Thus, this story does not provide any sort of solution to the problems in our society but only engrains them further. These stereotypes are the most dangerous that. The classic 1985 flick “The Breakfast Club” is the epitome of clique movies. When Brian asks Claire if the five of them will all be friends on Monday, Claire responds honestly saying, “I don’t think so.” The Breakfast Club takes the easy way out, and instead of providing fixes (even frivolous ones), the inherent problem of stereotypes within society is just accepted. when I was 13, it has been one of my favorite movies. In high school, it is shameful to be considered a virgin. In this way, the movie draws an analogy between the mentally ill and animals. This classic movie exemplifies group dynamic in society. However, once we get to know her better in the movie, we realise that she has problems too. states that these stereotypes do not only exist in the sense that people dress up as them for Halloween, but in the way that society works to mold people, especially teenagers, to fit into certain stereotypes. Identity has much to do with the environment that we are raised, which can sometimes be difficult to escape from. Some may bring up the end of the movie, stating that the opposites falling in love (Bender and Claire, Andy and Allison) is a breaking of stereotypes. The main adult character, Mr. Vernon, is not portrayed in a positive light. Perhaps John Hughes' 1985 classic The Breakfast Club can help us out. All … Claire and Allison are both virgins in the movie, and they are both afraid of what their classmates may think of them for being virgins. The five main characters include Claire (Molly Ringwald) the princess, Brian (Anthony Michael Hall) the brain, Andrew (Emilio Estevez) the jock, Allison (Ally Sheedy) the weirdo, and John Bender (Judd Nelson) the criminal, John Hughes’s The Breakfast Club, Released on March 24, 1984. Bender, … In film and literature, what is the difference between an archetype and a stereotype? attempts to comment on these stereotypes by exaggerating them and attempting to portray the “deeper” side to each character. However, in reality, even though the movie purports to break down these stereotypes, it simply reinforces them. High school is possibly the hardest four years of a teenager’s life. Each character has different stereotypes, home lives, and issues but find out they have several similarities. "Deconstructing Fashion in. Claire Standish is the stereotype Princess. Additionally, the stigma surrounding mental illness that was widely present in society then and is still prominent in the world today, was given no concrete solution. It is simple and easy to understand; it presents an engaging and relatable story. In The Breakfast Club, perception of students based on stereotypes leads to biased expectations, isolation, and peer pressure, Characters And Stereotypes In The Movie Breakfast Club, The movie “Breakfast club” directed by John Hughes talks about five high school teenagers who are in detention together. The camera is moving around him, staying at eye level so the audience has the impression of being present. It helps to start broadly here, and realize that the surface level stereotyping that the movie does is most clear in the examples it presents of the classic high school students. To answer this question, we must first determine what the stereotypes this movie is presenting actually are. The movie pushes a male agenda, and when we decide that we like the way that Claire and Allison act in the movie (and for those of us who like this movie, it is hard to say that we do not), we are supporting this male agenda. What do you care? – Gabby 5. At first glance she looks like a spoilt rich girl with not a worry in her life. I am sure that most of you have seen the iconic movie The Breakfast Club. validates this view of women and provides no solution to the problem that half the world’s population is seen as less than the other half. The film is about a group of students, The Breakfast Club – Movie Review Discuss how the film ‘The Breakfast Club’ has constructed ideas about stereotypes in society. In this way, his mother is forcing a stereotype onto him, in a way that leaves Brian with no freedom to figure out who he actually is. In the iconic film, The Breakfast Club, five random high school students must spend their Saturday together in detention. John Bender is the stereotypical “bad Boy” who is the part of the 5 main characters in the movie but his dominating personality gives him a more central role. Thus. Would you classify Bender as a heartless criminal? Some may bring up the end of the movie, stating that the opposites falling in love (Bender and Claire, Andy and Allison) is a breaking of stereotypes. Has the movie changed your perception of people? Bender’s social and emotional development is dysfunctional at best. It does this by portraying distinct stereotypes, varying from the so-called “princess” all the way to the so-called “criminal.” At the start of the film, each member in the group is completely different and separate. A common issue that most teenagers can relate to is that of being a virgin. Andrew Clark was the stereotypical athlete. The primary purpose of The Breakfast Club is to inform youth, Stereotypes in The Breakfast Club These themes are portrayed both through the characters and the way they act and what they have been through as well as in the movie as a whole, Don’t Skip Breakfast! We (the viewers) buy into the stereotypes presented by the movie and the breaking of these stereotypes by the characters; but in fact, this is all a lie. The formal operational begins at the age of 12 and continues into adulthood, this stage also involves abstract thinking and moral reasoning. The story tries to break this stereotype by having Allison open up to the other characters, fall in love with the athlete, and be given her a makeover. In many ways, Andy fits the stereotype of the dumb jock who uses his status to bully other people (he is in detention for taping someone’s balls together) and repeatedly uses force to get what he wants. Other factors which These are called stereotypes and they’re made to divide people based on who others believe they are or should be. However, mental illness does not simply go away like that; it is a lifelong struggle that people who suffer from mental illness must deal with each day. – Kiana 4. The Breakfast Club est une comédie dramatique américaine écrite et réalisée par John Hughes, sortie en 1985.. L'histoire, concentrée en une journée, se focalise sur la rencontre et les interactions de cinq lycéens envoyés en retenue pour des raisons variées. The stereotypes are not broken, but trivialized and further ingrained. Women are weak; women need men; women are pure and their value lies in their virginity; these are the statements that we accept when we watch this movie. Wikis. It is about a group of 5 defiant high school students who are all forced to spend their Saturday in detention. L'histoire, concentrée en une journée, se focalise sur la rencontre et les interactions de cinq lycéens envoyés en retenue pour des raisons variées. He goes to Shermer High School in Shermer, Illinois. What we did was wrong. Each time this occurs, viewers subconsciously root this idea of women as weak deeper in their minds. “The Breakfast Club” is a film that is well-know to be a movie that explains stereotypes and societal standards. I would assume most of us here have either seen, heard of, or are real fans of The Breakfast Club. He struggles to hold back his tears and his voice is raspy and quiet. According to the movie, the mentally ill should be forever condemned to be seen as subhuman. Identity is something that many young people struggle to find, including each of the five members of the beloved Breakfast Club. However, The Breakfast Club written by John Hughes made teens everywhere relate to at least one of these characters. The movie makes no effort to truly combat her characterization as mentally ill, but instead perpetuates it. On this day, five very different high school students meet at the school to serve detention. does not even make a half-hearted attempt to do that. Another stereotype the movie enforces about women is the concept of women as objects whose function is to sit, look pretty, conform to societal pressures and be there for men to “take.” Bender thinks it is appropriate for him to touch Claire without her permission; he mainly sees Claire as a sexual object, not as a strong human who possesses her own agency. Add new page. Claire makes no effort to combat these beliefs, but reinforces the fact that a woman’s job is to look pretty when she puts on makeup using her boobs and gives Allison a makeover. The movie has resigned itself to the fact that the stereotypes it presents can never be overcome. For a basis, these are the types of stereotypes that people dress up as for Halloween because they are so widely recognized and accepted. However, the movie attempts to show that there is more to this stereotype of the criminal than most people realize, providing Bender with a back story of an abusive home life and a father who believes he is worthless. Why/ Why Not? The first stereotype it enforces is the one that portrays women as weak beings needing the protection of men. The Breakfast Club Study Guide: Home; Overview of Context; Character Analysis; Idea Analysis; Study Questions; Essay Questions; Representation of Groups; Quotes; Further Reading; FORUMS; CHARACTER ANALYSIS. However, in reality, even though the movie purports to break down these stereotypes, it simply reinforces them. Women are weak; women need men; women are pure and their value lies in their virginity; these are the statements that we accept when we watch this movie. But when The Breakfast Club came up, I realized that Ally Sheedy’s Allison was my spirit animal. Each time this occurs, viewers subconsciously root this idea of women as weak deeper in their minds. The princess and the jock take position at the front of the class as the most popular. Since I first saw The Breakfast Club when I was 13, it has been one of my favorite movies. Allison is “fixed” by Claire when she is given a makeover. 41 Pages. The clearest instances in which the movie does this are seen in the characters of Andy, Claire, and Allison. Claire wears diamond earrings, is a participant in Student Council, has many friends, and conforms to fit in with those friends. He is smart and participates in the stereotypical ‘nerd’ clubs: “the math club, the Latin club, and the physics club.” He has been confined to this stereotype not only by those around him at school, but by his parents. Popular girls are often seen as lacking substance and being privileged, but the movie attempts to break this stereotype by making Claire more self-aware and showing that she dislikes the pressure she feels from those around her to act a certain way: “I hate having to go along with everything my friends say!” The popular girl is always accompanied by the athlete, who in this movie is a wrestler named Andy. There must be more to it than what it presents itself to be: a story of outcasts working to overcome differences and opposites falling in love. The Breakfast Club is a timeless movie centered around the very relevant concept of discovering your identity and breaking away from stereotypes. This all seems well and good: The Breakfast Club presents a bunch of stereotypes, but then shows the characters breaking these stereotypes and moving against the grain of society. Exploring and breaking down one of the most iconic movies from the 80s, it’s more than just a humorous movie about five teens in detention. The Pollyanna: It takes a lot to put him in a bad mood. The movie takes place on Saturday March 24, 1984 at Shermer High School in Illinois. Thus, this story does not provide any sort of solution to the problems in our society but only engrains them further. The movie makes no effort to truly combat her characterization as mentally ill, but instead perpetuates it. Games Movies TV Video. The Breakfast Club attempts to comment on these stereotypes by exaggerating them and attempting to portray the “deeper” side to each character. The Breakfast Club turns 30 this week and I now look like the guy who ate Judd Nelson. When Brian asks Claire if the five of them will all be friends on Monday, Claire responds honestly saying, “I don’t think so.”. This question is not just unique to these students in this high school, but this is a question all high school students attempt to figure out by the time they enter college or join the work force. The movie does not actually portray the characters breaking the stereotypes they represent; instead it ingrains these stereotypes deeper into the characters’ personalities, making it so that there is no escaping these stereotypes. Abstract There cannot be a movie about high school stereotypes without portraying a “popular girl,” and. However, the movie attempts to show that there is more to this stereotype of the criminal than most people realize, providing Bender with a back story of an abusive home life and a father who believes he is worthless. For a basis, these are the types of stereotypes that people dress up as for Halloween because they are so widely recognized and accepted. He is subject to domestic abuse by his father and is a drug user, storing marijuana in his locker. Summary. The story tries to break this stereotype by having Allison open up to the other characters, fall in love with the athlete, and be given her a makeover. Each with a different highschool stereotype of their own, they soon discover that they share more than they might have thought. Recently Changed Pages . In The Breakfast Club, several psychological concepts are addressed, including stereotypes and adolescence, which involves identity as well as peer and parent relationships. Many stories will at least attempt to provide solutions to the problems they present with idyllic endings and happily-ever-afters, yet The Breakfast Club does not even make a half-hearted attempt to do that. takes the easy way out, and instead of providing fixes (even frivolous ones), the inherent problem of stereotypes within society is just accepted. For example, although the “deeper” side of Andy is shown when he talks to Allison, Andy only fully begins to appreciate Allison once she has gotten a makeover, instead of simply valuing her for her personality and because he sees something in her besides her looks. It is about a group of 5 defiant high school students who are all forced to spend their Saturday in detention. This being The Breakfast Club, he gets put through hell for it. The issue of mental illness itself is trivialized. For example, Brian is the classic nerd. He is wild and thrives on his rebellious attitude. Teens are constantly being pre-labeled and prejudged before they even know who they are. fulfills that requirement with the character of Claire. Another stereotype the movie enforces about women is the concept of women as objects whose function is to sit, look pretty, conform to societal pressures and be there for men to “take.” Bender thinks it is appropriate for him to touch Claire without her permission; he mainly sees Claire as a sexual object, not as a strong human who possesses her own agency. Bender is the only one who stands up to Vernon. 2013. There cannot be a movie about high school stereotypes without portraying a “popular girl,” and The Breakfast Club fulfills that requirement with the character of Claire. Then there is Claire, who also fails to have her stereotype broken, with her “shallowness” being reinforced throughout the movie: her talent is putting on lipstick using her boobs; her major act of kindness is giving Allison a makeover; her last action in the movie is giving Bender her diamond earring. The problem is subtle because this is not exactly what the movie is doing. 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