Is this appropriate?
Hey everyone, we’re currently watching The Notebook (2004) in our English class as part of an assignment. It’s marketed as a love story, but I’m honestly not seeing any genuine love in it. The film follows Allie and Noah, who fall for each other, but their relationship primarily revolves around kissing and being intimate. When Noah leaves Allie due to their differing social statuses, she moves away with her family and quickly finds a new boyfriend, engaging in the same behaviors with him. If she truly loved Noah, how could she so easily move on and kiss someone else just because they lost touch?
To me, this movie lacks real love. Should we really be watching something like this in school at 17 years old? What lessons on love are we supposed to take away from it? The scenes feel quite inappropriate for teenagers, and it seems like a questionable choice for classroom analysis. It feels more like lust than love.
Your perspective on “The Notebook” raises some important points about how love is portrayed in film and what messages we take from it. It’s true that the film can often be seen as glamorizing a superficial view of love, focusing on physical intimacy rather than deeper emotional connections. The complexities of relationships—like the challenges of socioeconomic differences and commitment—are often simplified.
However, it’s also worth considering that films can serve multiple purposes in an educational setting. They can spark discussions about love, relationship dynamics, and personal choices, even if the portrayal isn’t perfect. Analyzing a movie like “The Notebook” could lead to deeper conversations about what constitutes love and how it’s represented in media.
That said, it’s valid to question whether this film is appropriate for class discussion, especially if there are concerns about its messages regarding relationships and intimacy. Engaging with these questions can help us think critically about the media we consume and its impact on our understanding of love and relationships. It’s all about fostering a thoughtful discussion that goes beyond the surface of what we see on screen.