Analysis Of Maslow's Hierarchy Of Needs In Mildred Pierce

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a psychological theory published in 1943 that organizes a person’s need in a neat pyramid; after food, water, and shelter exist psychological needs, such as the need for love and belonging, self-esteem, and finally, self-actualization, or the realization of one’s full potential. The 1941 hardboiled drama Mildred Pierce by James M. Cain is an exploration of the psyche of its eponymous protagonist as she is deprived of the crucial feeling of being important in the world around her as described by Maslow’s hierarchy. While Mildred Pierce has deluded herself into thinking that pure love for her highly successful daughter is her true motivation for her obsession with supporting her, it is a need to feel in control

Despite the Great Depression being an overarching constant throughout the novel, they are surprisingly more financially stable than most. However, this is not enough for Mildred, as evidenced by her initial relationship with her husband Herbert Pierce. When Bert is accused of adultery by Mildred, Cain writes that “ He broke in frequently, making excuses for himself, and repeating that there was no work, and insisting bitterly that if Mrs Biederhof had come into his life, a guy was entitled to some peace, instead of a constant nagging over things that lay beyond his control (Cain 4).”His adultery is a symptom of dissatisfaction, of being disappointed in how far one has fallen from grace; Cain later confirms Bert’s complaints, describing the downward spiral as a combination of short-sighted business choices and the uncompromising hammer of the Great Depression beating down on the Pierces just as much as everyone else. Especially important is how he highlights peace as his primary motivation for the affair. His mistress, Mrs. Biederhof, is not especially attractive; what is really driving him away is Mildred’s impatient exaggerated expectations still present from the now-shattered promise of grandeur. Bert is not the only, or even primary factor responsible for the dashing of dreams. He is, however, the only tangible physical proof

Cain’s novel is no doubt full of social commentary, but he has also focused on a very underrated facet of realistic fiction, which is the exploration of flaws in human nature which are constant in every person; this specific emotional chord will strike anyone who reads it profoundly, even in its opening