Group Development in Alfred Hitchcock’s Lifeboat
The development of groups is divided into five stages. These stages are used to describe the evolutionary process of a group from its formation to its dissolution. These stages represent milestones in this process, such as establishment of leadership or authority or determination of the group’s goals. The five stages, in order, are the group formation stage, the intra-group conflict stage, the group cohesion stage, the task orientation stage, and the termination stage. These stages are also identified by a series of easily remembered descriptive names that are indicative of the stage’s characteristics. The respective names of the stages are Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning.
Lifeboat was a movie produced by Alfred Hitchcock in 1944. It is an adaptation of a John Steinbeck novel. The movie opens with a view of a sinking ship, a lifeboat with a lone woman comes into view. Shortly, she rescues a crewman from the water. From their discussion we learn that they are survivors of a Nazi submarine attack. Their ship was sunk, but so was the submarine. They find other survivors (nine in total), both civilian and sailor; one of the survivors is even a German. They have little food and water, no compass, and no radio. Throughout the movie they face various trials in order to survive. In addition, they confront many human issues, such as the rights of prisoners at sea, the morals behind simple survival, the civilian casualties of war, and the desperation of being adrift at sea. The movie concludes with six of the nine original survivors being rescued by Allied forces.
This paper will examine the stages of group development and how they apply to the survivors stranded in the lifeboat. The various stages will be identified as they occur in the film. Character actions that support these conclusions will also be discussed in each stage.
In the group formation stage, the members of the group meet for the first time and learn about the task or tasks to be undertaken. The group defines its boundaries both socially and according to the group’s task(s). Those members of the group who do not know one another introduce themselves for the first time.
This stage is of course accomplished when the survivors have all been gathered aboard the lifeboat. The survivors come from a variety of backgrounds. Many are crewmembers of the sunken freighter. One is a nurse. Another is a wealthy businessman. Another is a famous and worldly, but slightly cynical, journalist. The last person to be rescued from the water is a German sailor, from the U-boat that sunk their freighter.
The task presented to the group is dictated by their circumstances. Their first priority is obvious: survival. They find early on that they do not have sufficient supplies to wait to be rescued. Instead, they must make their way to Bermuda. Thus, they have codified the goal as survival and the method of accomplishing that goal as making for Bermuda.
The presence of the German sailor causes the group to define some of its boundaries. One of the sailors advocates tossing the German back into the water to drown. The businessman contends that the man is a prisoner of war, and is due to certain rights by international law. A sailor responds by saying that they are on their own on the open sea, and the law is what they make it. The businessman responds back by calling for a majority vote on such a decision, saying, “That’s the American way.” In this exchange, we can see some very basic issues being addressed. Does the group have an authoritarian leader, or is decision-making democratic? In such dire circumstances, will the group adhere to conventions such as international law? Being in a state of war, does that mean a German prisoner can be condemned to death out of hand, just for being on the other side?
The second stage is the intra-group conflict stage, also known as storming. At this point in the group’s development, the discussions focus on the behavior; roles and social relationships appropriate for the group and its tasks. Informal leaders begin to emerge and contest the authority of the formal leaders, if any were appointed during the group’s formation. At this time, conflict centers on how to best accomplish the group’s task.
In the movie, the group reaches this stage after their first night at sea. The group of survivors has not established a formal leader. The businessman assumes a sort of administrative leadership by taking an inventory and delegating task to the other members. His assumed authority is contested again by the same sailor as the day before. After some discussion as to leadership merits, the sailor assumes control of the lifeboat as “skipper.” The main point of contention is about the task: who can provide the best chances of survival to the entire group? The sailor wins this argument by establishing himself as having the skills to keep a ship going under bad circumstances.
In the group cohesion stage, the group has defined its roles and relationships. The group has reached a consensus about appropriate behavior of its members. The members accept each other, and an identifiable group culture emerges. The conflict is less intense at this stage. Conflict now tends to focus more on methods of doing the task instead of on the social structure of the group.
One of the wounded men in the lifeboat has contracted gangrene in his leg. It is concluded that the leg must be amputated. It is also decided that the only one capable of performing the procedure is the German (who, incidentally, has also been properly identified as the captain of the submarine). In order to save the life of the wounded man, the group decides to place trust in the “enemy.”
The group has also defined itself. The roles of the group have been defined and each person has found a niche to fit into. Some play music with a flute. Some play cards to defeat boredom and monotony. One has faith, to bring hope to them. There is even a nurse to provide care.
The task orientation stage is the operating phase of the group. The members continue to become comfortable with each other and the group’s norms. Members have settled upon goals and divided the labor accordingly. The task of the group is clearly defined and the group’s energy is focused on doing the work.
After the amputation, the group focuses its energies upon reaching the destination of Bermuda. There has been a disagreement about which course to follow, one being the guess of a sailor, the other being a suggestion of the German’s. With no compass (or so they think), the group is left to guess the right direction to travel in. Do they trust a guess from one of their own, or trust the German who appears to be a superior seaman? The conflict is resolved when the group discovers that the German captain has been concealing a compass from them all along.
The termination stage is where the group disbands otherwise ceases to exist. Some groups redefine their membership and tasks. These are essentially new groups that will proceed through the same evolutionary process as the previous group.
Regarding the film, the true termination of he group is at the conclusion of the movie when friendly forces rescue them. The task of survival had been accomplished, at least for a six of the original nine who had been shipwrecked.
However, it is interesting to point out that there are other points in the movie that can be considered terminating stages. After a brutal storm, the German captain has taken charge from the exhausted and dehydrated crewman. He is rowing, singing German songs accompanied by the flute. He has openly declared his treachery: he actually speaks English and is taking the lifeboat to rendezvous with a Nazi supply ship. He has officially restructured the group; he is in control, they are his prisoners. The goal is redefined: to meet up with the German ship instead of traveling to friendly waters. In this way, the German captain has effectively terminated the old group and started a new one that begins the entire process over again.
Get Professional Assignment Help Cheaply
Are you busy and do not have time to handle your assignment? Are you scared that your paper will not make the grade? Do you have responsibilities that may hinder you from turning in your assignment on time? Are you tired and can barely handle your assignment? Are your grades inconsistent?
Whichever your reason is, it is valid! You can get professional academic help from our service at affordable rates. We have a team of professional academic writers who can handle all your assignments.
Why Choose Our Academic Writing Service?
- Plagiarism free papers
- Timely delivery
- Any deadline
- Skilled, Experienced Native English Writers
- Subject-relevant academic writer
- Adherence to paper instructions
- Ability to tackle bulk assignments
- Reasonable prices
- 24/7 Customer Support
- Get superb grades consistently
Online Academic Help With Different Subjects
Literature
Students barely have time to read. We got you! Have your literature essay or book review written without having the hassle of reading the book. You can get your literature paper custom-written for you by our literature specialists.
Finance
Do you struggle with finance? No need to torture yourself if finance is not your cup of tea. You can order your finance paper from our academic writing service and get 100% original work from competent finance experts.
Computer science
Computer science is a tough subject. Fortunately, our computer science experts are up to the match. No need to stress and have sleepless nights. Our academic writers will tackle all your computer science assignments and deliver them on time. Let us handle all your python, java, ruby, JavaScript, php , C+ assignments!
Psychology
While psychology may be an interesting subject, you may lack sufficient time to handle your assignments. Don’t despair; by using our academic writing service, you can be assured of perfect grades. Moreover, your grades will be consistent.
Engineering
Engineering is quite a demanding subject. Students face a lot of pressure and barely have enough time to do what they love to do. Our academic writing service got you covered! Our engineering specialists follow the paper instructions and ensure timely delivery of the paper.
Nursing
In the nursing course, you may have difficulties with literature reviews, annotated bibliographies, critical essays, and other assignments. Our nursing assignment writers will offer you professional nursing paper help at low prices.
Sociology
Truth be told, sociology papers can be quite exhausting. Our academic writing service relieves you of fatigue, pressure, and stress. You can relax and have peace of mind as our academic writers handle your sociology assignment.
Business
We take pride in having some of the best business writers in the industry. Our business writers have a lot of experience in the field. They are reliable, and you can be assured of a high-grade paper. They are able to handle business papers of any subject, length, deadline, and difficulty!
Statistics
We boast of having some of the most experienced statistics experts in the industry. Our statistics experts have diverse skills, expertise, and knowledge to handle any kind of assignment. They have access to all kinds of software to get your assignment done.
Law
Writing a law essay may prove to be an insurmountable obstacle, especially when you need to know the peculiarities of the legislative framework. Take advantage of our top-notch law specialists and get superb grades and 100% satisfaction.
What discipline/subjects do you deal in?
We have highlighted some of the most popular subjects we handle above. Those are just a tip of the iceberg. We deal in all academic disciplines since our writers are as diverse. They have been drawn from across all disciplines, and orders are assigned to those writers believed to be the best in the field. In a nutshell, there is no task we cannot handle; all you need to do is place your order with us. As long as your instructions are clear, just trust we shall deliver irrespective of the discipline.
Are your writers competent enough to handle my paper?
Our essay writers are graduates with bachelor's, masters, Ph.D., and doctorate degrees in various subjects. The minimum requirement to be an essay writer with our essay writing service is to have a college degree. All our academic writers have a minimum of two years of academic writing. We have a stringent recruitment process to ensure that we get only the most competent essay writers in the industry. We also ensure that the writers are handsomely compensated for their value. The majority of our writers are native English speakers. As such, the fluency of language and grammar is impeccable.
What if I don’t like the paper?
There is a very low likelihood that you won’t like the paper.
Reasons being:
- When assigning your order, we match the paper’s discipline with the writer’s field/specialization. Since all our writers are graduates, we match the paper’s subject with the field the writer studied. For instance, if it’s a nursing paper, only a nursing graduate and writer will handle it. Furthermore, all our writers have academic writing experience and top-notch research skills.
- We have a quality assurance that reviews the paper before it gets to you. As such, we ensure that you get a paper that meets the required standard and will most definitely make the grade.
In the event that you don’t like your paper:
- The writer will revise the paper up to your pleasing. You have unlimited revisions. You simply need to highlight what specifically you don’t like about the paper, and the writer will make the amendments. The paper will be revised until you are satisfied. Revisions are free of charge
- We will have a different writer write the paper from scratch.
- Last resort, if the above does not work, we will refund your money.
Will the professor find out I didn’t write the paper myself?
Not at all. All papers are written from scratch. There is no way your tutor or instructor will realize that you did not write the paper yourself. In fact, we recommend using our assignment help services for consistent results.
What if the paper is plagiarized?
We check all papers for plagiarism before we submit them. We use powerful plagiarism checking software such as SafeAssign, LopesWrite, and Turnitin. We also upload the plagiarism report so that you can review it. We understand that plagiarism is academic suicide. We would not take the risk of submitting plagiarized work and jeopardize your academic journey. Furthermore, we do not sell or use prewritten papers, and each paper is written from scratch.
When will I get my paper?
You determine when you get the paper by setting the deadline when placing the order. All papers are delivered within the deadline. We are well aware that we operate in a time-sensitive industry. As such, we have laid out strategies to ensure that the client receives the paper on time and they never miss the deadline. We understand that papers that are submitted late have some points deducted. We do not want you to miss any points due to late submission. We work on beating deadlines by huge margins in order to ensure that you have ample time to review the paper before you submit it.
Will anyone find out that I used your services?
We have a privacy and confidentiality policy that guides our work. We NEVER share any customer information with third parties. Noone will ever know that you used our assignment help services. It’s only between you and us. We are bound by our policies to protect the customer’s identity and information. All your information, such as your names, phone number, email, order information, and so on, are protected. We have robust security systems that ensure that your data is protected. Hacking our systems is close to impossible, and it has never happened.
How our Assignment Help Service Works
1. Place an order
You fill all the paper instructions in the order form. Make sure you include all the helpful materials so that our academic writers can deliver the perfect paper. It will also help to eliminate unnecessary revisions.
2. Pay for the order
Proceed to pay for the paper so that it can be assigned to one of our expert academic writers. The paper subject is matched with the writer’s area of specialization.
3. Track the progress
You communicate with the writer and know about the progress of the paper. The client can ask the writer for drafts of the paper. The client can upload extra material and include additional instructions from the lecturer. Receive a paper.
4. Download the paper
The paper is sent to your email and uploaded to your personal account. You also get a plagiarism report attached to your paper.
PLACE THIS ORDER OR A SIMILAR ORDER WITH US TODAY!!!
