Genesis of Self-Concept and Non-Verbal Communication - the Miracle Worker - Case Study Example

Genesis of Self-Concept and Non-Verbal Communication: A Case Study of The Miracle Worker Introduction: Nonverbal communication, though oft-ignored and underrated, serves as a lens through which one’s inner self becomes evident even before one expresses something verbally. Defined by the text Interplay as “ messages expressed by nonlinguistic means” (177) nonverbal communication is not only an essential corollary of verbal communication rather an indispensable prelude to verbal communication and works even where the latter one is hampered physiologically, psychologically or sociologically. This paper seeks to explore how nonverbal cues become a more potent means than words of unraveling of one’s identity crisis through the decoding of nonverbal cues as represented in the Miracle Worker. Furthermore it will analyze nonverbal communication in the afore-mentioned media text through the lens of Charles Horton Cooley’s Looking Glass Self so as to depict how nonverbal cues, which can be either facilitative or debilitative, of fellow human beings collected by an individual actually shape his identity and subsequently determine his sense of self. Nonverbal Communication, Touch Avoidance and the Looking Glass Self: The concept of the “looking glass self” promulgates that self-consciousness involves continually monitoring self from the point of view of others. Cooley stated this concept of the “looking-glass self” in his book Human Nature and The Social Order: “We live in the minds of others unknowingly. This creates the “social self” which might be called as the reflected or the “looking-glass self”:“Each to each a looking-glass/Reflects the others that doth pass” (73). This consciousness of self emanating from one’s view of oneself through the eyes of another is more a product of analysis of the nonverbal cues one gathers during interpersonal communication than the actual words one hears from the mouth of one’s fellow beings. Among the many other ways in which individuals respond to fellow individuals’ nonverbal cues touch avoidance is the most striking one. Defined as “an individual’s nonverbal predisposition to generally approach or avoid touch in interpersonal interactions” ( Anderson & Sull 82). An individual’s positive or reciprocal touch response is an indication of a mutual relation of trust and connection while the opposite reaction of reciprocal touch response betrays disconnect. Likewise the extent of touch avoidance is a manifestation of interpersonal distance. Analysis: The Miracle Worker, a TV remake of William Gibson’s The Miracle Worker, released by Disney Movies in 2000, films the inspirational journey of Helen Keller with special reference to the way her monumental teacher Annie Sullivan cultivated in her a sense of self-consciousness armed with self-sufficiency. The significance of nonverbal communication both as a means of expression of the conflict within the self and as a means of cultivating positive self-image through facilitative nonverbal communication especially where the means of verbal communication are difficult to employ is reinforced repeatedly throughout the movie. Positive nonverbal cues picked up by individual through his communication with others reinforce positive sense of self while negative nonverbal cues serve to make one feel inferior and deficient. (Steinberg 143). This assignment will dissect the nonverbal communication in The Miracle Worker with specific reference to the two protagonists of the movie: Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan. The very first scene of the movie shows Helen groping her way into the garden where two maid children are at work. Helen, who can neither see nor hear nor speak, pushes her hand into the mouths of the two one after the other may be in her quest to probe what is it about her or rather what’s missing in her which differentiates her from the two normal kids who can see, hear and speak. Helen, on finding herself still unable to speak despite being in possession of all what the normal kids have, starts biting her own fingers so much so that without her uttering even a single word she makes the two accompanying children, and the viewers of the movie, realize the tantalizing self-conflict emanating out of her feelings that she remains incapable of belonging there. In the very next scene Helen is shown playing with a doll but here too the raw corners of her sense of self, which is far from being capable of giving her a sense of wholeness, is unraveled by her restless attempts at feeling the eyes of the doll. All this while her father, mother and her mother’s aunt are talking about the slim chances of any betterment in Helen’s condition. Although unable to see and hear the words being uttered she perceives somehow and reacts through patting her hands onto the floor and onto the doll’s face violently. Viewers can witness sheer lack of understanding of Helen’s nonverbal cues by her parents and her desperate search for her sense of self when she tries to identify herself with the doll by first feeling her own eyes and then ensuring the presence of the eyes of the doll itself which when turn out to be absent make Helen all the more restless and she, in her attempt to belong and to identify with the doll she’s holding, rips off buttons from the sweater of her mother’s aunt to provide for the eyes of the doll. Clearly Helen doesn’t seem to identify herself with any of the human beings around herself until Annie Sullivan arrives. The very first question Annie Sullivan asks from Helen’s mother regarding Helen and the mother’s answer to it lays bare the root cause of perpetuation of Helen’s self-conflict. When Sullivan asks Catherine Keller: Does she (Helen) communicate? She answers: Well I always understand what she wants. But Helen’s brother negates this claim by saying that nobody ever understands what Helen wants and hence ends up putting a candy into her mouth so that she be quiet for a while. Annie Sullivan, from the moment, she comes across Helen validates her through giving nonverbal cues to Helen which are Helen’s sole means of communication at that time. She begins teaching Helen through use of nonverbal means using the technique of symbolic use of language wherein every letter has a nonverbal sign. In response to Helen’s brother skepticism over how can she ever spell a word when she doesn’t even understand what words are Sullivan replies: “Her fingers learn the letters now then maybe someday her brain will learn that they have a meaning”. As the movie progresses Helen can be se seen learning use of nonverbal language to connect with and experience the outside world and all this while her sense of self also gets cultivated step by step every time when Sullivan communicates with her through nonverbal cues thus psychologically imparting in her the sense of belonging to the world around her. It’s only through understanding Helen’s nonverbal communication that Annie Sullivan comes to know that the child, erstwhile considered only dull and incapable, was indeed smart but angry. Helen’s anger could most probably have stemmed from the continued failure of those around her to connect to her, communicate with her and hence validate her through understanding her nonverbal cues. The way in which all around Helen gave in to her tantrums without ever resisting her reinforced her realization of her disconnect with, and lack of validation by, those around her who could have responded differently had they understood her nonverbal communication. It’s this lack of validation which kept preventing Helen’s growth of a self-sufficient sense of self. But Annie Sullivan validated her and treated her as a normal child thus resisting all her tantrums showing an understanding of the non-verbal language Helen used and then leading her way towards verbal communication through establishment of her connection with the outside world. Thus when viewed through the prism of looking glass self Annie Sullivan’s nonverbal reciprocal responses in answer to Helen’s nonverbal communication to express herself in an attempt to identify with the world around her reassured her of her self-sufficiency to connect with, and validated by, the world around her. This positive self-concept leads Helen Keller, towards the end of the movie, to identify even with her parents who after having got awakened and receptive to the nonverbal communication of Helen validate their daughter’s self-image of wholeness and capability thus allowing her to connect with the world around and realize her “self” as Kierkegaard said: “To venture causes anxiety, but not to venture is to lose one’s self” (Steinberg 143). In the light of the touch avoidance perspective, Helen, in the initial part of the movie, seemed to be depicting touch avoidant behavior with all except her mother. The scene wherein Helen’ father attempts to talk to her by extending his hand towards her she immediately pushes his hand away thus making him realize that Helen does not connect with him. Later when Helen’s teacher comes and endeavors time and again to build a connection with Helen she does so by letting Helen feel her hands and face. Until the time when Annie Sullivan succeeded in establishing a connection with Helen, whereon she said: “At least I am back to where I can touch you”, Helen is repeatedly seen pushing her teacher’s hands away whenever she reaches for her. Towards the very end of the movie where the viewers witness Helen’s rejuvenation of her connection with those around her Helen is seen touching the hands of even his father in a way depicting that Helen is no more alienated or disconnected from him. CONCLUSION: In a nutshell, this paper vividly reflects that nonverbal communication is not only an important aspect of interpersonal communication but in fact takes precedence over its verbal counterpart as it shapes the self-concept of those involved in the communication process. Those who get reassurance and validation of their language, both verbal and nonverbal, tend to develop a positive self-concept and are better able to connect and identify with the world in meaningful ways. While those whose communication, be it verbal or nonverbal, goes unheard are more prone to nurture within themselves negative self-concept giving way to debilitative emotions and maladaptive behaviors. Works Cited Adler, Ronald B., Rosenfeld, Lawrence B., and Russell F. Proctor. Interplay: The Process of Interpersonal Communication. 12th ed. New York: Oxford UP, 2013. Print. Anderson, P.A. and Sull, K.K. “Out of touch, out of reach: Tactile predispositions as predictors of interpersonal distance.” The Western Journal of Speech Communication 49 (1985): 257-272. Print. Cooley, Charles Horton. Human Nature and the Social Order. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1922. Print. Steinberg, Sheila. An Introduction to Communication Studies. Cape Town: Juta & Co, Ltd, 2007. Print. Gibson, William. The Miracle Worker. New York: Simon & Schuster Inc., 1956. Print. The Miracle Worker. Dir. Nadia Tass. ABC, 2000. Film. Read More