Romantic Relationship in Titanic - Movie Review Example

Titanic Introduction Relationships have been one of the most studied aspects of human nature. Many models have been developed in order to analyze how relationship form and even how they break. From among these models, Mark Knapp’s Relational Development Model is the most popular and widely used. One reason for this is that the model analyzes and explains the development of all kinds of relationships, be it romantic, business oriented or even family relationships. In this paper, an attempt has been made to analyze a romantic relationship in light of the Relational Development Model proposed by Mark Knapp. This relationship is of Jack Dawson and Rose Bukater, one of the most romantic couples in Hollywood fiction, from the movie Titanic. Mark Knapp’s Model Mark’s Knapp’s Relationship Development Model is a widely used model to analyze how relationship form and disintegrate. The model defines 10 stages of a relationship through a staircase model. There are basically two phases of the model: the getting together phase and the coming apart phase. The getting together phase consists of initiating, experimenting, intensifying, integrating and bonding. Once the getting together phase is complete, there begins the coming apart stage. This consists of Differentiating, Circumscribing, Stagnating, Avoiding and Terminating stage. According to Knapp, both personal and business relationships can be analyzed through this relationship development model (Griffin, 127). Relationship between Jack Dawson and Rose Bukater The movie, Titanic, is primarily based on the love story of Jack Dawson and Rose Bukater. This relationship was the central theme of the movie and even the fall of the Titanic was overshadowed by the strong relationship that both the characters portrayed in the movie. This relationship would be studied with respect to the relationship development model proposed by Mark Knapp and discussed above. Getting Together Phase Initiating The relationship between the couple is initiated when Rose Bukater, in a depressive state, attempts to commit suicide by jumping off the stern of the ship. Jack Dawson, a poor lad, sees her and uses his wit and power of persuasion to dissuade her from jumping off the ship. However when Bukater’s fiancée arrives, she lies that she accidently slipped off the rail and Dawson saved her. Dawson here knows that Rose is lying but understands a tension between the couple and sides with Kate. The couple here develops a tentative relationship. Experimenting In the experimenting stage, the couple gets to know get each other. The couple as different from each other as can be. Rose belongs to a rich family and is in a depressive state because she has been forced to engage with someone she does not like. Jack is an impulsive man without any care in the world and with no money. They both develop a relationship where they contradict each other and understand each other. When they meet after the suicide incident, they fight at the beginning but soon develop a rapport. Rose gains an insight into Dawson when he shows her the nude painting made by him. Intensifying In this stage, the couple goes out together. In the movie, Dawson and Rose meet at the dinner that Rose’s fiancé invites Dawson to. As the night progresses and even beyond the night, the couple learns more about each other. Kate opens up her world to Dawson and stands up for him when her fiancé ridicules him in front of the rich guests. When Kate defends Dawson, it is obvious that she feels some sort of bond with him. She is happy to be associated with a man from a poor background and this is obvious in the way that she links her arm with Dawson as they move about in the dinner party. Integrating The integrating stage begins when Dawson invites Kate to go out with him to his party. Kate agrees to this despite the fact that her absence would be noticed at her own party. She does not care about the fact that when she goes out with Dawson, she gives the impression that both of them are seeing each other. She, in fact, has a better time in Dawson and his friends’ company rather than with her own friends and family. She laughs more and is freer when she dances with Dawson and his friends. They dance together and Dawson call her ‘my best girl’. They dance like other couples. Bonding The bonding stage begins when Dawson tries his hardest to meet Kate even when he is pushed out from Kate’s circle and even Kate brushes him off after being chided by her fiancé and mother. They both meet again and patch up realizing that they have strong feelings for each other. The scene where they both meet on the ship’s dock and stand on the rail with her hands stretched is a part of the bonding stage. The bonding stage has another one scene when Kate asks Dawson to sketch her naked with just a necklace on. It is in this stage that the couple has sex when they try to run away from Kate’s unofficial bodyguard. Coming Apart Stage Despite the great chemistry that the couple enjoys, this relationship also goes through a coming apart stage. This begins right after the Titanic hits an iceberg and the ship is in chaos. Differentiating and Circumscribing Differentiating and Circumscribing occurs together in the movie when Kate’s fiancé manages to convince Kate that Dawson stole her necklace along with a coat. Here Kate realizes that both of them belong to different societies and she wrongfully Dawson had his own intentions when he was befriending her. Both of them get into a conflict where Dawson tries to prove his innocence but Kate refuses to acknowledge it; thus falling into the trap that her fiancé has set for them. Stagnating and Avoiding From this point onwards, the relationship goes through a small phase of stagnating and avoidance. Dawson is being kept imprisoned while Kate joins her mother and fiancé. She expresses no wish to meet with Dawson and thus the relationship does not move any further. Rose continues to avoid Dawson till the last moment. It is only when her fiancé and mother are leaving the sinking boat that she takes her stand against them and runs off to find Dawson. Terminating Before being terminated, the relationship goes through an improvement. Kate runs off to rescue Dawson even when she knows that her chances of leaving the ship safety have been minimized. She manages to rescue Dawson despite the fact that he bound to a pole. From them on, they continue to remain attached to each other. Even when Kate has a chance to get off the ship safety, she remains attached to Dawson. However, the relationship does come to an end in the icy water where both are flung into when the ship eventually sinks. However, Dawson manages to get Kate on a plank away from the icy water. Kate manages to survive while Dawson dies; thus terminating their relationship. Conclusion The relationship of Rose and Dawson can be explained through the Model developed by Mark Knapp. The relationship of this couple went through the same stages that have been described by Knapp. However, the movement from one stage to another was quite abrupt because the relationship developed in a small time frame and disintegrated in even a much smaller time frame. The coming apart stage occurred very quickly and some stages even occurred at the same time. However, even as the couple came apart, they did not come apart in the classic sense as Knapp has proposed. Work Cited Griffin, Cindy, Invitation to Human Communication, 1st ed, Ohio: Cengage Learning, 2002, Print. Read More