English Department- Licenciatura Program : Lengua y

Cultura
Midterm Exam Facilitator: Graciela Ferreiro
General instructions:
Please use double space in your answers
!ou can consult sources but remember to cite them according to "P" #ormat
Part $: $n the mo%ie Forrest Gump se%eral aspects o# "merican history and culture are
shown "nswer the #ollowing &uestion s
' Mention and explain three "merican %alues that were discussed in class that are
depicted in the mo%ie ( ') points*
) Comment on two social problems o# the "merican society that are re#lected in the
mo%ie ( +points*
, Explain in detail #our historical e%ents o# "merican most recent history that are
present in the mo%ie ( '- points*
Part $$ Explain in depth how non %erbal communication is related to culture ( ). points*
I Part.
1.
1. Indivudualism: Throughout all American history, Americans have
shown their sense of independence, creating ways, towns, buildings
and civilizations by their own. For instance, the conuer of the
!Frontier" in which Americans started to cross out all America to
conuer the west, and through this event, they built bridges, found new
ways, and made a civilization that nowdays is one of the most powerful
ones in the world. Americans tried to ma#e things by their own without
the help of anyone else and because of this sense of individualism they
have succeeded in different areas such as education, science and
technology, architecture and businesses.
$. %guality: Americans stand for that everyone is eual and has the
same rights. In the movie !Forrest &ump", there were a couple of
events that too# place in the '()s such as the first blac# little American
girl *+uby ,ridges- who could go to a regular school of white children in
.ew /rleans. Also, the struggle of blac# American people and the 0ivil
rights in order to stop segregation and discrimination of color, religion
or origin.
1. 2erseverance: Americans have persevered because of their hard 3
wor#, strength and individualism, and these values have led them to
success. At a very early ages, Americans are encourage to get their
own goals and wor# hard for them, at the end their efforts will be
rewarded.
2.
/ne of the main problems in American society which is clearly shown
in the movie is !bullying" against Forrest. 4ince he was a child, he has
suffered !aggression or bullying", even in the movie he is grown up and
he still suffered mistreatment from his peers. The fact that he is a
person with special needs ma#es him loo# fool or dumb toward the
society. Another problem is racism, during all the film it is shown all the
struggle and efforts that blac# Americans have done in order to fight for
their rights and euality.
3.
/ne historical event that ta#es place in the '() is the two students who
went to 5niversity of white people. Forrest appears on a protest, and
later one of these blac# students dropped a boo#, and he immediately
goes to pic# it up and give it to the person. Another historical event is
when 6enny 7oined to a blac# group !,lac# 2anther 8ovement" which
fought for the rights of blac# people, they were against racism and they
stood for that blac# people should be treated eually as white ones in
the society, also the ,lac# 2anther movement was against the war in
9ietnam. The 9ietnam :ar is another important historical event of
American history where lots of Americans were sent to war without
having any relation or concern over 9ietnam, in the movie appears a
protest of many Americans against the war because they thought that
the involvement of the 5.4 army was a mista#e, and inmoral. In
addition to the 9ietnam :ar, the :atergate 4candal was another
important event within American history in the ;()s in which the
<emocratic .ational 0ommittee bro#e into the :atergate office and
2resident .i=on was aware about this. It seems that several members
of the <emocratic .ational 0ommittee to re> elect the 2resident had
participated. In the investigation was revealed that all conversations
from the /val /ffice were taped and 2resident .i=on was supposed to
hand in those tapes. ?owever, this event caused the resignation of the
2resident.
II Part.
Throughout history, the human being has tried to loo# for different ways
of communication. ?owever, there is one type of communication which
plays an important role in our society and culture and it is !non 3 verbal
communication". First of all, it is important to define what is non 3
verbal communication@. According to *aiic, 6anuary $((A- Non-verbal
communication consists of all the messages other than words that are
used in communication. In oral communication, these symbolic
messages are transferred by means of intonation, tone of voice,
vocally produced noises, body posture, body gestures, facial
expressions or pauses. This means that non 3 verbal communication
involves aspects of body language or non 3 verbal messages li#e the
symbolic messages mentioned above. There is a uote which says
Actions spea louder than words by !eorge Aomas "r. This means
that our non 3 verbal communication can create a big positive or
negative impact on the message that people want to get across, and
besides our non 3 verbal communication can play a bigger role than
what people mean to say. :hen people start tal#ing either in an
informal conversation, in a 7ob interview, in a speech or in a meeting,
people)s gestures are going to generate a great influence on other
people. They may evo#e feelings of unconfidence, uncertainty, anger,
happiness, satisfaction or even fear. It is unconceivable to thin# that
verbal 3 communication is apart or separated from non 3 verbal
communication, both are strictly and intrinsically lin#ed from each
other. Furthermore, non 3 verbal communication plays an important
role in the different cultures around the world, according to *aiic,
6anuary $((A- it says that a successful interpretation of non-verbal
elements conveyed by the speaer re#uires the same understanding of
the symbols shared between interpreter and speaer. $hat means, for
the understanding and for the correct interpretation of an utterance and
its simultaneously conveyed non-verbal elements, it is crucial that
there is a shared nowledge of the rules and codes of non-verbal
communication, which are embedded in the participants% culture. In
other words, the society of a specific culture or country has to be
familiar with the type of non 3 verbal communication usedB otherwise,
there could be misunderstandings.
In my opinion, non 3 verbal communication has a great influence and
relevance on our communication, and as a society wherever country or
culture we are, we have to get familiar with peopleCs non 3 verbal
communication because everyone communicates differently. For
instance: the gesture that 0osta +ican people ma#e when ta#ing a ta=i
is not going to be the same way in the 5nited 4tates, 0anada or in any
other country. There are people who are more caring and warmer than
other ones, and as a society, people have to be careful on how they
address or approach to a person because gestures play a fundamental
role on peopleCs communication. They may be offensive, intimidating,
effusive or may cause a positive impact. Ta#ing care of our non 3
verbal communication is as important as our verbal communication
because when you convey your message not only reflects what you
mean to say, but also the way how you say it, and this probably may
have a greater relevance than words.
Bibliographical Reference
!The Importance of non 3 verbal communication in professional
interpretation" *$((A, 6anuary 1D
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