The Breakfast Club Identity

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The film the “Breakfast Club,” is a movie about a group of stereotypical teenagers whom all received detention and must report to school on a Saturday. These students are known as Brian the “brain,” Claire the “princess,” Andrew the “athlete,” John the “criminal,” and Allison the “basket case.” Despite the different groups, they belong to, each student learns they are not as different as they thought they once were from one another. Spending eight hours with one another helps them, not only form a bond, but figure out their own identity as well. When taking a closer look, psychologically, the audience learns that they behave certain ways because of how they were brought up and what is expected of them by the people that they surround themselves with. The first character to be analyzed, is Andrew. According to Catell and Eysenck’s five factor of personality, Andrew displays his conscientiousness through his willingness …show more content…

She comes from a wealthy background, is influenced by her friends, is narcissistic and is doted on by her parents, whom buy her things to get back at each other. Claire is aware of this and therefore behaves the way she does. She makes sure she doesn’t do anything that can change the image others have of her and feels that she can do no wrong. The other characters seem to idolize Claire except for John, whom is constantly making sexual or rude remarks to her. When we delve deeper into Claire’s personality and look at Horney’s theory on basic evil, hostility and anxiety and apply it to Claire. According to Horney, if a “child did not feel loved there would be hostility toward the parents, and this hostility would eventually be projected onto everything and everyone and become basic anxiety,” (Hergenhahn & Olson, 2011). This would then lead to neuroticism in adulthood and in Claire’s case, she feels the need for social recognition and prestige and personal

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