![]() Within this study the contemporary breakup as reflected by the movie (500) Days of Summer will be examined under the lens of relational dialectics theory to explore how breakups occur in many romantic, heterosexual relationships. For this study, internal dialectics will be observed more so than external dialectics because the film is centered on Tom and Summer’s relationship and remains detached from any external dialectics that would play a role in their relationship. Understanding this notion helps people understand that when developing and sustaining a relationship, it is bound to be an unpredictable and indeterminate process (Baxter & Montgomery, 2009). The theory also provides information on the idea of dialectical flux and the fact that quality relationships are constructed through dialogue. These tensions, as explored by the theory, are naturally occurring within a relationship and should not be viewed as a major problem within a relationship. Unchecked miscommunication regarding these tensions causes people to break away from each other. On the other hand, external dialectics are the ongoing tensions between a couple and their community (Baxter & Montgomery, 2009). Internal dialectics are viewed as ongoing tensions played out within a relationship. These three dialectics are divided between either internal or external dialectics. Instead of a “villain,” there exists natural tensions between the three dialectics that affect relationships: integration-separation, stability-change, and expression-nonexpression. By using relational dialectics theory, this study aims to clarify the reasoning behind a break within many romantic, heterosexual relationships. Strong, long lasting relationships are built through dialogue, which is seen as an aesthetic accomplishment that creates brief and fleeting moments of unity through a strong respect for the varying voices (Griffin, 2009, pp. To paraphrase Griffin (2009), a person’s social life consists of a multitude of twisting and turning contradictions, never-ending interactions between both opposing and contradictory tendencies that include integration-separation, stability-change, and expression-nonexpression. Em Griffin (2009), author of A First Look at Communication Theory, offers a summary on how RDT views the world and offers as a good starting point for understanding the theory. It also addresses how contradictions/tensions are constant within relationships no matter the circumstance. Relational dialectics theory (RDT) focuses on relationships and the exchanges that occur within them. This study analyzes (500) Days of Summer through the theoretical lens of relational dialectics theory to see how miscommunication and relational dialectic imbalance, in many romantic, heterosexual relationships cause break ups. Rather, it is because of a miscommunication and imbalance of relational dialectics. ![]() More importantly, the film shows how a break up is not one-sided. (500) Days of Summer will be used within this study because it provides an arguably true-to-life example of how a contemporary break up occurs. Instead, the film is about a break up between two contemporary characters and demonstrates how the break up occurred by looking at the entire relationship from start to finish. However, the narrator ends his opening monologue by saying that the film’s story is not a love story. (500) Days of Summer, as the narrator points out is a story of boy meets girl. Take for example the relationship between Tom and Summer in the movie (500) Days of Summer, which offers a fictionalized, but true-to-life example of how a contemporary relationship falls apart. However, upon closer examination of any situation, that is not always true. ![]() In many relationships, it becomes easy to point the finger and label someone as the cause of some great tension or conflict, in other words, a villain. The notion of heroes and villains has jumped straight out of the comics and into our everyday lives.
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