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The character development and perceptions have a vital role in the underlying message and theme Of the movie. Claire is the “princess. ” She is the rich, well-to-do, pretty and popular girl. Andrew is the “athlete. ” He is the state wrestler and jack that appears to be tough and strong. Then, Brian Johnson, “the brain” is the peaceful smart guy who fears making poor grades. The “basket case” is Allison Reynolds. She speaks seldom and has a bizarre style. Lastly, the rebel is John Bender. He is “the criminal” who seeks opposition.
He is a bully with an insubordinate attitude towards the principal, Richard Vernon. The principal has given these fives students very strict rules for their time spent in detention. No moving, sleeping and talking for the next eight hours. However, he additionally presents them with an assignment. They much each write a 1 ,OHO word essay describing “who they think they are. ” This topic will really play into the idea that these students have harsh stereotypes and prejudices against one another that reflect their self- schemas and how they behave towards one another.
Stereotypes are the ideas and beliefs about a person that are often personalized and accurate. These usually lead to prejudices or negative pre conceived judgments towards a particle group. This often leads to verbal aggression intended to hurt one another with words. Most often stereotypes and behavior are ultimately the result of an individuals belief about themselves and hot they organize that information- their self-schema. These are a few things we will begin to explore through the movie. At the beginning, the characters are very cruel towards one another.
Their prejudices against one another were formed from stereotypes they had understood to be true regarding the other person. These were all based on their perceptions they had towards one another, because none Of them actually had met before their detention. Bender throughout the movie is the protagonist. He is constantly bullying Brian, trying to act tougher than Andrew and harassing Claire. Eventually after spending a lot of time with another they eventually begin opening up to one another, realizing that each of their home fives are unsatisfying and that they each have strained parental relationships.
They begin realizing and confessing their own imperfections and start becoming real friends, confiding in one another about some of their deepest secrets. By the end of the movie, even romantic feelings had developed among Claire and Bender and Allison and Brian. The brain, princess, criminal, athlete and backed case have become friends and overcome the prejudice, stereotypes and verbal aggression and their own self- schemas that initially controlled their perceptions of one another.
In the final paper to the principal Brian explains that he has already formed his own perceptions of who they are based on his own judgments, it doesn’t matter what they write. These character are stamped with labels. Labels are descriptive words to describe nouns into differing categories. For these characters, their labels were no mystery, but rather publicly communicated amongst one another. A stereotype can be described as the belief about the personal attributes of a group of people. These are usually personalized and inaccurate.
You will see throughout this movie that the true character of each student had become over shadowed by their ideas about one another. Theory One- stereotypes. In the first ten minutes of the movie there are verbal accusations and name calling all due to prior stereotypes the students have towards one another. To Bender, Claire is the “princess. ” He continues with no hesitation to describe her as the popular “prom queen”, rich-girl who everyone loves. Bender judged her based on her material possessions and social status.