Non-Verbal Communication in “When They See Us” TV Show

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Non-Verbal Communication
Conclusion
Works Cited

Introduction

When They See Us is a TV miniseries that features a shocking story of five young men of color based on real events (Burns 1). The protagonists experience the limitations of the U.S. judicial system and have to bear responsibility for the sex crime that they did not commit. Since the story is extremely dramatic by itself, a large part of the plot’s meaning is conveyed with the help of non-verbal communication, such as facial expressions and intonations. Good examples of how the tone and other peculiarities of the voice are used for manipulation can be found in part two of the miniseries (DuVernay).

Non-Verbal Communication

In part two, when police officers start working with the five suspects, they make use of multiple non-verbal techniques to make the teenagers feel weak and helpless. For instance, instead of asking questions in a calm manner just to learn if the boys know anything about the crime, they use “brutal and dehumanizing” approaches to interrogation (Hayes 91). Such techniques include the so-called forced choice questions that urge the boys to form positive and negative statements about the things they are not aware of (DuVernay). Other forms of non-verbal communication include the way that the interrogators use the tone of the voice. Being told to do anything just to “solve” the case as soon as possible and prevent mass hysteria, they speak in high voice from time to time during the interrogation (DuVernay). It is done just to create a sense of panic in the suspects and make them give controversial answers as a result of stress and pressure.

Another example of non-verbal communication is the interrogators’ sophisticated use of intonations and facial expressions to highlight key points and bluster the boys into obedience. For instance, the specialist working with one suspect pretends that the police have enough evidence against him and lies that there are eyewitnesses that have seen him “rape the lady” (DuVernay). When pronouncing this phrase, the interrogator places emphasis on the word “rape” and keeps staring at the boy in order to make him scared and realize that he has no chance to escape prison.

The boys also use a range of non-verbal signs that reveal their true feelings and the way that they are losing faith. For instance, at first, the suspects tend to shake their heads no and give the interrogators the evil eye since they are anxious but still believe that what is happening to them must be a mistake (DuVernay). However, as the boys experience emotional pressure and have no opportunity to collaborate, their mental state starts to change to give rise to panic, desperation, and shock. Each suspect undergoes this emotional change in his own way and depending on his unique psychological characteristics, and this is why their reactions vary from bursting into tears to aggression. Similarly, the boys engage in non-verbal communication by crying in front of the jury to express being shocked by the situation, but their emotions do not seem to bother anyone apart from their parents.

Conclusion

Summing up the discussion above, non-verbal communication plays a critical role in the miniseries. To begin with, its function related to the development of the story is difficult to overestimate since non-verbal signs used by the boys conclusively demonstrate what wrongly convicted people feel. Additionally, the examples of non-verbal communication in the discussed work can improve viewers’ knowledge of how inappropriate interrogations help to force confessions. Finally, non-verbal signs effectively reveal the true intentions of different characters, thus making the miniseries more impressive from the psychological viewpoint.

Works Cited

Burns, Sarah. The Central Park Five: A Story Revisited in Light of the Acclaimed New Netflix Series When They See Us, directed by Ava DuVernay. Hachette UK, 2019.

DuVernay, Ava, director. When They See Us (TV series). Netflix, 2019.

Hayes, Floyd W. “When They See Us by Ava DuVernay.” Spectrum: A Journal on Black Men, vol. 7. no. 1, 2018, pp. 91-93.

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Non-Verbal Communication in “When They See Us” TV Show

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