Abstract
Human beings undergo through physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development during the “Adolescence” life stage. It is our intention to analyze the character of Allyson Sheedy portrayed in the motion picture “The Breakfast Club”. Application of theories and research from Piaget, Elkind, Kohlberg, Marcia and others will support our reasoning on Allyson’s actions and reactions as they are presented during the movie’s development.
Character Development of Allyson Sheedy in the Motion Picture “The Breakfast Club” Allyson Sheedy is a type of girl that sits and works alone (Identity diffusion, Marcia, 1979, 2000). She doesn’t have any friends, but is very aware of what is going around her. She shows a trend of being rejected by her peers (Hatzichristou & Hopf, 1996, page 447). She wears dark clothing and dirty tennis shoes. Her eating habits are not the best, eating junk food and soda (Vereecken & Maes, 2000, page 395). During events development in the movie, Allyson is observing her environment, analyzing all actions, reactions, and other character’s traits while keeping herself isolated from the others (Larson & Richards, 1998, page 440).
One time, she opened herself to communicate but immediately builds a filter and goes back to isolation from further communication. Eventually as situations developed, she opens to communicate, changed her image and ends up being accepted by her peers the way she is and not as the misfit she was once (Self esteem, Gilligan, page 429).
In the movie’s introduction, the final essay was read and graphic representations of each of the characters were presented, being the Guidance Counselor office the icon for “The Basket Case”; Allyson Sheedy. In the beginning, when Allyson parents dropped her at school, she approaches to the front side of the car, and her parents take off, ignoring her. This action shows a neglectful or uninvolved parenting style (Baumrind 1991; Parke & Buriel, 1998; R. A. Thompson, 1998, page 288).
As a result, Allyson enters in a fast pace into the room in the library and sits isolated from the others. During development of the events in the school library, Allyson keeps observing other students quarreling, (Hatzichristou & Hopf, 1996, Fuligni et al., 2001, pages 446, 447) sometimes approving or disapproving their opinions by gesturing either passively or aggressively, like in the situation with Bender when she spit her bitten nails to him as a signal of aggression (Larson, Moneta, Richards, & Wilson, 2002, page 440). However, during some events Allyson tries to send a signal to engage with peers (Friendship, Burhmester, 1996, page 448) by making noises, like in the scene when she squeaks to cover Bender’s action of opening the door. Allyson is also an artist.
While trying to make an essay that she will never do, she unveils her art and sketches a home in winter, finalizing the “snow touch” with her hair’s dandruff (Formal Operations, Piaget, page 402). She eventually keeps observing the communication and burst into a yell when Clair said; “My parents use me to get to each other”. Her reactions attracted her peer’s attention, thus, revealing Allyson’s home relation with her parents (Parenting Styles, Baumrind 1991; Parke & Buriel, 1998; R. A. Thompson, 1998).
While others introduce themselves with their names, is not until the latest moment when Allyson says hers. Later, during a conversation dealing with Claire’s virginity issues, Allyson stays out of it but gesturing, stating her disapproval of that conversation outcome (Friendships, Hamm, 2000). Another trait of Allyson’s reasoning is when she draws Bender’s knife from the chair, perhaps to prevent any tragedy or maybe to level a fight that was about to start (Moral Reasoning Level III, Kohlberg, 1969, page 408).
In another scene, in a hallway with Andrew ‘The Jock”, she admits to drink “tons of vodka”, stating, perhaps, alcohol abuse (Risk Factors, Hawkins, Catalano, & Miller, 1992; Johnson, Hoffman, & Gerstein, 1996; Masse & Tremblay, 1997; USDHHS, 1996b). During lunch time, Allyson nutritional trend of combining bread, sugar, and chips with soda lacks what we know as a balance diet (Vereecken & Maes, 2000, page 395). During the run away in the hallway, Allyson joins the others as a way to be accepted by her peers (Fuligni et al., 2001, page 446; Microsystems, Brofenbrenner, page 42).
One of Allyson’s ways of expression is “body talk”. In the locker scene, when the marijuana was pulled out she opened her eyes and mouth, surprised to see it and perhaps, thinking what might come up later, (Lynskey et al., 2003; Solowij et al., 2002). Once back in the library, she uses body talk to cover for Bender hiding from Mr. Vernon. When the time to smoke the marijuana came up, Ally was the last one to join after everyone was done with it (she never smoked).
She kept observing everyone’s reaction, but specially Andrew’s (Sexual Orientation, page 430). Allyson engages into Andrew and Bryan’s conversation by saying Bryan’s stats, information she obtained by stealing his wallet (Predelinquent, Kohlberg’s stage 2, page 452). Later, she attracts peer’s attention when she opens and drops all things from her purse, following her statement; “My home life is unsatisfying” (Rebellion, Offer & Schonert-Reichl, 1992, page 440).
During this event, she “opens” herself and says that she needs not to run away from home to avoid her parents. Instead, in her mind, she will travel in to other places (Formal Operations, Piaget, page 402). Eventually, Allyson closes all communication when Bryan seems not to understand her message (Rejection, page 447). She now feels rejected, until Andrew made her communicate once more and state that her problem is that her parents ignore her all the time (Neglectful, uninvolved parenting, Maccoby & Martin, 1983, page 288). Allyson has a characteristic to psychologically play or manipulate other people, as a compulsive liar she uses relational aggression (pg 291) to make Clair confess her virginity. On the other hand, she later confesses to do anything for a true love.
Furthermore, she shows solidarism with Clair when Bender tries to humiliate her (“Fidelity”, Erickson, 1982). In another scene, she tells about the things she can do (Peer influences, Self-efficacy, Bandura, 1994, page 366) like painting, eating and many other things with her feet. During this stage of the film, Allyson is being accepted as an individual and not seen as the misfit stereotyped girl (Popularity, Fuligni et al., 2001).
She shows fidelity to others especially when Bryan asked her to keep being his friend on next Monday in school (Berndt & Perry, 1990; Burhmester, 1990, 1996; Hartup & Stevens, 1999; Laursen, 1996). Allyson’s final transformation in both clothing and face (made by Claire) surprised and attracted Andrew’s attention to her (“Intimacy”, Blyth & Foster-Clark, 1987, page 428). Allyson waits for Andrew’s approval on her new looks (Identity Achievement, Marcia, 1993, Kroger, 1993), resulting on them to be engaged in a relationship.
References
- A & M Films (Producer), & Hughes, John (Director). (1985).
- The Breakfast Club [Motion picture]. Unites States: Universal Pictures.
- Papalia, Diane E., Wendkos Olds, Sally, & Duskin Feldman, Ruth. Human Development, 9th edition (pages 42, 288, 291, 366, 395, 402, 408, 428, 429, 430, 440, 446, 447, 448, 452).
