Category: Communication in Relationships

Technology is around every corner we turn. Not only do they help with communicating they also help with accessing the Internet. Without the Internet, people can not shop, communicate, play, and much more. Over time, technology has helped relationships form with social media, dating apps, and electronic interactions. Many people think this is a helpful way to form relationships, but there are also harmful things technology can bring It. It does not help form relationships because it can distract others from face-to-face interactions, decreases personal connections, and cause miscommunications and misunderstandings.

How is technology affecting interactions? Socializing can harm relationships. As the years go by, technology has become harder to resist, like checking phones on dates, family dinners, and much more. People are less likely to develop empathy and understanding during meaningful conversations on technology. According to digitalresponsibility.org, 45 percent of teenagers feel annoyed when friends get distracted by technology while they are spending time together. 44 percent admit to allowing their attention to get taken away by technology while in personal interactions.

Even though technology has influenced the world in many positive ways, research shows that mobile technology affects communication in a negative way when it comes to personal connections. Technology can decrease communication and relationships with one another. Internet use today has been proven to cause feelings of loneliness or busyness. People can also gain feelings of exclusion when they see friends or family spending time together without them. This can lead to the loss of friendships and personal connections with others.

Although technology is a very advanced way to communicate, people tend to misinterpret what others say to them through text messages and emails because there is an inability to detect tone. Understanding whether the person is being funny, sarcastic, rude, joking, or serious, which is very important. Conversations also lack context, which leads to misunderstandings and relationships with each other. This is a main issue in society today. One can not determine if a person’s tone is negative or positive through text.

However, technology affects many in positive ways. It helps people communicate with others from close to faraway places for friends and family who can’t always meet in person so that they can stay connected. Technology also helps with long-distance relationships, which can increase communication with each other. It is also helpful for work and business because others can communicate with customers, clients, coworkers, and bosses. It can also increase business productivity and better customer service.

In conclusion, many people think technology is helpful, but it can also bring negative issues. Distraction from face-to-face interactions, decreasing personal connections and causing miscommunications are all a few ways technology can harm others. There are no clear answers as to whether technology is good or bad for human relationships and society as a whole. But the way people use technology determines its effects on one another. When technology is used correctly, it can have a great impact on oneself.

How can we live without social media today? We are in a world where our phones are the very first and last thing we see every morning and night, it’s no big surprise social media can affect our relationships, both online and offline. Social media has had one of the deepest effects on society. It is useful to all classes of people, but on certain occasions, it has proven to be harmful. In the United States today, you’re statistically more likely to use social media than not — by a lot. Approximately 77 percent of all Americans have a social media profile of some kind.

Social media platforms enable people to make new friends and find new interests. It also enables them to associate with an enormous gathering of individuals who offer similar interests as theirs. People who are not very comfortable with face-to-face interactions or who suffer from social anxiety usually fail to make good friends. Social media can assist give them a genuine opportunity to hide their shyness and restraints to make it easier for them to create new friends. Social media has likewise made it feasible for individuals from various countries to create powerful relationships. You can associate with people from different countries and know more about them, their culture, and their way of life. Social media has made it possible for an individual to share his/her updates instantly with other people. Social media websites allow an individual to create a profile that would perfectly describe him and show the individual’s preferences. This is incredibly helpful in knowing whether you would be well-suited for that person or not. Social media also helps you to network in an effective manner from the bounds of your home.

Using social media nowadays has made it simpler for everybody to do everything really. It has made it very easy in a wide range of settings, for example, workplace, school, home, and everywhere else. Perhaps one of the most important advantages of social media would need to be the way we communicate with others. When communicating through social media, you can send and receive messages at any time and anywhere from anyone as long as you are connected to the Internet via Wi-Fi or 4G. There would be no need for payphones and landlines when everyone today has a smartphone. Social media is incredible for remaining connected with family and friends and sharing intriguing and significant parts of our lives. It keeps us connected over the world and causes us to find our friends or relatives that we had not spoken to in a long time. The ability to have the option to speak with others from various parts of the world is stunning. Communication between people that have long-distance relationships was very hard without social media because they would not be able to talk to each other as frequently and easily. Now social media has provided many ways for them to stay in touch. You can have live video conversations with multiple people in any country such as Skype at any time.

We live in a period where feelings are openly shared and posted on social media, notwithstanding the conclusion of the feeling shared. Sharing our feelings and emotions with each other helps create and build stronger interpersonal bonds between each other, which starts relationships. When we get together with a friend and disclose to them we are feeling awful, we are opening up to them in a way that empowers them to open up accordingly. This starts a reciprocal procedure that unites us closer together and makes friendships stronger. The procedure can likewise enable our feelings to return to their ordinary state when they are out of balance. This isn’t because discussing our emotions is soothing, but because we get feedback, support, and validation from the people we converse with.

Regardless of the popularity of social media platforms and the way quickly, we’ve inserted them into our lives, there’s a remarkable loss of clear statistics approximately how they affect us, in my opinion: our behaviors, our social relationships, and our mental health. Research has related the use of social media to despair, anxiety, poorer sleep quality, lower self-esteem, and inattention— frequently in teens and youngsters. The writer Leslie Shore stated: “Research shows that, on average, we spend two or more hours a day on social media”. Also, Jordyn Young, a co-author of the paper and a senior at Pennsylvania College stated: “What we found overall is that if you use less social media, you are actually less depressed and less lonely, meaning that the decreased social media use is what causes that qualitative shift in your well-being”.

In a way, social media pulls us apart. Take, for example, family relationships. Family gatherings now establish a get-together of family members that only sit silently using their smartphones, hardly talking with each other face to face. Instead, it’s ironic how they focus more on sharing a picture of themselves with their family members than actually participating in this event itself, but nowadays this has become a norm and an ordinary sight. Social media has nearly destroyed family life in so many ways. We prefer to update our followers with what is happening in our life at that moment on social media than converse with our siblings or parents.

It’s very likely that you have been with a friend recently and were trying to fight for their attention while they were just scrolling through their Instagram or posting on Facebook, and you would feel ignored or lonely. Antonia Hall, a psychologist, relationship expert, and the author of ‘The Ultimate Guide to a Multi-Orgasmic Life’ says: “We’re forgetting how to just BE with one another, engaging and interacting without taking pictures, posting, and checking social media”. It’s becoming too common to disregard the humans around us in actual life, opting rather to provide our interest to social media streams. You can easily get carried away while using social media since it is very addicting, therefore hurting your relationship with that person, so it is very important to know what time is appropriate to use social media and what time is not.

These are just a few of the ways social media affects our relationships described in this essay. On the one hand, they really brought us together, but on the other hand, they pulled us apart, clearly damaging our relationship rather than strengthening it. There is no denying both the positive and negative effects on a person, but each of us must make a choice to use it effectively. So, in my opinion, it is best that we focus on how to make the best use of social media and not let it destroy our relationships.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was published after the abolition of slavery in the United States, however the story is set before the Civil War, where slavery is legal and is the system that keeps the American South booming. Throughout the novel, Twain uses Jim, a runaway slave, to demonstrate the humanity of slaves. In contrast, Twain splits his other main characters into two groups: those who profit directly from slavery such as the slaveowners Miss Watson, the Grangerford household and the Phelps family, and those who profit indirectly from slavery, such as the Duke and the King who ultimately sell Jim to the Phelps family in exchange for the reward money.

When Jim is first introduced, he is using an ox fur hair ball to help Huckleberry Finn determine if Pap is going to stay in town. Jim makes an offering to the hair ball, then listens to what it has to say. The hair ball tells Jim that Pap is fighting between “two angles,” one white and one black. Meaning that Pap, is struggling between his good side and his evil side. This scene illustrates that Jim believes in a higher power. Jim’s religion is very different when compared to Christianity, however, both religions share the moral dilemma of struggling to suppress the evilness that exists within one’s soul. By showing that Jim can practice a strict religion, the reader is able to sympathize with him using their own religion.

Further in the novel, Huckleberry Finn discovers Jim has runaway from his owner, Miss Watson, because she is going to sell him to another slave owner in New Orleans. Jim does not want to be separated from his wife and children, who are slaves at a neighboring planation, so he decides to escape to the North, where he will be a free man. Once he is free, he will try to earn enough money to purchase the freedom of his wife and children. In the South, slaveowners make large profits off the institution of slavery, while the slaves are ignored, oppressed, and subjected to physical and mental abuse. White slaveowners, rationalize the mistreatment of slaves by assuming that people of African descent are mentally inferior to them, and that they are more animalistic than human. When Huckleberry Finn, fakes his death to escape his violent and abusive father, Pap, Jim is automatically assumed to have killed him based purely off speculation that he ran away for killing Huck Finn and his racial identity.

Throughout the novel, Huckleberry Finn struggles with whether he should turn in Jim for running away, as he has a legal and societal obligation to do so. However, as he spends more time with Jim, he begins to see that slaves are capable of human feelings such as love, happiness, and pain. This can be seen in the scene where Jim is crying because he misses his family, especially his daughter, who was unnecessarily mean too until he realized she was deaf and not a stubborn child.

Introduction

‘The Notebook’ is a timeless romantic film that not only captivates viewers with its heartfelt story but also explores the power of communication in relationships. Set in the 1940s, the movie follows the tumultuous love story of Noah and Allie, two individuals from different social backgrounds. Through various forms of communication, including verbal and non-verbal cues, letters, and gestures, the film showcases how effective communication plays a crucial role in deepening connections, resolving conflicts, and sustaining love amidst challenging circumstances. This essay will delve into the intricacies of communication in ‘The Notebook’ and how it shapes the characters’ relationships.

Verbal Communication: Expressing Emotions and Intentions

In ‘The Notebook,’ verbal communication serves as a primary tool for the characters to express their emotions and intentions. Noah and Allie engage in heartfelt conversations, sharing their dreams, fears, and aspirations. Their open and honest communication allows them to establish a deep emotional bond. Noah’s passionate declaration of love in the rain is a powerful scene that demonstrates the impact of verbal expression in forging a strong connection.

Non-Verbal Communication: Unspoken Gestures and Intimacy

Beyond words, non-verbal communication plays a significant role in conveying emotions and fostering intimacy between the characters. The tender glances, gentle touches, and shared smiles speak volumes about their deepening connection. The unspoken gestures, such as Noah holding out his hand for Allie to dance or Allie placing her head on Noah’s shoulder, convey trust, comfort, and understanding. These non-verbal cues enhance the emotional depth of their relationship, allowing them to communicate without uttering a single word.

Letter Writing: Nostalgia and Sustaining Love

Letter writing serves as a vital form of communication in ‘The Notebook.’ Noah and Allie’s love story is kept alive through a series of heartfelt letters exchanged over the years. These letters not only bridge the physical distance between them but also allow them to express their enduring love and nostalgia for the past. The act of writing and receiving letters becomes a means of sustaining their emotional connection and keeping their memories alive.

Conflict Resolution: Communication as a Catalyst

‘The Notebook’ also highlights the importance of effective communication in resolving conflicts. When Noah and Allie face challenges and misunderstandings, they are able to overcome them by engaging in open and honest conversations. They listen to each other’s perspectives, empathize with their partner’s feelings, and find common ground. By addressing their conflicts through communication, they are able to strengthen their bond and rekindle their love.

Communication Across Generations: Remembering and Sharing Stories

Another significant aspect of communication in ‘The Notebook’ is the transmission of stories across generations. The elderly Noah recounts their love story to Allie, who is suffering from memory loss. Through storytelling, he keeps their shared memories alive and reaffirms their love. This intergenerational communication showcases the power of narratives in connecting people, bridging gaps in time, and preserving legacies.

Conclusion

In ‘The Notebook,’ communication serves as the cornerstone of Noah and Allie’s love story. Through verbal and non-verbal expressions, letter writing, conflict resolution, and intergenerational storytelling, the film emphasizes the transformative power of effective communication in fostering deep connections, sustaining love, and overcoming obstacles. As viewers, we are reminded of the significance of open and honest communication in our own relationships, encouraging us to cherish and nurture the art of effective communication in our lives.

The word ‘truth’ originates from the Anglo-Saxon word ‘treowe’ meaning ‘believed’. ‘Believe’ itself is from the word ‘gelyfan’, which means ‘to esteem dear’. Etymologically, ‘truth’ would be something accepted to be of some value, instead of essentially being right. ‘Believe’ is used in the more established sense, as in ‘I believe in communism’ which is different to ‘I believe that trees are used to make paper’.

How do we know what truth is? Most importantly, we need to utilize reason. We can’t just acknowledge things since simply because they align with our past thoughts or strengthen our prejudices or propose the world as we might want to see it. We need to consider the contentions and the proof, to work things out. We also need to look at the validity of the evidence. Most assumptions of truth are made from claim with little or no evidence. We should be reluctant to accept such statements. As the famous Scottish scholar David Hume put it: ‘A wise man proportions his belief to the evidence’. A personal experience or anecdotes of acquaintances may seem convincing proof, but our senses can easily disappoint us, and people can be seriously wrong, even if they are sincere. Most of the time when, when there is weak or inadequate evidence to form a conclusion. The simple phrase of ‘I don’t know’ can be a more tolerable response than rushing to conclusions with weak or incompetent evidence.

Furthermore, if the claim of belief is contrary to current knowledge, we need solid evidence. Sometimes it is ethically acceptable to deny a ‘new’ truth simply because it is challenging and conflicting the ‘old’ truth or belief. However most of the time, many claims that are contrary to current knowledge can be invalid. So, we need refined and consistent evidence to prove that the new truth is right. In order to abandon the ‘old’ truth to our newer truth or belief/s. Next, we should see if an assertion is observable, measurable and repeatable. If we are told that a specific type of medication is detrimental, a sufficient sample of patients and a proper control group can be used to test the drug. To verify the validity of this claim. If the claim- for example, using your phone before going to bed is harmful for your body and sleep- Has not been proven reliable, because we haven’t or can’t test the cogency of the statement. We would need to be very sceptical of the claim.

Accordingly then we must look towards the epistemic theories of truth that exist within the purvey of Philosophy. These theories of truth offer us certainty of knowledge if we follow the epemistic principles. These are notions of truth as it pertains to knowledge, belief and perspective. The distinctive claim of verificationism is that the result of such verifications is, by definition, truth. Put simply, verificationism is the doctrine that a proposition is only cognitively (thought) meaningful if it can be definitively and conclusively determined to be either true or false (i.e. verifiable or falsifiable).

Next, we should consider whether an assertion has been the subject. The best people to judge the truth of beliefs are those with relevant knowledge in the area. That means engineers are able to asses a claim on an engine better than, opposed to something an ecologist would specialize in. If a new belief or truth has not been verified or even been tested by those professionals that work alongside that specific area. One can be very sceptical of its validity, though we need to weigh the opinion of relevant expertise carefully. Of course, as we have seen before. Specialist can be wrong-especially when a new idea is doubted and especially when the new idea challenges a well-established older idea. However, most of us simply just don’t have the knowledge to make an informed decision, which is why we rely on proficient and experienced specialists to make the decision for us. Therefore, if the overwhelming majority of physicist’s state that the chemical Batrachotoxin is brutal to the human body or if the overwhelming majority of environmentalist’s state that global warming is a reality. If someone would disagree with these statements they would need strong reasons with verification to contradict these statements.

Next, we should be more inclined to accept the ‘truth’ from unbiased and independent organisations opposed to ones with high prejiduce. Studies have shown that citizens are more satisfied with democratic governments, because they have more effective mechanisms of spreading and establishing the truth.These processes include regular elections, free media, freedom of association, laws, court of law, open courts, free markets, educated citizens and consumers. Similarly, , companies and organizations funded by the government are more than likely to be reliable sources of truth.

I will provide you the following reasons why truth is important. Truth has its own virtue. Most of the time we expect and want people — including our relatives, friends, politicians, doctors and professional consultants— to tell us the truth, because we believe it is important to know the truth and to be honoured by the expression of it. Truth is an essential part of human culture and history. All of our past historic achievements is based upon truth and belief. Truth is one of the defining features that makes us human.

The pursuit of truth is a corollary to a a consistent and purposeful approach to our lives. If we do not know that statements are true, we can not make sensible decisions revolving around our life. For example If a specific make and model of a car is more fuel efficient, the information about the truth can help determine which one is bested suited for someone’s needs.

To conclude, truth normally leads to action. Truth has an instrumental value in its own, but also has intrinsic value. Given the choice between a life of unlimited happiness as a brain in a vat and a genuine human life, together with all its suffering and pain, most people choose the genuine human life. Plato Cratylus says in that aletheia ‘ truth ‘ in Greek is a compaction of the phrase ‘ a wandering that is divine. ‘ Since Plato, many philosophers have spoken in the same breath about truth and God. Truth has also been linked to things like freedom, justice and power. A famous philosopher called Thoreau once said, ‘ Rather than love, as money, as fame, give me truth. ‘

Not having human companionship can have huge repercussions. It can lead to sadness and being miserable in others. In his novel Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck introduces us to some minor characters who suffer from no human companionship daily. Whether it is due to their ethnicity, their gender, their age, or their mental capacity, these characters are left alone and have to deal with the effects of not having human companionship. Steinbeck showed a fascinating view in these minor characters of how people, when left to deal with something on their own can negatively impact those with whom they come in contact. Through his characterization of his minor characters, Steinbeck stresses that if you do not have human companionship it can bring out the worst in people through the characters Crooks and Curley’s wife.

Crooks, the only African American on the ranch, is rejected by everyone he lives and works with, causing him to feel deep depression and frustration towards others. For example, in this quote Crooks states he is not welcomed in the bunk with the others because he is black ‘I ain’t wanted in the bunkhouse, and you ain’t wanted in my room.” “Why ain’t you wanted?” Lennie asked. “’ Cause I’m black. They play cards in there, but I can’t play because I’m black. They say I stink”(Steinbeck 67). We can imagine the loneliness Crooks experiences at the kind of wholesale rejection he is subjected to because of his race, segregated into a separate room with only a box of straws to sleep in. Also, he has no one to talk to because no one wants to talk to him because he is black. Furthermore, in this quote, Crooks expresses that a person needs human companionship no matter who they are “A guy needs somebody to be near him. A guy goes nuts if he ain’t got nobody. It doesn’t make any difference who the guy is, as long as he’s with you. I tell ya, I tell ya a guy gets too lonely an’ he gets sick'(71) This shows since Crooks has no human companionship he can’t be provided with happiness and a support system to make him strong and successful. Likewise, he explains that a person can go crazy and get sick if he or she has nobody or somebody near them. Overall, Crooks being rejected by everyone he lives and works with he has to deal with not trying to go crazy or get sick of not having someone to talk to.

As the only female on the ranch, Curley’s wife is ignored and persistently avoided by the ranchers, causing her to try and gain control of the situation in a negative way. For instance, this quote is said by Curley’s wife when all the men go to town, including her husband “’I get lonely’ she said ‘You can talk to people, but I can’t talk to nobody but Curley, else he gets mad. How’d you like not to talk to nobody?’” (84) This shows that Curley’s wife is trapped and she doesn’t know what to do but to express her feelings and try to find some way to talk to somebody besides Curly. Moreover, Curley’s wife admits she is lonely and does not know what to do about it but finds some way to talk without Curley knowing so he does not get mad. Next, “A girl was standing there looking in. She had full, rouged lips and wide-spaced eyes, heavily made-up…

She put her hands behind her back and leaned against the door frame so that her body was thrown forward”(31). Curley’s wife hungers for attention and communication with others, although she often seeks this attention in the wrong manner. For, knowing that she is the only woman and that she is attractive, Curley’s wife seductively positions herself. Also, this quote is about how Curley’s wife had big dreams but they were abandoned “ ‘I lived right in Salinas,’ she said. ‘Come there when I was a kid. Well, a show came through, and I met one of the actors. He says I could go to that show. But my old lady wouldn’t let me. She says because I was only fifteen. But the guy says I could. If I’d gone, I wouldn’t be livin’ like this, you bet”(86). Curley’s wife is pathetically lonely after having had to abandon her dreams of being a movie star. I tell ya I could have gone with shows. Out of this loneliness, Curley’s wife comes around the bunkhouse to bother Lennie and have someone to talk to and express her feelings. Lastly, in this quote, Curley’s wife shows a very tough and aggressive side toward her ‘Well, you keep your place then, Nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny” (79). However, she holds a power that the men do not when she threatens Crooks with lynching. Moreover, in this quote, Curley’s wife is acting tough in front of Crooks because her lack of human companionship makes her turn the situation into a negative one. As a result, Curley’s wife being ignored and persistently avoided turns her loneliness into aggression and a seductive manner.

In Conclusion, these minor characters show that they do not have human companionship in their lives starting from Crook’s childhood and when Curley’s wife gets married. The lack of human companionship is an inevitable part of life, which many individuals struggle with. It is an emotional response to a lack of companionship and communication with others, which has a huge impact on one’s overall behavior. Some impacted individuals may try to end their loneliness negatively; others become hopeless and bitter. The theme of the lack of human companionship is presented in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. The novel Of Mice and Men portrays the lack of human companionship as a complex emotion that often drives individuals to behavioral extremes. Steinbeck uses characters, some of the most important ones including Curley’s wife and Crooks, to reflect on the discriminative time that ultimately leads to the characters’ loneliness and particular behaviors. As a result, if everybody had human companionship fewer people would be lonely and unhappy.

A successful relationship occurs only when a consistent effort is made and maintained by both partners. Many times, couples enter relationships under the notion that since they are with someone they love, no conflicts will take place. Couples are cheerful and carefree when their relationships are moving smoothly and without the occurrence of any problems. However, when disagreements arise, many couples choose to ignore their disputes, instead of addressing them. To cope with the challenges in their relationships, couples will resort to intoxication as a means to escape from reality. Over time, this becomes a prevalent means to deal with stress and creates further challenges in the relationship. Very often, the male will take on the more dominant role in the relationship and will thus have greater power in major decisions made in the relationship. This results in the female having to ultimately comply to her partner’s wants, which are of greater importance than her own. As a result of this, the female constantly attempts to persuade herself that she agrees with the decisions made by her partner, although she truly does not. In the short story “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway, it is demonstrated utilizing character and location, through the American man and the girl, that a lack of communication, particularly during a crucial time, can create differences between a couple which can ultimately dismantle a relationship. Therefore, for a relationship to last, both partners must maintain consistent communication with one another.

The American man and the girl constantly try to refrain from talking to each other about their decision on whether or not to have an abortion, either through avoidance or through intoxication. The couple drinks very often, as a way to avoid each other. Shortly after the American man and the girl sit down at the train station, the girl comes to a realization and says, “ “I wanted to try this new drink. That’s all we do, isn’t it—look at things and try new drinks?” (Hemingway 476). The couple is drinking mainly to avoid thinking about the abortion, however, it is implied that there are many more underlying problems between the both of them. The girl states that they do not do anything together except try new drinks, which can be viewed as an excuse for them to constantly avoid one another. As a result of their consistent avoidance, it has become a routine for the couple to use alcohol as a means to avoid conversation, as well as the difficulties they are facing in their relationship. By the end of the story, the American man and the girl drink separately, the man drinks at the bar without the girl, which can be seen as an implication that the both of them will soon part ways in their relationship. The girl requests the American multiple times during their conversation to stop talking. For the second time during their conversation, the girl says, “ “Would you please please please please please please please stop talking?” ” (478). After spending time arguing about whether or not to have the abortion, the girl begs the man to stop talking. This demonstrates how the two of them avoid discussing important matters concerning their relationship. The girl repeating the word “please” seven times signifies just how desperate she is for the topic of conversation to change. It appears to have become a common occurrence for the girl to tell the man to stop talking because it takes her two tries for him to finally stop. This demonstrates just how many challenges the girl avoids talking to the man about. Without properly addressing their problems, their relationship is not likely to last.

It is evident through the location that the American man and the girl are at an extremely pivotal moment in their relationship. The couple being at a train station displays how they are at a crossroads in their relationship. At the very beginning, it is stated that “It was very hot and the express from Barcelona would come in forty minutes. It stopped at this junction for two minutes and went on to Madrid.” (475). The train station is not the final destination in the journey of the American man and the girl, but rather a momentary break between Barcelona and Madrid. Therefore, just like travelers, the American man and the girl must choose in which direction they want to go. They can either part ways, and end their relationship, or, they can stay together, and continue their relationship. This decision depends on how successfully they communicate their feelings to each other, and finalize a solution to their problems together. The juxtaposition between the white hills across the valley and the desolate land depicts two opposites in one location. When the girl walks to the end of the station, the setting is described in more detail “Across, on the other side, were fields of grain and trees along the banks of the Ebro. Far away, beyond the river, were mountains.” (477). The white hills represent fertility, while the desolate land on the other side represents sterility. This depicts the choice that the girl and the American have to make, they both have to choose which direction they want to go. These are both opposites, symbolizing life and death. This demonstrates how the American and girl need to communicate with each other in order to come to a conclusion as to what they want to do.

In conclusion, communication is mandatory in a relationship in order for it to be successful and enjoyable. In the short story “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway utilizes character and location to portray through the American man and the girl that the absence of communication, especially during an important time, can produce disaccord within a couple which can eventually dissolve a relationship. Therefore, for a strong and lasting relationship, constant communication is required between both individuals. People tend to look for ways to avoid dealing with conflicts with their partners. Therefore, to resolve challenges in one’s relationships, one must maintain open communication with their partner constantly. The American man and the girl consistently tried to escape from communicating with each other. The most important aspect of any relationship is for both individuals to be open to discussion with their partner, and to not avoid their problems.

Immediately after divorce woman is emotionally and mentally stressed. After the divorce, the woman feels that they cannot structure their future. They are aware of the social stigma that will follow them after the divorce. Traditionally women are recognised only through marriage. The divorced woman is forced to withdraw from society. She has no status in society and is confronted with many problems. Similarly, society looks down on Simrit. Simrit says to Joshi “As if divorce were a disease that left pockmarks’ (TDS 4). Simrit divorce does not bring freedom and relief from agony but confrontation in the male-dominated society. She feels utterly lost and bewildered at the brutal divorce settlement inflicted upon her. After divorce, she has to combat orthodox views about the status of women in Indian society. Simrit is a very sensitive woman and feels abandoned. She experiences the emotional shock and the consequences of an unfair divorce settlement. She has to bear the stigma of divorce for the remaining part of her life. Simrit’s predicament still follows her like a shadow even after the divorce. She has to combat all the problems of life as a single woman in bringing up her children. In this novel, Sahgal unfolds Som’s ill-treatment, harassment, and marginalization disregarding the feelings of his wife. “Her ‘revolutionary emancipation’ however puts her ironically enough not in the heaven of freedom but in the unenviable condition of a victim a sort of trapped animal”(P57) The Day in Shadow by

Som and Simrit do not possess the same or like minds in their marital life. They diagonally held opposite views in all respects. They have no mind to compromise on any matters in their marital life. So Simirit suffers from marital incompatibility. Simrit wants things to be permanent but Som is interested in new things. Simrit does not want to change the old furniture but Som wants to replace the old ones. Som has modern thinking and he wants to modernise everything but Simrit is a traditional woman and does not prefer changes. Simrit feels that Som’s views are childish. This reveals that an understanding and communication gap is absent between them. “Some had had no use for old belongings. He had taken a childish pleasure in newness” (TDS 37).

Som and Simrit have different tastes and likings even in purchasing the chair covers and curtains for decorating the house and windows. They have no uniform thinking. Som never pays attention to Simrit’s suggestions in the day to day life. Som never permits her to purchase or choose anything of her own choice. Som has supreme veto power and he has a manly ego. He is determined to do anything as per his wish and taste. Som never respects the feelings of Simrit. It reveals his male chauvinism. Simrit dismisses the cook twice for drunkenness and misbehavior. But Som reinstates him. It is a rude shock to her. She never expects or anticipates it. Simrit is helpless in this regard. Though she is the mistress of the house she cannot control the servant maids. She considers it a great setback to her life. She realizes she has no identity of her own. She loses her respect before the cook in her own house. Simrit thinks that it is an extreme type of ill-treatment and harassment meted out to her. The behavior and conduct of Som affect her mentally. She understands the patriarchal attitude of Som and his hegemony. Therefore she neither quarrels with him nor shows her anger. Simrit in a feministic way tolerates and adjusts the situation very patiently. She cannot establish her identity in the house. Therefore it paves the way for divorce. “She had dismissed the cook the cook twice for drunkenness and bad behavior and Som had kept him on” (TDS 38). Shyam Asnani observes:

Mere living together under the same roof, only the accumulating of a lifetime’s living habits, without any real bond of intimacies despite sex and children, the human substance between them dwindling is nothing but the mockery of marriage. True living lies in understanding each other, in mutual respect and trust, honesty and freedom without dominance (6).

Despite Som’s over-domination in the above incidents, she politely accepts it without any murmur in the interests and welfare of her children. She wants to be a dignified wife and hence she allows Som to exploit and humiliate her at his sweet will to a certain limit. At the same time, she does not want to lose her respect at any cost. But later on, she visualizes the drastic change in the behavior of Som. Slowly she feels that it will be impossible to live with him peacefully and happily anymore. Every nerve of Simrit feels suffocation and she thinks that her life with Som is miserable. She does not think over or anticipate until she is placed in a frightening situation. The condition of Simrit becomes worse day by day. The suffocating life creates tension in her mind. Simrit feels that her submissiveness shall not be construed to be her weakness. Simrit unconsciously falls into the marital net without analyzing his character. Simrit “Building up into a frightening situation—herself a cog in a machine—with which it had become impossible to live” (TDS 38). Rajendra states, “Simrit despite her passive acceptance of Som’s domination retains an individuality of her own. She wanted to be a good wife but not at the cost of her non-individuality” (P233)

Som is not highly educated but a genius at multiplying pounds. He uses his wisdom only in promoting his business. He aspires to amaze wealth and prosperity. He wants to live in riches and comforts. He gives more importance to money, power, and glory than human feelings. Som is of “Spiralling mania for affluence” (TDS 87). Therefore he does not give much attention to his family and he further does not show love and affection towards his wife Simrit. Achieving success in earning money at any cost is the only ambition and pride in his life. Simrit says “Money had been part of the texture of her relationship with Som, an emotional, forceful ingredient of it, intimately tied to his self-esteem. Money was, after all a form of pride, even of violence.” (TDS 60) Shibani Banerjee comments, “For a man like Som money is the most important thing and this love for money becomes the root of his separation from his wife Simrit” (73).

Som arranges dinners for business people, adopting this as one of the techniques to improve his business. Some further think providing food and shelter is enough for his wife and children. He never considers his wife’s feelings. Some treat his wife as an object of physical attraction for his pleasure and enjoyment. Simrit does not accept her status as a sex-satisfying partner but wants to be an intellectual companion to her husband. Some treat Simrit as a possession and not as a person who longs for self-expression and freedom to live as an individual within the marital bond. She is convinced that the bond of marriage should be based on trust, respect, and companionship. She expects their physical intimacy to grow and cover every act of their marital life with love and affection. She earns free communication in all aspects of her marital life and rebels against the traditional security of marriage. Therefore she feels that she is an isolated and secluded woman like abandoned furniture kept in the storeroom. Som never recognizes her individuality and her identity. Simrit has a strong conviction that nobody wants to live with him in such a pathetic condition of life. “It needed a special treatment to live with the disorder and not go crazy” (TDS 33). Arundhati Banerjee observes:

Man cannot think of himself without a woman. She cannot think of herself without a man. She appears essentially to the male as a sexual being. For him, she is sex…absolute sex, no less. She is defined and differentiated concerning man and not he concerning her: she is the incidental, the inessential as opposed to the essential (17).

Som’s male domination does not end here. He tries to make a mockery of their marital life. He says “She doesn’t need me to spend more time with her she’s very complete with the children and her writing and the rest of it” (TDS 77). Simrit longs for communication and a close relationship with her husband where she can find freedom and her position as a wife. But her relationship with her husband becomes strained due to the domination of Som. She has to spend a smothered marital life. Simrit respects certain values of life more than materialistic prosperity whereas Som gives more importance to money and power. Simrit finds the riches and comfort offered by her husband as superficial and an obstacle to her self-realization. He never discusses his business dealing with her. During the discussion with his friends, he will deliberately keep her out of the conversation.

This ignoring nature of her husband distresses her. Som’s sole aim is to earn money. He has no place for human feelings and emotions. It is not only Som’s dominating attitude but his craziness for money and power that appalls Simirit. Her distress reaches a peak when Som and Vetter finalize a deal to manufacture arms. It greatly distresses her. She raises many questions to Vetter to clarify her doubts concerning the new business in arms. “How do countries go shopping for arms? Do they look up special journals? There must at least be a catalog with descriptions. How does it all happen? Doesn’t there have to be a guarantee” (TDS 85). Vetter explains to Simrit how the new weapon is to replace the existing outmoded mountain guns. Simrit does not like this arms deal because this will ultimately destroy human beings. Som never allows Simrit to participate in and discuss any of his business dealings. His male chauvinism and ego prevent him from doing so. So she feels greatly upset over his inhuman attitude. She realizes that there is no place for the communication of thoughts in Som’s world which is engulfed with the ambition for power and money.

The denial of freedom and retaining her individuality Som’s obsession for wealth and his consideration of his wife Simrit as a precious object for his personal needs and self-gratification led to the gradual disintegration of their marriage. The new deal immensely distressed Simrit and in her anguish, she finds herself unable to respond to her husband’s need and remains excluded and rebellious when Som compels her with his sexual urge. He considers her non-involvement as an insult. This is the main reason for the marital drift. Susheela P. Rajendra states, “Som never discusses business with her. Their intimacy never extended to areas of the mind. She feels suffocated in the world of Som. It is the clash of ideals that leads to their separation”(233).

The new business in arms flourishes exceedingly therefore Vetter becomes a regular visitor. He is aware of Simrit’s problems and is interested in solving them. But his efforts end in vain. Simrit is a bold courageous woman and she is determined to face any challenge in life. Simrit does not accept his advice and therefore Vetter suggests she find a new way. “He tried to bridge the gaping void between her and Som” (TDS 80). Som gets very great success in the new business deal. He wants to celebrate this great success with his business people. In commemoration of his success in the new business, he wants to replace the old furniture, curtains, and chair covers and also renovate the house. In a jubilant mood, he earnestly asks Simrit “We will get the whole place redone from top to bottom. The sky’s the limit, Simrit what you like” (TDS 83).

Trust is difficult to define and we do not realize when it is lost. When this happens, we will regain our level of vitality and commitment. We may not show it clearly, but we are reluctant to tell each other face to face that we are upset and share what is essential to us. As a result, we remove the person. This loss of trust can be erased or hidden to some extent, especially when we claim to be available but are not in the background involved. And those who did something that lost our confidence may not even know it. The nature of trust allows people to live and work together, feel safe, and belong to a group. Trust makes partnerships and networks flourish, and lack of trust can lead to divisions, conflicts, and even wars. On the constructive side, trust makes people anxious. When trust is perfect, we will actively contribute what is needed by providing our qualities while sharing our dedication, ability, vitality, and legitimate thinking about how this relationship works. Confidence is a sense of security when you are helpless. When we are dependent, we feel powerless and need self-confidence to cope with the tension caused by this tendency. When trust exists, things go well; however, once the trust is lost, the relationship can be precarious. When the confidence level is low, individuals limit their contribution. Conversely, when trust is high, individuals will compensate by giving more. The individual nature of trust may be a problem. However, it can be fixed when you are not communicating or sharing. How do you know that trust has been lost? Inexplicably, at least there must be a little trust, to examine one’s own needs, and strive to renew, and if the lack of trust is not resolved, the relationship will develop more and more. However, even the trust earned is quickly lost and cannot be easily restored. Trust is often seen as initiative and power, but it is by no means guaranteed. To be conspicuous, you must earn trust to ensure support and loyalty. There is no doubt that any effective relationship depends on the level of trust that must be earned. However, even the trust gained can be lost immediately and cannot be immediately regained. When people lose trust with each other, it takes a lot of work to restore trust. People will soon reinvest in relationships whose trust has been broken. In most cases, they move forward. Similarly, to cause a loss of confidence and require others to adjust their behavior, it also requires mental toughness. This may lead you to discover that you still need to examine your behavior. Trust is two-way, determined by the behavior of everyone in the relationship. When we are hurt by the activities of others and accept that the activity is purposeful, trust is often lost. Nonetheless, by expressing our emotions to the people who hurt us, we can begin to see things in a unique way and understand that their goals are not what we imagined. Similarly, if we feel that we have planned something to lose the trust of others, we can look for others and ask what happened. In either case, given that the other person feels that his weaknesses and needs are being considered, this helpless impulse may eventually lead to more pronounced self-confidence. The element of trust is fragile in important connections. Loss of trust may be too high in spirit, but trust is a constant communication between individuals, not static. Trust can be earned. Tends to get lost. More importantly, it is likely to be restored. Since trust is very important both at work and in personal relationships, it is helpful to treat trust as a response to specific personal characteristics, and the lack of these characteristics will reduce the level of trust.

In the process of attracting good men, you may meet a man who does not live in your city. Due to online dating, this seems to be the new normal. Depending on how you and your new date get along, it can eventually turn into a long-distance relationship. I have been in a long-distance relationship before, which can be very stressful. It also only works if both people involved are willing to do whatever they can to make it work. Based on my experience in a long-term relationship that ultimately led me to make a commitment, these are the steps I recommend. If you are currently in a long-term relationship or are considering pursuing a long-term relationship, you can apply these steps.

The key to having a successful long-distance relationship is that both of you must make a commitment to each other and work hard to eventually live together or get closer to each other. This is a serious conversation, you should have it with your man, and you should not miss it. When it comes to your love life vision, you two should also be on the same page. If you want to get married, you must tell him exactly where you want the relationship to go. If he doesn’t end up marrying to date you, then a man looking for a woman to have fun in another city may be cheating on you.

Another key to building a successful long-distance relationship is communication. Because you don’t meet every day, you need to keep communication open and talk frequently. With the unlimited use of technology, you have no reason not to meet him in a virtual environment or talk to him for a few days. Because we need human interaction, both of you must agree on how often you meet. According to their working hours and distance of residence, they should have time to meet. When my fiance and I were in a long-distance relationship, we met twice a month. Because we all have weekend breaks, and because of our financial situation, we agreed to spend two weekends together every month.

I went to see him one weekend, and he came to see me the other weekend. This seemed to work for us until we were finally able to live in the same city. It is possible to have a successful long-distance relationship. It only requires firm commitment, open communication channels, and teamwork.