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Abeni Busari

Dr Charles French

Comm 3308

March 23, 2020

Family Communication: The Joker

Film Summary

"The Joker," tells the story of Arthur Fleck, a depraved and lonely individual who harbors

aspirations of becoming a stand-up comedian. In spite of his aspirations, the fact that he is

neither funny nor talented makes it difficult for him to break through the glass ceiling.

Additionally, Arthur Fleck's living environment does not make it easy for him, as he resides

within a dilapidated apartment with his mother, who is mentally ill. In spite of the challenges that

he experiences and the difficulty he registers when he attempts to engage other individuals in

communications, Arthur appears to develop efficient communication skills that he employs while

interacting with her mother, Penny, and her alleged girlfriend, Sophie Dumond who resides

within their locality. In spite of the positive elements of interaction, there are several instances

when the decisions made by Arthur further illustrate the magnitude of the challenges that he is

yet to overcome. One such instance is the occasional laughs that he registers while going through

his daily activities. In the end, the fact that Arthur did not receive timely interventions for the

mental illness that he is suffering from works to his disadvantage, as he is arrested after

murdering Franklin Murray and for confessing that he had been responsible for the subway

murders.
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Family Communication Concepts

As highlighted in the textbook; effective communication is an essential trait of strong and

healthy families. Family communication primarily denotes the manner in which both non-verbal

and verbal forms of communication are often exchanged among family members.

Communication among family members is no doubt essential, as it often provides s platform for

members to air their concerns with each other. One of the concepts of family communication is

that it can be undertaken in either a clear or masked manner (Le Poire 29). Clear communication

denotes a form of communication where family members interact plainly with the content being

generated by all parties being easy to understand. Masked communication, on the other hand,

denotes the conveying of messages that are vague. In spite of them being vague, nonetheless,

family members can easily understand that which their loved ones are saying.

Family communication can further be argued to be ongoing in nature. This implies that

unlike correspondence with other individuals that often ends once a particular objective has been

ascertained, the interaction between family members tends to carry on over time due to the

closeness that exists between the members (Le Poire 35). It implies that all people often

participate, as there are a number of issues that normally need to be addressed. In instances

where the communication between families has been cut short, it is argued that there is always a

break down in relationships, as family members who are in good terms with each other

occasionally communicate regularly.

The third concept of communication among family members is the need for all parties to

adhere to the non-verbal messages being conveyed. It implies that in as much as active listening

is encouraged over the course of communicating with family members, it is essential for their
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body language and the facial expressions between them to be taken into consideration, for they

often illustrate the inner feelings of the members (Le Poire 48). The text further encourages that

it is essential for family members to be positive while interacting with each other, for it averts a

situation where family members only dwell on negative things.

Application of Concepts to the Movie

The family communication concepts that have been outlined in the section above are, in a

way, illustrated in the manner in which the characters in "The Joker" interact with each other.

One of the aspects that one takes note of when watching "The Joker" is that non-verbal

communication is much stronger compared to the verbal approach. This is major because, in as

much as the individuals who Arthur Fleck interacts with outside his family hardly understand his

behavior, her mother Penny, who is not mentally fit, can understand the message that her son is

trying to convey. Arthur Fleck's mother can, for instance, figure out that her son is negatively

impacted by his powerlessness and rejection that he has been subjected to overtime.

The second concept that is illustrated by the film is the need for family members to

ascertain that there is frequent communication among themselves. This is demonstrated by the

fact that in as much as Arthur and his mother Penny are both mentally unstable, they are able to

interact with each other, with the former taking care of the latter, albeit not to the required

standards. In instances where the degree of communication between them would not have been

continuous, the two would not have been able to coexist within the same environment. In this

regard, the film stresses the need for families to take care of the disadvantaged instead of not

caring about their progress.

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The third concept of family communication that comes out in the film is the significance

of positivity in communications. In as much as the interactions between them can occasionally

turn negative, Arthur and Penny are happy majority of the time. This is not the case when it

comes to the relationship that exists between Arthur and Wayne, his Dad. This comes out when

Wayne hits Arthur when the latter tries to inquire from the former whether he fathered him. With

Penny insisting that it is Wayne who fathered Arthur, there is a need for the fatherly affection to

be demonstrated in their interaction. The film conveys the need for families not to abandon their

loved ones who are not in a position to take great care of themselves.

Evaluation of Film as a Whole

In as much as a number of individuals have come out to openly criticize “The Joker” on

the basis of the fact that it encourages violence among the mentally challenged, I find it quite

informative, for it points out the darker aspects of humanity; particularly the manner in which the

society mistreats people. The abuse that Arthur was subjected to as a child has had a negative

impact on his mental abilities, as he appears to be struggling to get through each passing day. In

the end, Arthur turns out to be a murderer. The manner in which Arthur is treated in adulthood

further reaffirms that indeed humanity is not open to treating each individual with dignity. It is

essential for individuals to ensure that they put all mechanisms in place to get the very best out of

the people they interact with instead of discriminating against them.

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Works-Cited

Le Poire, Beth. Family Communication: Nurturing and Control in a Changing World. SAGE

Publications, 2013. Print.