Mookie: “Jane

KEITH FORREST

Mass Media |Public Relations |Writing Scholarship

Conflict

Interpersonal Communication

Instructor: Keith Forrest

Conflict between Mookie and Jane in “Do The Right Thing”

Background about this conflict

The film clip you will be analyzing is taken from the movie, “Do the Right Thing.” For the purposes of our discussion, forget that the scene comes from a movie and treat the conflict you are viewing as if you were standing there in the room with the two participants. View the scene as an interpersonal communication exchange and not a part of a film.

· Mookie and Jane are brother and sister.

· Mookie is older than Jane.

· Mookie and Jane live together, sharing the same house.

· Mookie works as a pizza delivery man at Sal’s Pizzeria.

· Jane works as a nurse.

· Mookie has a 5-year-old son.

· Mookie does not live with the mother of his son.

· Today is a very hot day with temperatures near 100 degrees.

· The scene you are watching is part of a conflict that has occurred before.

As you watch this clip from the film “Do The Right Thing” ask yourself these questions:

1. How would you define conflict?

2. What is the interpersonal communication conflict between Mookie and Jane about?

3. Is the communication style displayed by Mookie and Jane, assertive, aggressive, or passive, or combination of the three?

· Mookie: “Jane!”

· Jane: “What?!” “Mookie, How come you’re not at Sal’s?

· Mookie: “I’m working.”

· Jane: “What is this Mookie, another one of your patented two-hour lunch breaks?”

· Mookie: “I wanted to come home and take a quick shower.”

· Jane: “Sal is going to mad.”

· Mookie: “Sometimes I think you are more concerned about him than you are me, and I’m your own brother.”

· Jane: Yea, Mookie. “That’s real smart. Sal pays you. That’s why should you work. Did you ever think about that?”

· Mookie: “I work. Slavery days are over. My name ain’t Kunta Kinte.”

· Jane: “Yea, Mookie, I just don’t want you to lose the one job you’ve been able to keep for more than a month. That’s all. Okay. I’m carrying you as is.”

· Mookie: “Don’t worry about me. I will always get paid.”

· Jane: “Yea, you always get paid. What about your responsibilities? Why don’t you take better care of those?”

· Mookie: “What responsibilities?”

· Jane: “What responsibilities? What are you deaf Mookie? You know damn well what I’m talking about. Take care of your responsibilities! Are right?”

· Mookie: “Who are you yelling at anyway?”

· Jane: “I’m yelling at you.”

· Mookie: “I’m going to take care of the shower, okay?”

· Jane: “Yea, take a shower.”

· Mookie: “I’m your big brother. Don’t be yelling at me now.”

· Jane: “You’re a bum.”

· Mookie: “Don’t call me no bum!”

Role Playing Exercise

· We will need someone to play the role of Mookie.

· We will need someone to play the role of Jane.

· We will need someone to play the role of moderator.

1. Help Mookie and Jane come up with ways to resolve their conflict by using the five stages of conflict Resolution.

2. We will work together as a class.

3. A different group will be responsible for each step by asking Mookie and Jane questions, and then using that information to create solutions.

Group #1

Define the Conflict

l Content and Relationship issues

l Specific Terms

l Focus on Present

l Empathize

l Avoid Mind Reading

Group #2

Examine Possible Solutions

l Brainstorm solutions

l Create an open, supportive environment

l Look for win-win solutions (Assertive Communication)

Group #3

Test the Solution

l Test solution mentally in present and future.

l Test solution in practice.

Group #4

Evaluate the Solution

l Use three of six thinking hats

1. Fact

2. Feeling

3. Negative Argument (Devil’s Advocate)

Group #5

l Use three of six thinking hats

4. Positive Benefits

5. Creative New Idea

6. Control of Thinking

Whole Class

Reject or Accept Solution