Self in Beloved, Secrets and Lies, and One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
One's personality resides directly within ones self. The self ultimately determines the characteristics of an individual. The self is composed of many different qualities that make one unique. Everyone has "self." However, there are varying degrees of sense of self. Many people enjoy a strong sense of self while others do not. The question though, is what truly characterizes a strong sense of self from a weak one? In Riverside Webster's II dictionary it defines the word "self" as "the essential being of one person as distinct from any other. A particular aspect of a person" (Webster's 614). While factually this definition is correct, I believe the true definition of self is considerably more complex.
In returning back to my question about the different senses of self, the unique qualities that compose the self must first be analyzed. Personality is one of the most significant components of self. I believe if one has a weak sense of self-sense then they are easily swayed by others opinions. Decisions are difficult to make on they're own and they need the constant companionship of others to make them feel complete. Conversely, I believe that an individual, who is very confident and independent, exhibits a strong sense of self. These types of individuals are not afraid to stand up for their beliefs. An emotionally and socially strong person assesses a situation and does not take the easy way out. They strive to achieve what is best and do what is morally necessary to achieve their goals. They are true to themselves.
About a year ago I experienced a situation where I decided to be true to my beliefs and display a strong sense of self. The time to select a college to attend for fall was rapidly approaching and my mother and father desperately wanted me to attend an in-state University. I, on the other hand, wished to venture out on my own and attend the University of Arizona. My family persisted many times in tying to sway me from leaving home. However, I knew that if I stayed close to home I would rely on my family for the basics such as cooking, cleaning, and laundry. While having my comfort zone would be nice, overall I was being untrue to myself if I stayed. I realized that if I stay at an in-state University, then I would be relying heavily on my family to take care of me. To be a truly independent person I had to plunge out on my own.
Likewise, while reading the novel Beloved and watching the movies Secrets and Lies and One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, I saw many individuals who displayed varying degrees of sense of self. My first representation of a character that portrays a very weak sense of self is Sethe in the novel Beloved. Sethe is a character who in the beginning of the novel demonstrates a strong ability to stand up for herself, but after the return of her daughter, Beloved, she looses this ability. Sethe felt extremely ashamed for killing her daughter and went to great lengths to make her daughter happy. In the final chapters of the novel, "She wished to put all of her time and energy into Beloved's happiness because of the terrible guilt she had inside" (Morrison 240).
However, Sethe didn't realize she was letting Beloved become a controlling influence, which affected her own personality.
Sethe became passive and she was no longer tending to her own needs, but instead put Beloved before herself. Anything Beloved craved, Sethe surely to responded to. Sethe does not understand how to be independent after Beloved returned. Sethe feels incomplete as a person and needs Beloved to make her feel whole.
My next example of a weak individual that shows a lack of "self" is the character Cynthia, in the movie Secrets and Lies. Cynthia is a woman comparable to Sethe in that she shows a desperate need for affection. All throughout Cynthia's life she has never received enough love and attention from her family. At a very young age when Cynthia became pregnant, her grandfather sent her away. He felt ashamed of his granddaughter and tired to cover up the entire incident so no one would discover the truth. During Cynthia's childhood she felt neglected and looked for attention in other places. For example, Cynthia is constantly striving for affection from her daughter Roxanne and her brother Morris. She clings to both Roxanne and Morris because, comparable to Sethe, she cannot fathom how to exist independently.
When dealing with Roxanne it is difficult for Cynthia to distinguish the boundaries between herself and her daughter. Cynthia's overbearing personality pushes Roxanne farther away because Cynthia does not know where to draw the limits. Constantly, Cynthia is asking Roxanne personal questions about her sexual life. At one point in the movie Cynthia states that Roxanne should use protection if she is sexually active (Secrets and Lies). During this scene we watch Roxanne push her mother away because Cynthia is prying into Roxanne's personal business. Cynthia displays the no boundary limits with her daughter and in turn Roxanne becomes more furious. Cynthia's unhealthy sense of self triggers her to behave in this inappropriate manor.
Cynthia is a woman with a low self-confidence and never demands respect from Roxanne. She does not understand how to respond when Roxanne uses foul language and treats her cruelly. Due to this low self-esteem, Cynthia, in an odd way feels deserving of this type of behavior. The family is constantly ignoring Cynthia. They are very annoyed by her overbearing tendencies, but the family does not understand that she is only searching for love in her life.
In one of the last sections of the film, Cynthia displays her insecurities at Roxanne's birthday party. Morris decided to throw Roxanne her twenty-first birthday party at his house. However, because Cynthia was jealous of Morris' financial status, she asked questions about the redecoration and new furniture they have bought. Cynthia was clearly insecure. When Morris gives Roxanne money for her birthday, Cynthia could not cope anymore. In turn, Cynthia blurts out that Hortense was her daughter and before Roxanne was born, she gave Hortense up for adoption. This was obviously inappropriate at the time, but because of Cynthia's insecurities she desired to be in the center of attention. Cynthia is so involved with herself that she cannot even for one moment let another individual have the spotlight. Even though it was Roxannes' day, Cynthia had to steal the limelight because of her weak sense of self.
The final example that illustrates the varying degrees of self is seen in the movie One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. The main character McMurphy is an individual that shows the traits of a person who fully understands himself and is very confident in his actions. McMurphy is a character in the film that currently is in a mental hospital to be evaluated. The doctors suspect McMurphy of having some mental problems and might be in need of hospitalization. During his stay at the mental institution McMurphy demonstrates a high level of confidence. The other patients in the mental institution are very afraid of the head nurse Ms. Rachet, throughout the film. The patients obey every demand by Ms. Rachet. Nurse Rachet likes to be in control of each situation and utilizes the power she has been given by the hospital to work towards her benefit. Every patient in the hospital except McMurphy fears the controlling and overbearing nurse. McMurphy watches the other patients, and views how Ms. Rachet manipulates the other men.
One distinct difference between McMurphy and the other patients is his ability to stay true to his beliefs and values. For example, nurse Rachet demands that McMurphy receive the medication while in the institution. Despite the request from the nurse, McMurphy will not take any medication until the doctors have notified him of what type of medication he is swallowing. In turn, McMurphy hides the pill under his tongue and removes it when the nurses are not watching. McMurphy will not conform to others demands.
Along with McMurphy's nonconformist attitude he also demonstrates a strong sense of self when interacting with the other patients. Numerous times McMurphy had the opportunity to escape the institution, yet each time he chose to stay. In the final section of the movie, we see McMurphy at the window ready to escape, however, during this moment McMurphy hears a horrific scream from a nurse. Instead of fleeing, McMurphy portrays a strong sense of self by staying. He rushes into the room where the nurse screamed and found his friend Billy, has committed suicide. All along McMurphy had to opportunity to leave, but instead he gave up his freedom to check on his friend's well being.
When comparing McMurphy's sense of self with Cynthia's, we notice dramatic differences. In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, we watch McMurphy give of himself to the other men. Cynthia's actions on the other hand only benefit her. She exhibits such a disillusioned image of self and she cannot resist from stealing the spotlight, even on Roxanne birthday. Cynthia reverts to these low level because her of weak sense of self.
Overall, I believe that one's personality is a direct reflection of one's self. Self defines and determines the unique characteristics portrayed in an individual. The are many different levels of "self" that people portray. An individual who is very passive and allows others to take advantage of them demonstrates a weak sense of self, much like Sethe and Cynthia. On the other hand, McMurphy proves to be an excellent representation of a man with a strong self-awareness. He forbids other people, such as nurse Rachet from controlling him. McMurphy shows the true definition of a strong sense of self. Partner sites: Study Spanish in Guatemala, American Bulldog Information, and Eulogies