Interpersonal Conflict Between Noah, Allie and Anne Hamilton in 'The Notebook'

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Introduction

The Notebook (Cassavetes, 2004) is a love story about a young couple named Allie Hamilton and Noah Calhoun, who fall deeply in love with each other. The Hamilton’s are financially stable, and expect for their daughter Allie to marry someone with the same wealth. Noah on the other hand works as a laborer, and comes from an underprivileged family. Throughout the film there were several negative behaviors, and interpersonal communications within the context of their relationship, which relates to chapter nine. This chapter explores relationships, emphasizing on affection and understanding, attraction, and the power of a relationship. The focus of this paper is the interpersonal conflict with Noah, Allie and her mother, Anne Hamilton.

Concepts

After Allies father catches her and Noah making out in the truck, he tells Allie that he wants to have the chance to meet her friend, so he politely asked Allie to invite Noah over Sunday for dinner. While seating at the dinner table, Noah was asked what job he does for a living. After Noah stated that he was a laborer it was pretty clear by their facial expressions (especially her mother’s) that they did not approve of their relationship. Later, Anne makes the statement that “summers almost over” giving her daughter the idea that her and Noah probably will not be seeing each other anymore. Moreover, Anne decided to tell Noah about Allie’s school plans, and how he was not in the plan. Anne believes that their relationship is just a summer fling, or a short-term initial attraction. This scene most certainly relates to chapter nine. Allie was unable to develop her Relationship of Choice simply because they did not find Noah suitable for her, mainly because he was not wealthy. Al...

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...ch other, and sometimes you cannot help how you feel about another person regardless of their social standing, and because her mother exposed her to her previously feeling for a labor worker, I believe it made it easy for Allie to make a decision about whom she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Differences and Complementary Needs. Because her mother presented herself as being equal to her daughter, it allowed Allie to ease up, and become empathetic to her mother’s feelings.

Conclusion

The techniques used to change the negative behavior was opening the lines of communication and taking personal responsibility. When Anne told Allie about her experience about falling in love with a man who was not wealthy, it made it easier for Allie to make up her mind about what she wanted to do. Allie knew that she did not want to miss her true love like her mother did.

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