20 Things You Didn't Know About Arrival
5. The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis' Narrative Relevance… And Inaccuracies
The titular theory was suggested and developed by Edward Sapir and Benjamin Whorf. It posits that a language’s structure influences its speakers' thoughts and worldviews. This version of the theory is mentioned when Dr. Donnelly references how language can rewire an individual’s mind.
Its relevance to the film is strong due to its exploration of how the Heptapods’ language structure is closely linked to their perception of time (and vice versa), biological structure and home world. The influence of language on one’s perceptions can be seen in the way Louise’s perception of time changes as she learns the extraterrestrials’ language.
That said, a lot of linguists in later years have challenged the tenets of this theory, suggesting that language cannot change the fundamentals of an individual’s mindset. The movie was right in demonstrating that the aliens’ different sensibilities influenced their language, but the ‘rewiring of the brain’ as suggested by Donnelly was probably to serve the narrative and emotional core rather than achieve actual scientific accuracy.