Miscommunication in Stillwater: The Interplay of Social Identities, Language Barriers, and Emotional Dynamics

Abstract

This paper analyses Stillwater’s (2021) dialogue and action lines to demonstrate how miscommunication, specifically during heightened emotional instances, between Bill, the protagonist, and other characters is due to language barriers and emotional dynamics related to ethnic diversity. The study reveals that language difficulties hinder effective communication between Bill, an out-group member, and French residents, the in-group. Consequently, his limited language skills not only mark him as an outsider by challenging his efforts to integrate into the French culture, but also prove that language is a marker of group identity, influencing emotions, behavior, and interaction. In addition, the study demonstrates that the cultural disparities Bill encounters socially define and categorize him as an “out-group” member (American) from the perspective of the “in-group” (French), thus elucidating out-group biases and discrimination. These findings emphasize the role of language in reflecting linguistic and cultural nuances in intergroup interactions in the screenplay Stillwater.