Rain Man Psychology

Authors and movie producers write novels and make movies for several different reasons. Some write to entertain, some to inform, and others to teach lessons. One movie that does a great job teaching students is Rain Man. This movie tells the story of a man, Charlie, who meets his autistic brother, Raymond, after his father dies. Although at first skeptical of his brother, Charlie discovers many magnificent qualities about Raymond. Most importantly, he learns that while Raymond’s autism may challenge his learning and social abilities, it does not impact his caring and loving personality. Charlie’s realization is paramount to the crucial message of the movie. This film calls viewers to action, encouraging them to abandon the stigma against

Palacio’s Wonder focuses on a boy with physical disabilities. In this novel the main character, Auggie, has a facial abnormality and attends school for the first time. Auggie’s classmates tease him and he has few friends to turn to for support. One of his friends, Jack, is an agent of social justice because he stands up for Auggie and deals with the ridicule of his peers for befriending the student perceived as an outsider from the rest. Jack’s friends cannot comprehend why he chooses to associate himself with a student that looks differently than themselves and they turn the whole grade against him. He begins receiving notes in his locker such as “you stink big cheese! And Nobody likes you anymore!” (Palacio). Even after everyone in the school has turned against him, Jack remains friends with Auggie. He is not intimidated by his former friends and sticks with Auggie, his only true friend. Jack supports Auggie and helps him boosts his self confidence. After Auggie gets new hearing aides, Jack tells him that “it made [him] look like an FBI agent or something,” (Palacio). The way that Jack gives Auggie self-assurance makes him an agent of social justice. Instead of making fun of him like the rest of the class, Jack complements Auggie, raising his self-esteem. Throughout the novel, the reader can clearly see Auggie’s sense of pride as he knows he has a genuine friend in Jack. Similar to Keyes, Palacio writes her book to raise awareness among her young audience. She advocates for students to “break down those barriers,” (Glasgow) such as the stigmas against certain races, ethnicities, religions, and people with disabilities. Along with breaking down barriers, Palacio encourages students who read this novel to learn from Jack’s actions and “become productive members of society,” (Kaplan). This novel positively portrays social justice and motivates students to become