure to identify, define, and explain
concepts using citations from class. Your work is expected to reflect your individual (or
individual groups) effort (see academic integrity in the syllabus for further info). Answers will
be graded within the parameters and consideration of original contributions and thought.
Compose and save your responses in a Microsoft Word document. As with all assignments,
college level writing standards apply. Written communication will be taken into consideration
in regard to the quality (score) of each answer. Please double-space your document and
number your responses (no need to have an introduction and conclusion paragraph, just
number responses respectively). Submit your exam responses (a .doc or .docx file) to
Blackboard upon completion. Failure to upload in the appropriate file type means that I cannot
grade your document, and thus you will earn a “0.” Please prepare for this accordingly. The
exam is due via Turnitin on Blackboard.
Exam Questions are outlined on the following page: Please remember that 50% of each score
is dedicated to how well you define your concept (meaning define according to class readi
2
Exam Questions:

  1. What specific theories or concepts of organizational communication did you notice in
    the film, answer with the following components (a & b)? (20 points possible)
    a. Identify and define a theory/concept of organizational communication (from
    any concept/reading covered throughout the semester and identify/define via
    appropriate readings/definitions)—remember the triangle method.
    b. Explain how each of the respective these aspects are communicated in the
    film (for instance- dialogue, actions, lighting, music, actor selection, etc.).
    Provide detail-rich examples to show the communicative connections to
    concepts.
  2. According to McPhee and Zaug, there are four flows of communication that constitute
    organizing. Define the flows and then apply to your film using specific communicative
    examples. (20 points possible)
  3. How are organizational identities and our individual identities related? That is, what is
    the role of organizational communication in creating, maintaining, and transforming our
    identities, and vice-versa? Think about specific connections to course concepts (define
    them) and then how are these concepts are realized/materialized through the
    characters? (20 points possible)
  4. What benefits or drawbacks does this film present in terms of portraying concepts we
    have learned this semester in organizational communication? Support your argument by
    explaining what people may learn, understand, misinterpret, or fail to comprehend
    about org comm after viewing this film. This is where you get to apply your critical
    thinking skills so be as specific and detailed as possible—and don’t forget to define your
    concepts. (20 points possible)

Sample Solution

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.


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God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

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