Animals as Lovers; a Comparison of Argumentation Theory and Children's Film

Animals as Lovers;

A Comparison of Argumentation Theory and Children’s Film

Arguments are as much a part of everyday communication as saying “hello” or “goodbye”. From the start of life, children encounter arguments in communication and learn how to use them. From listening to parents debate about who should take the trash out or why there isn’t any milk left for cereal in the morning to watching television shows that depict everyday arguments as the context for the show, argument is a communicative method engrained in the mind of humans. When looking for examples of argument, even children’s films have become sources. This essay will examine how argumentative communication is found in a specific example of a popular Disney film and how argumentation theories can be applied to it.

Films of all sorts include argument as a necessary aspect. Conflict arises in movies and the characters must overcome or get past this conflict to reach the affirmation at the end. Argument often arises with the introduction of the conflict. In the Disney/Pixar film, Finding Nemo, a single fish father loses his son in the ever expansive ocean when a diver captures him as a pet. From the time that Nemo is captured up until the time that he is discovered, his father Marlin experiences several arguments while trying to locate his son. Many of these, including the one used in this analysis, occur between himself and the innocently empty-headed Dory.

When on the hunt for Nemo, Dory and Marlin are faced with many dilemmas, including the debate over which way to travel past a large trench. Dory has an inkling that the duo should swim through the trench while Marlin is insistent on swimming over it. These opposing viewpoints automatically spark debate and thus argument arises as a communication between the two characters. Dory has only her hunch to support her choice and Marlin uses rationality and finally trickery to persuade his point to Dory. The way that these two act within this...