Analytical Essay: Fresh Prince Of Bel Air

There is no such thing as the ‘perfect family.’ No one grows up with a flawless mother and faultless father in picture perfect house. For Will, from Fresh Prince of Bel Air, had an absent father and moved across the country to live with his wealthy uncle in one of the richest neighborhoods in Los Angeles to help straighten out his life. One day his father, Lou, decided to show up 14 years later, who was a little inept in expressing his feelings. While Lou demonstrates poor, ineffective communication skills, Uncle Phil has been nothing but a tower of support and strength for Will with competent communication.

The main character of the show, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Will Smith, born and raised by his single mother in west Philadelphia, moved

Lou and Uncle Phil begin verbal aggression, with Lou stating that Uncle Phil “is a better man than” he is because he ran away from his when Will was only a toddler (“Papa’s Got a Brand New Excuse.”). Uncle Phil used his fatherhood experience as a power to encourage Lou to inform Will himself that he has to leave, instead of being the messenger for Lou, to avoid further damage of whatever relationship that he has left with Will. He presents defensive communication by dismissing the suggestion (McCornack 213). Will eventually catches his father before he gets escape the room and confronts Lou himself. Lou did not end this interaction with an apology, but instead walked away. This part of the scene reinforces that “conflicts with loved ones are guaranteed to be intense and emotionally draining experience” (McCornack 256). In that moment, the situation was too uncomfortable for Lou, leading him to suddenly withdrawal from the scene ( McCornack 273). Closing the scene, Will “idealized [a] self representation of wanting to become ‘different’ father[s] as compared to” his own (Langa