Introduction
The story I will analyze is “When Harry Met Sally,” a classic romantic comedy film. The film is about two friends, Harry and Sally, who have been friends for years and finally fall in love after a series of ups and downs in their relationship. They meet for the first time as college students, and over the next decade, they continue to run into each other in various places, but it is only once they’re both single that they realize they may be perfect for each other.
Discussion
The writer and director define love in this story as romantic love. Harry and Sally’s relationship starts as a friendship, but over time, they both realize that they are in love with each other (Reiner, 2006). This is seen in the scene where Sally confesses her love for Harry, and he reciprocates. This demonstrates how love can develop over time and grow from friendship. The “dating system” portrayed in the story is the traditional heterosexual dating system (Reiner, 2006). Harry and Sally both have expectations of the other person that are rooted in societal norms, such as Harry wanting Sally to be the passive partner in the relationship and Sally wanting Harry to be the dominant partner. This is demonstrated in the scene where Harry and Sally first start dating, and they have an argument about the definition of men and women can’t be just friends.
The social scripts represented in the story are the gender norms and expectations placed on relationships. For example, the scene where Harry and Sally argue about the definition of “men and women can’t be just friends” demonstrates how gender norms impact relationships and how individuals can hold different beliefs about what relationships should look like (Reiner, 2006). In the story, Harry is a writer, and Sally is a journalist, so work is a central aspect of the film. The gender division of labor is depicted when Sally is working on a big story and has to choose between her job and her relationship with Harry (Reiner, 2006). This scene shows how work can impact relationships, especially for women who may have to navigate work and relationships more carefully.
The supposed gender socialization of at least one character in the film is seen through Harry’s character. Harry embodies traditional gender norms in that he is portrayed as the dominant partner in the relationship and the one who makes most of the decisions. This is demonstrated in the scene where he tries to take control of the relationship, but Sally pushes back and asserts her independence (Reiner, 2006). The endogamous factors that play into what attracts the characters together are based on similarities in personality and lifestyle. For example, Harry and Sally are career-focused and independent, which is why they can understand and support each other (Reiner, 2006). This tells us about the role of our culture or social group in shaping our experiences of love and relationships because people like partners who are similar to themselves.
Conclusion
The sexual behaviors seen in the story are traditional heterosexual behaviors. The main characters have conservative sexual values, and the film demonstrates how sex can impact relationships. This is shown in the scene where Harry and Sally first have sex, and their relationship changes as a result (Reiner, 2006). These love stories have shaped my expectations about love and relationships in a number of ways. For example, I have learned that love can develop over time and grow from friendship and that work can impact relationships. Additionally, I have discovered that people often look for partners who are similar to themselves and that gender conventions and social expectations play a significant influence in partnerships.
Reference
Reiner, R. (2006). When Harry Met Sally [Online Film]. Amazon Prime. Web.