Symbolic Convergence in Gossip Girl: The Fantasy of the “In Crowd”

Mean Girls is about a girl named Cady who joins an elite social group at her new school known as the Plastics. While socializing with the Plastics, Cady develops a new, mean girl, personality and ends up sabotaging the group’s leader, Regina, and becomes the new leader of the Plastics. Regina retaliates by spreading the burn book, a book the Plastics filled with insults and gossip about other students, around the school leading to a riot and Cady takes the blame. Cady realizes that her new personality is wrong and apologizes to the school, makes amends with her old friends, and forms a truce with Plastics who disband and become regular students (Mean Girls, 2004).

A combination of fantasy themes that create high familiarity and consistency are also known as fantasy types. When these stories are being told repeatedly, they can relate to achievements within a community, group, or person, thus taking form of a saga. An example of saga within a family is the story of “La Llorona,” a Mexican myth. This story has been told for a lifetime to children and continues to be told to the next generation. The myth is about a lady that had children and her husband cheated on her and decided to drown her children. When she passed away she comes back as a ghost and cries for her children. This story takes a form of a saga because it is retold over and over again and it also involves characters that people know in their certain culture. Sagas are not only within the family but also the work organization. Coworkers can tell stories about previous employees and their good working effort and how they made the company successful. Last but not least, national and societal sagas are

In order to define fantasy, one must recognize certain patterns in what we call fantasy literature. When these patterns are recognized, an enlightened definition can be realized. Sabine Wienker-Piepho defined fantasy as “the modern term for longer narrative texts which are similar to the folklore genre” (Wienker-Piepho 32). This definition is a rudimentary one, and must be improved on. The three types of fantasy, according to Maria Ihonen (Ihonen 82) are the fantasy of a secondary world, the second world fantasy, and the primary world fantasy. Only in a primary world fantasy does the book operate in the world of the reader, into which the supernatural leaks from a fantasy world. The difference between the other two types lies in the connection between the real and the fantasy world – in second world fantasy, a gateway between the worlds is present, while fantasy of a secondary world does not take

The theme is a recurring element throughout literature, movies, and art, which offers the reader/viewer a deeper meaning, a deeper understanding about fundamental ideas in life, and a moral or life lesson.

In our first unit of sociology, I felt I could relate with the term social network, " The term social network refers to the people who are linked to one another(Henslin,116.)"Social networks include everyone you know. I can relate to social networking because I 'm on a social salsa team. When I joined my dance team , we all had the same passion, the love of dance. After a few years of performing and hanging with the same clique all the time for they have the same interests as me. After a while we all seemed to cluster together and they are now more than just a clique to me they are my fiends.

In Chapter 12 from HTRLLP, the author describes in detail the usage of symbolism in different types of literature. Developing the information happens

The Symbolic Convergence Theory was developed by University of Minnesota Professor Ernest Bormann in 1972, along with his colleagues John Cragan and Donald Shields. It emerged from studies conducted in small-group communication, and is a message-centred theory that explores symbolic facts in communication (Shields, 2008). This theory was also based upon previous work from social psychologist Robert Bales, who established the concept of small-group fantasies and shared symbolic themes (Vaughan, 2009, 944). The University of Minnesota researchers saw a theme emerge in group communication of a shared symbolic consciousness through common meanings, values, emotions and experiences (Shields, 2008). Based on these empirical findings, as well as the work of Robert Bales, Bormann established a theory of rhetorical analysis called The Symbolic Convergence Theory (Vaughan, 2009, 944). The Symbolic Convergence Theory is a three-faceted theory. Firstly, it handles the discovery of these recurring communicative forms and patterns. It then describes the factors and events in a group that explain the emergence of a group consciousness. This addresses the ‘how’ of the theory. And finally, the question of ‘why’. Why do these patterns emerge in group communication; why do people share fantasies (Bormann, 1996, p.88 ). This theory works upon the assumptions that reality is created by communication, as well as that individuals can share symbolic meanings and realities (Vaughan, 2008).

Symbols are important in each story to define the theme. Close observation of the symbols within each story proves to one their

The traditions of storytelling have long been used as a means to impart wisdom and life lessons to others. One of the most effective ways in which this is done is through the use of archetypes. While it is possible to look at these images in a general way, one may also focus an analysis on a single tale. In this way it is possible to explore the particular images used and their significance in a given situation, (often a coming of age rite of

Zanin, Hoelscher, and Kramer (2016) utilized a unique methodological framework to examine a life enrichment group or a non-controlling volunteer organization to better understand symbolic convergence theory. Symbolic convergence theory focuses on dramatic messages that result in rhetorical visions. Messages that are reiterated emerge as a fantasy chain. Fantasy chains that continue shape fantasy themes; similar fantasy themes shape fantasy types. Fantasy types that are created develop a rhetorical vision for the group that allows the members to have a broader sense of the purpose and direction of the group. The researchers posited three questions in regards to what would chain, what would contribute or inhibit, and how tensions could change

Briefly, fantasy theme analysis is a rhetorical method that examines text seeking dramatizations or fantasies within them. Developed

Cohesion within a group is not an immediate form of action. A single fantasy chain event will not bring about complete cohesion. In the example above, it is possible that a group member or members do not have children and thus would not engage in the conversation. Their fantasies have not been expressed at that point, so common ground has not been established between all members of the group.

In todays modern society, there is now a constant growing concern about adolescent’s exposure to the medias portrayal of sexuality and love. The publicity of love and sex that todays adolescents are saturated in is mainly unrealistic and false, theoretically affecting and distorting their, behavior, beliefs and attitude towards sex and love. These impractical pictures tend to commonly be publicized through social media, networking, television and movies. The medias views tend to contradict the biblical messages towards love and sex, confusing young society on the meaning of true commitment and love. A popular television show targeted to the demographic of female teenagers ‘Gossip Girl’ features and emphasizes the wrong messages concerning love and sex.

Specifically, I observed how these three themes are shown in the protagonist, Aladdin, and the antagonist, Jafar. During the second viewing, I looked for quotes, physical characteristics, and personal goals of these two characters in terms of my themes. Most of my findings came from quotes by characters commenting on how the three themes are seen in both Aladdin and Jafar. Finally, I compared the two characters, looking for how Edward Said’s themes of “us vs. them” and “truth and representation” appear between our protagonist and antagonist.

The elements that makes up a fantasy tale is it 's deliberate taking of philosophies, rules,