A Beautiful Mind Vs Rain Man Essay

1182 Words3 Pages

This analysis will compare and contrast the types of intelligence which the protagonists of ‘Rain Man’ and ‘A Beautiful Mind’ display. ‘Rain Man’ (1998) directed by Barry Levinson is about a selfish man, Charlie, who finds out he has an autistic older brother, Raymond. Charlie then kidnaps a willing Raymond from Walbrook Institute and slowly a relationship of love and understanding forms. ‘A Beautiful Mind’ (2001) directed by Ron Howard features mathematical genius, John Nash, who, after making a revolutionarily discovery in university, does secret cryptography work for the government. His life soon changes for the worse, with a diagnoses of schizophrenia.
Two different theories will be applied to compare and contrast the intellect shown by the protagonists of films. Spearman’s theory of general and specific abilities will be applied first. This theory states that people have two types of abilities, general and specific. General abilities underlie all intelligent behaviour and reflect on a persons inherited mental abilities. General ability is tested through a range of tests, such as verbal reasoning, arithmetic and general knowledge. If a relationship is found between various performances this indicates the presence and strength of general mental ability.
The second theory applied will be …show more content…

Intrapersonal intelligence is being aware of occurrences within your own mind and body. John exhibits this awareness when he begins to overcome his schizophrenia, by realizing the appreciations aren’t real. “Marcy can’t be real, she never gets old.” John continues to demonstrate strong intrapersonal intelligence when he regains a normal life, despite his schizophrenia. “I still see things that are not here, I just choose not to acknowledge them.” These demonstrations of control over his mind and actions display John’s intrapersonal intelligence as he is fully aware of what is happening within his

Open Document