Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

654 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Role of environment in childs development

Overview: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, starring Johnny Depp as the quirky and silly chocolatier, Willy Wonka. This movie is not only a whacky and twisted remake directed by Tim Burton, but it is also a goldmine when it comes to analyzing the personality of Willy as an adult and how his flashbacks to his early childhood reveal why he acts the way he is. Willy’s father, Wilbur Wonka, was known throughout the town for his dentistry, he was referred to as the best dentist in town. As being a dentist, Wilbur despised all types of candy and forbade Willy from having any. The conflicts caused by his father when he was younger, riddled Willy for the rest of his life and led him to be the greatest and wackiest chocolatier ever. Sigmund Freud’s concepts of Reality Anxiety, Defense Mechanisms and the Oedipus complex, will be followed by Karen Horney’s theories of Childhood Need for Safety, Basic Anxiety and Neurotic Needs and Trends.
Freud’s concept of “Neurotic Anxiety” directly correlates with the childhood of Willy Wonka. Neurotic Anxiety originates in the childhood stage, and is considered to be a “conflict between instinctual gratification and reality.” (Schultz & Schultz, 2013) For example, a child who openly expresses aggressive impulses such as fighting, bullying or any act of violence, would be punished by their parent(s). In Willy Wonka’s case, his Neurotic Anxiety derived from his want to satisfy his need for eating chocolate (Instinctual Gratification) even though his father repeatedly informed Willy of the negatives of eating chocolate (Reality). His want to gratify certain ID impulses, in this case eating chocolate, generates anxiety for Willy which he defends himself by eating chocolate in secrecy of his father.
Fre...

... middle of paper ...

...ood, not biological. According to Horney, a child possesses a “need” referred to as the Safety Need. If met, this need allows a child to feel free and free from harm or danger and is met when the parents help the child feel secure with love, warmth and affection. Parents who have a preference for a sibling, make un-kept promises, or fail to show sufficient warmth and affection, basic anxiety will develop in the child and will lead to neurosis. In the movie, Willy’s father failed to show any warmth or affection towards him. Instead of feeling free from fear, Wilbur was also using fear to scare Willy away from the candy. This led to neurosis in Willy and it made him distant from people as he grew older.
Horney

Works Cited

Schultz, D. P., & Schultz, S. E. (2013). 2,5. Theories of personality (10th ed., pp. 41-84,139-158). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

Show More
Related

  • Critical Response Of Arthur Miller's 'Death Of A Salesman'

    1060 Words  | 3 Pages

    At the beginning of the play it is evident that he cannot determine the realities of life, and so he repeatedly contradicts himself to establish that his conclusion is correct and opinion accepted. These numerous contradictions demonstrate that Willy is perturbed of the possibility that negative judgements may come from others. Willy strongly believes that “personality always wins” and tells his sons that they should “be liked and (they) will never want”. In one of Willy’s flashbacks he recalls the time when his sons and him were outside cleaning their Chevy. Willy informs Biff and Happy the success of his business trips and how everyone residing in Boston adores him. He mentions that due to the admiration of people he does not even have to wait in lines. He ultimately teaches his sons that being liked by others is the way to fulfilling one’s life and removing your worries. These ideals, that one does not need to work for success, demonstrate Willy’s deluded belief of achieving a prosperous life from the admiration and acceptance of others. This ultimately proves to be a false ideology during his funeral, when an insufficient amount of people arrive. Willy constantly attempts to obtain other’s acceptance through his false tales that depict him as a strong, successful man. In the past, he attempts to lie to his wife, Linda, about the amount of wealth he has attained during his

    Read More

  • Death of a Salesman Character Analysis

    1323 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout the play, Willy can be seen as a failure. When he looks back on all his past decisions, he can only blame himself for his failures as a father, provider, and as a salesman (Abbotson 43). Slowly, Willy unintentionally reveals to us his moral limitations that frustrates him which hold him back from achieving the good father figure and a successful business man, showing us a sense of failure (Moss 46). For instance, even though Willy wants so badly to be successful, he wants to bring back the love and respect that he has lost from his family, showing us that in the process of wanting to be successful he failed to keep his family in mind (Centola On-line). This can be shown when Willy is talking to Ben and he says, “He’ll call you a coward…and a damned fool” (Miller 100-101). Willy responds in a frightful manner because he doesn’t want his family, es...

    Read More

  • Willy Loman And The Death Of A Salesman

    747 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the play we see Willy Loman confusing his family because of his action that makes the whole family become worried of him keep asking their self about the father of the family Willy Loman. His hallucination didn’t affect the family only even the neibours are worried about him. To overall all these that cause Willy seems like is crazy it because of the American dream where everybody want to achieve the American dream in these world. That is doesn’t happened in America only even in the African continent it’s happened because of the colonial influence.

    Read More

  • John Bowlby's Attachment Theory

    2162 Words  | 5 Pages

    Hazan, C., & Shaver, P. (1987). Journal of personality and social psychology and. Retrieved from http://internal.psychology.illinois.edu/~broberts/Hazan & Shaver, 1987.pdf

    Read More

  • The Character of Willy Loman in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman

    1127 Words  | 3 Pages

    Willy's main flaw is his foolish pride, this it what makes him a tragic hero.  Yet there are many facets to his personality that contribute to the state he and the family are in during the play.  His upbringing of the boys is one major issue, he raised them with the notion that if one is well-liked, he need not worry about qualifications, he believed that if his boys were popular they would come out on top.  Sadly, he doesn't realize that the only way an ordinary person can get rich is through work (represented by Bernard) or through luck and good timing (Ben), and Willy missed the boat when it came to ...

    Read More

  • Willy Lowman’s Tragic Misinterpretation of the American Dream in Death of a Salesman

    1178 Words  | 3 Pages

    To begin, Willy’s methods of searching for likeability are erroneous. He believes that the superficiality of attractiveness goes hand in hand with being well liked. Willy’s downfall started with his impression of Dave Singleman, an 84 year old salesman. According to Willy, he had “…the greatest career a man could want.” Sure this man was liked in cities around the world, but Willy’s altered perception of the American dream masked the realities of his life. Willy failed to see that instead of being retired at 84, Dave Singleman was unwed, still working, and in the end “dies the death of a salesman”; alone and without love. Believing in this dream, ultimately leads Willy to his hubris; too proud to be anything but a salesman. Throughout the play, Charlie often asks Willy, “You want a job?” Instead of escaping his reality of unpaid bills and unhappiness, Willy’s shallow values lead him to refuse the switch from him attractive job, to that of a carpent...

    Read More

  • The Big Five Traits

    1850 Words  | 4 Pages

    A person’s personality has been the subject of psychological scrutiny for many years. Psychologists have drawn up several theories in an attempt to accurately predict and determine one’s personality. Foremost amongst these, is the “Big Five Trait Theory” which stemmed from Raymond B. Cattell’s theory.

    Read More

  • Death of a Salesman Character Development Essay

    757 Words  | 2 Pages

    Foremost, Willy has a problem with his inability to grasp reality. As he grows older his mind is starting to slip. For example, when he talks to the woman and his brother Ben. Throughout the story, Willy dreams of talking to the woman, because the woman is a person that he was dating in when he went to Boston. He was cheating behind his wife’s back. Willy basically uses her as a scapegoat when he’s hallucinating about her. He blames all of his problems on the woman. For instance Willy says, “ Cause you do… There’s so much I want to make for.” (38) This is the evidence right here. Also he dreams about his brother Ben. Willy wishes could be more like his brother who has just passed away a couple of months previously to the story. He also wishes he didn’t have to work and could be rich like Ben. He respects Ben for not really working and making a lot of money. Another example of Willy’s hallucinations are when he says,“ How are you all?” (45) This occurs when Willy is talking with Charley and he starts thinking about Ben. Willy’s inability to grasp reality never changed throughout the story.

    Read More

  • Comparing the Tragic Flaws in Oedipus Rex (the King) and Death of a Salesman

    408 Words  | 1 Pages

    Willy is blind to the reality around him. This blindness, is his tragic flaw like that of Oedipus Rex. Willy is a dreamer who is unable to face the realities of a modern day society. Willy builds his whole life around the philosophy that if a person is well likedand good looking, he will be successful. Willy says to Biff, "I thank Almighty God that you are both are built like Adonises." Later, Willy makes the comment, "Be liked and you will never want." His need to be well liked is so strong that his choices throughout his life, and his blindness to the reality around him, prevents Willy from realizing his dreams and values were flawed.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of The American Dream In Arthur Miller's Death Of A Salesman

    822 Words  | 2 Pages

    Willy’s Distinct idea on the American dream is if your are well liked by people you will be successful. As said in the play by Willy "personality always wins the day”(Miller 1737). as said in the play by Willy. as read through the drama he looks at people who are successful and feels they have yet to attain full success. As they are surely intelligent and work hard, but do not live up to their true potential. For example, his son Biff, he feels he is wasted potential, as he is well liked yet has not obtained success. This is the point in which Willy has misunderstood, all because he had a good for nothing father. This led him to believe that the ideal success is the opposite of his father. Willy went through his life with this

    Read More

  • The Importance of Positive Cultural Identity

    1171 Words  | 3 Pages

    Schultz, D.P. & Schultz, S.E. (2009). Theories of Personality, Ninth Edition. US: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

    Read More

  • The Trait Theory of Personality

    2125 Words  | 5 Pages

    Magnavita, J. J. (2002). Theories of personality: Contemporary approaches to the science of personality. New York: Wiley.

    Read More

  • Karen Horney: Her Life and Work

    2822 Words  | 6 Pages

    Hergehhahn, B. R. and Olson, M. H. (1999). An Introduction to Theories of Personality. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

    Read More

  • A Comparison Between Freud and Erikson

    1947 Words  | 4 Pages

    Friedman, H. S., & Schustack, M. W. (2012). Personality: Classic theories and modern research (5th ed). Boston , MA, USA: Pearson

    Read More

  • Personality Analysis of Marilyn Monroe by Using Trait Theories

    1074 Words  | 3 Pages

    Feist, J., Feist, G. J., & Roberts, T. A. (2009). Theories of personality. New York:

    Read More

More about Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

Open Document