And:
As I was saying to Maggie after class, I've always found this to be a confounding movie. Is it about the need to conform? Is it criticizing conformity? At the end, have our heroes broken the rigid shackles of cliques? Will they actually talk to each other on Monday? Have our kids really changed (Brian is talked into writing the paper by 'I'm so popular' Claire—plus he doesn't get the girl!)? And so on. At the same time, having seen this movie a zillion times, as well as having shown it to classes many times, today was the first time it actually made sense to me—and was emotionally satisfying. Who knows, I may feel differently the next time I see it.
So: everyone do numbers one and five. Those choose one of the three remaining questions to do. Answer them fully, ok?
1. Is there a particular character you "relate" to? Clearly, John Hughes meant this cross-section of high school types to be identifiable to his 1985 audience of moviegoers your age. So do you identify with any of these kids? How so?
2. What is the message of Allison's make over at the end? How does it fit—or perhaps not fit—into the greater message or thematic concern of the movie?
3. This is a story that revolves almost exclusively around the kids, and tells a story about what school has done to them, much in the same way "Dead Poets Society" shows us what Welton has done to its students. So what has Schermer High done to The Breakfast Club? What role do you see the school itself having in the conflicts and dissatisfaction we see in the kids? Don't defer immediately and only to Mr. Vernon—or "Dick" as Bender addresses him in the film. Think of the school we hear the kids talk about.
4. A brain. A Jock. A Princess. A Kook. A Criminal. A cross section of Schermer High School. In your experience, is High School society so rigidly defined? Explain.
5. The film, as Rick and I talked about after class, clearly comes out of a sixties anti-authoritarian mode: for Allison and Andy, the worst fate they can image is becoming their parents. Parents seem to be the enemy as much as the authoritarian teachers (shades of "High School"). The kids, as I imagine most teens do, fear growing up—it's the Peter Pan syndrome—not only for the uncertainty of adulthood but for the almost certainty of "losing your heart," as Allison says. What did you think of this part of the movie? Did it ring true to you? Is it something that may be as dated as parts of "To Sir With Love"? Does this fear exist in your generation? If so, why or how so—and if not, why or how not?
According to Wikipedia the film, costing a million dollars, grossed 51.5 million dollars. Ask your parents about it—they probably saw it when it came out. Two or three times even.
I don't think I am able to completely relate with any of the kids, but I believe I share some traits with Bryan. We both care a lot about grades and want to do well, but I am not nearly as stressed about grades as Bryan is. I also am involved in activities that are not academic which, from what we see, Bryan is not.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Allison's makeover fit with the theme of the movie. To me, the movie was about being yourself and making friends but not compromising yourself in order to keep your friends and Allison's makeover completely goes against that. Allison's makeover seems to show that the only way Allison could be attractive to others is if she conformed to society's standard of beauty. This seemed out of place to me because the rest of the movie was about the kids realizing that they didn't have to be like all of their friends in order to belong.
I don't think high school is divided as strictly as The Breakfast Club implies. In my experience at Paideia, there are definitely visible friend groups, but those friend groups are not completely separated. I have a lot of friends who are not in my "friend group" as do many other people. I think having friend groups in high schools is inevitable, but I think this movie, as well as many others, over emphasizes the affect of polarization of these friend groups.
I think the fear of turning into our parents and/or growing up and not knowing what you want to do or not being happy definitely exists. I think the fear of just growing up isn't as widespread though. I know that I am excited for college and figuring out what I want to do with my life but others might feel the exact opposite. I think people's fears of the future and growing up differ greatly and depends on who the person is and what their situation is. Many people are probably terrified of the things I am very excited for while others might have a completely different view of what their future is going to be.
I suppose I relate with Brian the most (very funny, his name is almost 'brain'). He feels a lot of pressure from his parents to do well in school and is devastated about getting an F. I know that feeling of sheerly shocking disappointment at a truly terrible grade and the emotional havoc it wreaks. He also seems to be able to see through the other characters a bit, like when he calls Claire out for being conceited when she explains that she wouldn't talk to him on Monday. I think a lot of Paideia students are very good at disregarding the notion of a popular hierarchy; they know that there's no reason to believe that one person is better than another for a simple reason like playing sports, being an active member of clubs, or having a lot of friends. Because of this, I feel like many of us could relate with Brian, his concern about his grades, and his view of Claire's self-importance as a high school student.
ReplyDeletePaideia society isn't rigidly defined at all. There are friend groups, but they're based on people who like and connect with each other. I think every group has people of different interests who take part of various activities. I think Paideia also nullifies the ideas of "jocks" and "brains" because the school encourages every person to develop these qualities of themselves.
I don't feel like any part of this movie was as dated as "To Sir With Love." For me, the problems with their parents was the most realistic aspects of the kids, even if the way that the audience finds out about these aspects is not. (I disagree that five students, if put in a room with nothing to do, would end up sharing their deepest struggles/ life stories with each other.) Most teenagers understand what it feels like to have their parents put pressure on them, yell at them, and ignore them. Furthermore, most teenagers understand what it's like to have a lot of anger or even hate when it comes to their parents, so it makes sense that these kids don't want to grow up. I think most, if not all, of us would hate becoming like our parents because these are the people we constantly clash with, the people who we find completely irrational and annoying. I definitely think that one of my greatest fears might be inevitably becoming a person that I view poorly, so that concern remains alive and active in this generation.
There isn't one character who I relate to more than all the others, I think they're all a little too rigid in the stereotype they embody for probably most people to feel completely connected to one and not at all to the others. I connected with Brian because of the pressure he said his parents put on him to have good grades, because I feel a lot of that. I connect with Claire because I feel like at least some of the time, what I do is really related to what my friends do.
ReplyDeleteI think the message of Allison's makeover has something to do with showing the layers that people have. Because at first she seemed like a crazy unkempt wacko, but by allowing Claire to give her a makeover, it kind of shows another side of her. But I think that the makeover scene also detracts from the overall message of the movie as well. Allison does really end up conforming by making herself look the way she's 'supposed to'. I think when Andrew says that seeing her face now is good, both of these ideas are kind of reinforced.
For me personally, it's not so much of a fear as an awareness. I'm aware that I could end up like my parents, which I don't want to happen, but I think that awareness kind of sets me up to be able to make sure it doesn't happen. I don't think much of this generation, or at least my friends are too afraid of becoming like their parents. This is probably because we have so many tools they didn't and at least any people who I've talked about concerning this type of stuff have seemed pretty confident in themselves and their ability to make decisions for themselves and not just do what their parents say.
I think I relate to Bender from this film. Though, I would not label myself as a “criminal,” I feel like I often have the need to be different or rebellious. I do not want to be the same as everyone else. I do not want to be just an average high schooler. Like John Bender, I strive to be a bit rebellious though not in the way of harming anyone. I do not have a bad home life or a need to steal lunches from other kids, but I still want to be unique. I do not want to succumb to the ways of an “average” high schooler. I also think I can relate to Andy. In the movie, I saw his compassionate side and his empathetic ways. I feel like I can easily relate to other people and understand their feelings, as well.
ReplyDeleteOriginally, it was a bit surprising that Allison was so willing to have a make-over. The first time I saw this movie, I thought that Claire was taking away Allison’s uniqueness. This viewing, I remember Allison saying that she had no friends. She also asked Claire why she was being so nice to her. I think that Allison was not stripped of her personality, because she had not figured out who she wanted to be. She was not established, she did not who she was. Claire brought to the table something Allison could identify, or not identify, with. I think that one of the main themes or messages from this movie is about discovering yourself. I think that they all changed and had revelations from the experiences they had in detention. I think Allison had one of those changes from Claire’s make-over.
When I think of what Schermer High has done to its students, specifically the Breakfast Club, I think of how it segregated them. The school has divided them into groups that do not mingle with one another. There are no relationships between people that are not in the same “clique.” I think in that way, the school has created a big divide between the students. I think that is where we see a lot of the conflicts come in. I also think that the school does not give its students a sense of fulfilment. Claire would rather ditch school for the mall, Andy is much more concerned with his dad’s opinion on sports, Brian sees school and grades as a way of appeasing his parents, Bender sees school as a place to rebel, and Allison does not seem concerned with school in the slightest. I think school should not only be a place to teach, but also a haven for children with troubling home lives. All of the kids in the breakfast club have messed up home lives, and school does not at all seem to be helping or even distracting from those problems.
I do not think that high school is that rigidly defined. I think that everyone has pieces of some of the characteristics that go along with the characters. There is no sole characteristic in each of us. Though, I think that John Hughes uses these dramatic approaches for a reason. The viewer can relate with multiple characteristics instead of just narrowing in on one. We see the dramatic differences in the atmosphere of high school. There is a very broad spectrum that the viewer can see as whole and narrow in on certain aspects at the same time.
DeleteI do fear losing my heart as I grow up. I think in our adolescence, teenagers are able to see the world in a much wider view. We have so many emotions, not just angst but love and compassion. As I grow up, I do not want to be so concerned with my own life and problems that I forget about those teenage feelings. I still want that passion when I grow older. I do not want to drown in the ritual of everyday life. I do still think there is an underlying fear of becoming our parents when we grow up. Though, we do not always see it at Paideia, I think many in this generation fear becoming our folks when we get older. I know being a teenager, we are open to seeing how real life works without actually being in it. It is frightening to know that in a rather short time, we will be in the real world. I know that I personally do not want to be caught in the cycle of adulthood I see many adults go through. Whether it be being stuck in a job that you hate, having to give up your goals and aspirations, or just not being happy in the situation you are in, I do not want to be stuck on that relentless path.
I like that last part of your answer, Isabelle. It may not speak specifically to what we see in the movie, but it does speak to a more personalized fear, which I think actually is hinted at in the movie. Being stuck: losing the freedom of youth: compromising: unhappiness that you can't simply walk away from. I think this is what the kids in the film fear: hence the joy in dancing, in moving, in banding together. Anything to feel alive and wanted and cared for and understood at the moment—cutting loose and having fun.
Delete1) I thought the characters cast in the movie did a great job of showing the wide spectrum of different persons in high school. I don’t think I really relate to any one of the characters completely, but I did feel as though I shared similar aspects with Brian. Brian is extremely hard on himself and puts pressure on himself to do well in school; as well as receives more academic pressure from his parents. I can definitely understand that as I have found myself in the same situation. Brian also is a very good observer, something that I love to do. I think he really gets the whole gist of things and the way that people are. This is shown when he asks the group “so will we all be friends on Monday?” He also calls out Claire for being stuck up and full of herself. He also seemed a little goofy and off beat which I can relate too. An example is when he declared himself the walrus in his fit of boredom with his pen lodged in his mouth. I loved the part when he was cracking himself up and acting foolish as I can remember countless occasions acting the same way.
ReplyDelete4) I think that the roles played by each character were great and represented a major part of high schools. However, I don’t think that high school society is as set in stone as to only have those specific kinds of people. The best rebuttal I can think of is that not everyone is the same. For example, a classic ‘jock’ may also be a ‘brain’ or a ‘kook.’ Also, sometimes, one person who’s labeled as a certain type might actually not want that type of person. Claire even says how she hates being popular and a princess because of all of the stigmas and pressures that surround it. Also, a person might engage in a wide range of activities and have diverse interests, which wouldn’t label them as one of the 5 types displayed in the movie. I can’t speak for all school societies, but being at both large and small schools, I think that the school societies at larger schools rather than schools such as Paideia have a more rigidly defined society as the sheer amount of people forces others to try and fit in more, conforming themselves to be and do what others do. Paideia, on the contrary, makes a great fuss about diversity and independence. This liberty I think causes most people to grow away from conformity, breaking away from the rigidity.
5) I thought that the kids feared growing up because most, if not all, of the adult figures in their lives were not very good role models and didn’t give them that much hope for what was to come later life. Every kid had a large problem with their parents, not to mention with their teachers, as they clearly did not take well to Mr. Vernon’s disciplinary ways. They were also scared of becoming like their parents. This is a real fear for some but think that this situation is pretty conditional because for a kid coming from a home with good parental relations, he or she might want to be exactly like his or her parents. I feel as though the fear of growing up and losing your heart is as dated as To Sir With Love. In fact, I believe that this fear rings true almost anywhere in any time. While I say this, I know that the fear is also extremely conditional as another large group of people wish and pray that their adult days couldn’t get here any faster, for a variety of reasons. Personally, I have always wished I could be getting younger instead of older. If I could choose, I would be sitting in Kindergarten with not a care in the world. I think that this comes from a fear similar to one shown by the characters in the movie of not wanting to grow up and lose some of yourself.
Losing some of yourself. Nicely put, Josh.
DeleteThe character I like the most would have to have be the “basketcase,” Allison. She was artsy and offbeat—a stereotypical character you may find in a highschool/teen movie, but there was something different about her that grasped my attention and sparked a connection. I felt she was very aware. Aware of her surroundings, of people. She was also extremely observant and liked to keep to herself in terms of her home life, but at the same time felt it was somewhat refreshing when she was finally asked about her parents/home life. Not to mention she was extremely comical (her sandwich making scene).
ReplyDeleteI think a part of this “loosing your heart” scene does ring true. Its sad to think that one day the somewhat simple lives (more so for some than others) in terms of what we do—school, chores, friends, etc. will be replaced with jobs, children, money. It is said that once you are an adult, you loose the wild imagination you had when you were a kid. I don’t want to loose that but with the complications of adult life and being responsible for more than just yourself, I can see how the idea may have risen. I, personally, don’t have a fear of becoming my parents, but I’m glad I’ve watched them over the years because there are definitely situations where I’ve thought to myself, “Well, I am never going to do that once older.” But also situations where I’ve thought “Ya, I’m definitely doing that when I’m older.” I don’t want to follow in their exact paths, though, and I hear kids say all the time, “I can’t go to college here because…I mean my parents…” So maybe there is still a fear or a resistance to stay close to parents and a drive to go explore what’s out there for yourself and on your own without someone holding your hand.
In my experience, high school is not this rigidly defined and perhaps that is because of the high school I go to, or perhaps its because of the friends I have made. I’m sure in any school you will find people like those of the Breakfast Club, but with those, there are people whose interests are intertwined, who like different things that don't all fit under the same category. When your around other people in an environment like a high school, you’re bound to pick up new interests and learn new things (from those people around you or from the things you see and hear). These kids happened to be the kids who really showcase stereotypical teenage categories.
1)I don't feel as if I particularly related to any of the characters, for I felt like they were extremists of their title. They typically had one interest (sports,school,popularity), and seemed to stick solely to that interest. The characters were fairly one-dimensional, and I think its hard to feel a connection to a person we only see one side of. Allison in particular made no sense to me, she was just such a far out character. I didnt think her feelings, actions, and words at all correlated which made her a confusing character for me to follow.
ReplyDelete4) Paideia is a very rare case. It is a 1a school (aka a tiny school), so I think it would be nearly impossible for the social structure to be this rigid. Otherwise, all of us would end up with only a few friends. However, at larger schools, particularly private ones, social structure/status is a large part of highschool. However, it is important to keep in mind that this is a movie, and for entertainments sake, everything is typically exaggerated. These characters are also rather one-dimensional, as I said earlier, so if school contained kids that only had one interest, I could see how the school structure would be very separated. There is no overlap in their personalities at all, and there seems to be no reason why they would be friends in the first place, so I can easily imagine this school as rather cutthroat.
5)I can see where these kids are coming from. They do have a far more rough home life than a lot of kids, but their is always a fear, I think, that kids will grow up to be strict. The janitor asked Dick what he would of thought of himself if he was a kid. He wouldnt even answer that, probably because he would have really disliked himself. When you grow up you dont "lose your heart" but you do seem to forget what its like being in a kids shoes.
I don't identify fully with any of these groups of people. If I had to identify myself, I'd be somewhat like Allison and Brian combined, but I don't know for sure. I'm a bit weird, though not as much as Allison. I think if I didn't go to Paideia, where it's easy to find people like me, I wouldn't have any friends either. The one thing that may get me friends at a big school would be my want for knowledge, which many people share with me. I'm somewhat like Brian in this way, although our motives for learning are different. He wants to learn in order to get good grades and please his parents. I like to learn because I like knowing how things work. I don't think I can relate to just one character in The Breakfast Club, and most Paideia students can't either.
ReplyDeleteI've only ever been to Paideia for high school, so I don't know what a huge, somewhat institutionalized school would be like in terms of social groups. At Paideia, at least in my grade, I don't think there are these particular groups. There are big groups of people who are friends, but there isn't a jock group or a nerd group, etc. Each group of friends is a combination of a few of these categories. There are groups that are more like Claire's group in The Breakfast Club, but they have other factors as well, as do the other groups. (Sorry for the overuse of the word group)
I think that there is some truth to the idea of losing one's heart, but I don't think it's completely true. I think that people do lose their childlike love of everything when they grow older, which is expected of them. I also think that they gain a lot of heart because they are able to understand situations more clearly and appreciate what people do with a better understanding of their actions. When I think of growing up, though, the thing that comes to mind most isn't a loss of a childlike love for every living being; I think of the gaining of knowledge about how people act and why they act in these ways. Yes, something very fascinating dies when one grows up, but one's level of understanding of the world around them is so much more complete that I think it's worth it to lose the innocence one has as a child.
1) I don't strongly relate to any of the characters. While I did think the characters were well written and well thought out, they represented certain specific stereotypes, none of which I fit into. Actually, I can't think of many people who would fit those stereotypes, (probably because this is a movie from the 80s). If I have to say which character I am most like, it is probably Bryan. I care a lot about school and getting good grades, but I have never experienced anything near the amount of pressure he was facing. Plus, while I'm not super hip or anything, I know more lingo than him. "I've laid before." I mean, come on!
ReplyDelete2) This is probably the part of the movie that bugged me the most. Throughout the film, the characters break down social barriers and learn more about the environment they are living in and the people they see everyday. They learn that everyone has crap they have to deal with and not everyone fits into a box. Up until the end, the film is screaming "non-conformity". But then Claire gives Allison a make-over and suddenly Andrew likes her. While I wasn't too fond of Allison's fashion choices, I don't think she needed to change her appearance to fit in and get the guy. Maybe there is some greater meaning I'm just not getting, but I think that the scene is very contradictory to the overall message of the film. Don't conform to society. Don't put yourself and others in a box. Stick it to the man! But make sure that if you're a girl you pay attention to beauty standards. You want to look cute while rebelling, now don't you? It seems a little sexist to me too; You may like a girl or think she's interesting, but you can't kiss her until she's pretty.
5) I think there is some truth to this part of the movie. "Losing your heart" seems to be a danger of becoming an adult. Many adults haven't, but a lot of adults have. They kind of loose the fight with society and spend their days doing the same job or going through the same routine, and not doing things that they love or are passionate about. I think this fear certainly does exist in our generation. I think it will always be present in any adolescent generation. I think it will always be an adolescent dream to change the world for the better, in ways that your parents didn't.
First, I would like to say that this was the third time I have seen The Breakfast Club, and it was the first time that I really understood the message being portrayed and I could connect personally. Maybe that's because I have seen so many movies about high school recently. I feel like everyone who watches this movie sees a little bit of each character inside of them. People have many sides to themselves that show up at different times. All aspects of my personality and life can match a certain character in The Breakfast Club. I, personally, feel the pressure of athletics and grades from my parents and myself. I understand what it's like to have felt like I had to act a certain way in order to stay with my friends. I know that I have a really weird side, and I know that I have a rebellious side. If I had to choose one character to relate to, it would probably be Claire. She has a lot of friends and kind of puts on this fearless and experienced "mask" in order to feel like she fits in, but she's really just an innocent and insecure girl. I wish that I didn't relate to this character, but I do.
ReplyDeleteEvery time I watch this movie, Allison's makeover at the end always throws me off. The entire time, the teenagers are learning to talk about and embrace their identity, but then Allison goes and changes her whole look. Maybe her "new self" was always behind that dark hair and eye makeup, waiting to come out. Maybe Claire wanted Alison to look better, and more like her, which in some ways almost seems insulting. Or maybe Claire knew that Allison needed a confidence boost. It seemed strange to me that before the makeover, the jock almost seemed to be weirded out by both her personality and her strange looks. After the makeover, the movement he saw her looking more physically beautiful, he automatically liked her (a lot). Would he have ever liked her personality if she looked the way she did before?
I definitely believe in fear of the future and growing up. My parents always tell me that high school and college were some of the best years of their lives, and that I should live it up while I can. But I often think about the time after, when I start to collect more and more responsibilities as an adult and possibly "lose my heart." The future is mostly scary for me because I'm afraid that I'll make decisions for my life that I regret, leading to unhappiness with my job, or where I live, etc (those are just examples). The issues in The Breakfast Club are most certainly not dated in my opinion. In fact, they might be timeless.
1. I actually don’t feel that I really connected with any of the characters in the film. All of them were such extremes of one category of a person…I found it difficult to identify with one. Plus, the school environment we have promotes being friendly to everyone, so the ideas of different cliques forming and leaving others out is uncommon. I have seen it happen, but it is fairly unusual within the school. I have personally connected a little bit with the idea of friends making fun of you for hanging out with others who they aren’t particularly fond of.
ReplyDelete5. It’s hard for me to characterize whether this is a common fear in my generation since I haven’t talked about it much, though that could mean that it isn’t a common fear. I don’t agree with the idea of “losing your heart” as you grow up. It may be a dated idea, I just believe that as you grow up you expand your heart, or that’s what you should do. You grow up and learn how to deal with others, have empathy for people, love people, and understand that the world doesn’t revolve around you. The other people around you matter and have feelings, which you should be more aware of as you grow up, not less aware. I feel that this idea doesn’t necessarily exist within our bubble of Paideia as much, but I am not sure how to judge the entire world. The fear of being like a parent is still an idea that shows up within movies and shows that are created today, so it must still be prevalent outside of our community.
4. No, high school society is not defined like this at Paideia. There are many different people with many different interests. The only way it is similar is that our high school is broken up into different friend groups, though those friend groups don’t necessarily have to do with their interests. Even though there are friend groups, people are able to bounce around between different groups and befriend majority of the school if they want to.
I know the kids in the movie are supposed to represent every high school persona, but I don’t really feel that I identify completely with any of the characters. I personally think that’s partly because The Breakfast Club plays up the stereotypes too much—no gray areas, no kids that could fit in more than one of those groups or maybe no groups at all. But I do see bits of myself in several of the characters. I can relate to the pressure about grades that Brian feels from his parents and a little to the pressure that Andrew’s parents put on him to be a “winner.” And I can definitely relate to the feeling of peer pressure and conformity in friend groups that Claire and Andrew talk about.
ReplyDeleteThe Allison makeover scene definitely seems out of place with the rest of the movie, especially because of its placement—at the end of the movie. I could see this happening somehow at the beginning of the movie, when all of the characters are still in their individualistic and conforming mindsets and making a “basket case” up to an adequate social beauty standard in order to make her more socially acceptable would make total sense. But by the end of the movie, after the characters have broken through so many social barriers and seem to have undergone some great, life-changing shift, it seems odd to include this makeover; it seems to contradict everything they have just established.
I do think the Peter Pan syndrome and the utter resentment of parents is a phenomenon that is still prevalent today. I’m sure teens of all times have felt uncertainty and fear about their futures, and there will always be a generation gap between parents and children that creates tension and disparity in values or priorities. But I also think that the social component of the generation gap between teens in the eighties and their parents who were teens in the fifties was probably much more dramatic than the social gap between the teens now and our parents who were teens in the eighties. Because of that, I think modern teenagers might feel less at odds with their parents than the kids of The Breakfast Club did.
1. Personally, I relate a little bit to all of the students in the movie. I can see a little bit of myself in all of the kids and that feels a little weird to me. It’s strange for me to think of people and their personalities as mosaics or things that have many components because it is easy to see people as one thing and one thing only. I think the only way I could possibly accurately represent myself would be to say that I am similar to all of The Breakfast Club. I am a little bit of a princess, a basket case, a jock, a brain, and a criminal.
ReplyDelete2. I was a little disappointed in Allison’s makeover but I also liked that scene a lot. I think she was figuring out who she was and Claire was there to help her and give her options on who she could be. Who knows, maybe she will come to school on Monday with that new, girly look Claire gave her or maybe she will come to school the same as she was when she arrived at detention. We don’t know what she will do, we can only assume and I think that was a good choice on the director’s part to leave some mystery surrounding what happens after that day in detention.
5. I think the fear of growing up and turning out like your parents is a very common fear among teenagers. Growing up is scary and unknown and we all hope we won’t turn out like our parents and be as strict or as absent they were for us. In reality though, a lot of us will probably turn out to be like our parents. We will grow up and have kids and worry like hell about them. We might hover like Brian’s parents do or turn out to be pretty horrible parents like Bender’s. But there is no way to know how we will turn out and the only way to figure out what happens is to keep living our lives and grow up and see how it all plays out.
1. Since all the characters are extreme examples of certain personality types, I feel that I do not relate to just one of these characters, but to certain characteristics of each. Like Allison and Andy, I do have the fear of growing up and becoming like my parents. Like Brian, I do feel the pressures of high school at times. The only ones I do have a little trouble relating to are Bender and Allison. I have never had the rebellious characteristics of Bender nor the need to pathologically lie like Allison.
ReplyDelete4. I believe that high school society is not so rigidly defined here at Paideia, but I have no idea what it is like at other schools. At Paideia, there are several different friend groups (some are cliquey) but many of the students at the school are unique. The characters portrayed in the film are extreme examples of their personality types. I do believe there are jocks, princesses, rebels, brains, and kooks at Paideia, but none that are this extreme.
5. Before reading others' reactions to this question, I had no idea that this idea was common among my peers. It is something that I have experienced throughout my life, but not something I expected to hear from others. I have both the fear of growing up and becoming something I don't want to be. I believe this is a concept high schoolers will all have to deal with and it is not at all dated.
Out of all the characters in the movie, I most to relate to Brian. Like myself, Brian faces a ton of academic pressure from his mom. We see this when she urges him to find a way to study, even during detention where you're not supposed to do anything but sit in silence. While his mom pressures him because he wants him to do well in life, it's clearly having a negative effect on him. No child should have to be so stressed and scared about getting a B in Woodworking. While the academic pressure I face from my parents isn't as extreme as what Brian is receiving, I can still relate to him. At the same time, I can relate to Andrew because he faces a lot of pressure because of wrestling. His father really wants him to be there best and to earn a college scholarship. Like Andrew's parents, mine also want me to get a college scholarship for basketball. However, I really want to play basketball in college while it seems like Andrew is a little sick of wrestling and doesn't really want to do it anymore.
ReplyDeleteIn most schools, high school society is incredibly defined. However, at Paideia things are much different. Our groups aren't so strongly defined. While everyone has their friend group(s), they are filled with all kinds of different people. For example smart kids can also be jocks. Nearly all friend groups at Paideia are filled with people with all different kinds of interests and talents. At other schools, this isn't the case.
I don't feel like I'll loose my heart as I continue to grow up, but I think that I might lose the excitement that I have about life right now. I don't really fear growing up to be like my parents. I really feel like it's inevitable and I like my parents so it's not really a huge deal to me. Growing up is a huge part of life and people shouldn't fear it. We have the choice of what type of adult we become. I feel like the people who have a fear of growing up and being like their parents are the kids who don't really like their parents (which is a lot.)
I find it difficult to relate myself entirely to one character. Instead, I can define myself with distinct qualities of each character. Like Brian, I view myself as an academically oriented student who cares about grades, and I could also empathize with Brian in his despair of receiving a bad grade that put him in a lot of trouble. Conversely, I also empathize with both Allison and John's ruthlessly rebellious natures. While I do not live in an environment in which I am treated poorly by my parents and authorities, I do feel injustice and the want to rebel during unfair situations, both in school and out of school. And like all the characters, I am pressured. Though the characters are pressured by their friends or families to become certain people, I am pressured by myself to be the most achievable person that I can be and sometimes-though immorally-to beat others who run the same tracks as I do.
ReplyDelete5) I think the fear that most adolescents have of becoming their parents depends on the type of parents they have. In the film, the characters fear becoming their parents because their parents come from poor backgrounds and have raised their children in unpleasant conditions. Of course, such characters are affected by their worries of the "uncertainty" in their futures because their parents did not educate them well and teach them how to live better lives. Contrastingly, some parents are highly admired by their kids. If an adolescent was raised lawyers or doctors or alumni from prestigious American schools, he/she would feel pride for the parents and choose to follow their exact footsteps to travel a more predictable path to success. While this idea can be opposed with free will and freedom of choice, it is very practical because the adolescent who simply wants to live the dreamed life of success only has to follow his parents' instructions.
In this new generation, I think many kids fear of not following the paths they have set forth for themselves. From seniors who stress about colleges to classmates who fret over grades, adolescents yearn to be successful more on their behalf than for their parents' wishes. On another note, I think different mindsets exist between adolescents from immigrant families and traditional Americans. While American kids are influenced by their parents, most immigrant kids are "1st generation" Americans who cannot look up to their parents in a foreign country. Many of my friends in the Asian community, for instance, face pressures from parents to do very well in their schools and outside their communities. This is because these immigrant kids have a harder time becoming successful than American kids due to the fact that people do not completely know them and might therefore not welcome them. That is why many immigrant parents pressure their kids to work hard and do well in school in order to access future opportunities that are not opened towards them equally. These kids thus care less about the uncertainty of their futures since they don't know what their future holds for them. As an immigrant adolescent myself, I can relate myself to this idea at a moderate level.
4) Paideia is not rigidly defined. A vast array of characters and personalities comprise our social structure, creating diversity that is accepted on our campus. The students at Shermer High are also diverse, but they not are valued for their differences. They are oppressed by heavy school policies and regulations that defined their high school lives for them and left them limited choices and personal freedom. I find Paideia a unique school for the aspect of its liberality. It allows a diversity of opinions and thoughts to be shared on campus, while Shermer represents the typical high school that does not permit this.
If I had to pick which character I relate to most, I would probably pick a mix between all three of the guys. Like Brian, I get along with my parents and am on the math team. Like Andy I dedicate hours and hours to sports, and like Bender, I live relatively stress free in most things I do.
ReplyDeleteHigh school isn't as rigidly defined here at paideia, and I get the sense from friends at other large public schools that it isn't as defined there either. I think since 1985 when the movie came out that the high school culture has changed and it's more okay for people to be themselves. We can clearly see this change in society, where the newer generation of people is more accepting of people who drift outside the norm.
For these kids, I think there is a fear of growing up because they haven't experienced the ideal experience of being a kid. Kids are supposed to be carefree and have fun, but the kids in The Breakfast Club live very different lives. Andy is under pressure to get a wrestling scholarship and please his controlling dad, Brian is under pressure to be the perfect student, Claire puts pressure on herself to keep up being the perfect popular princess and keep up about her reputation, Bender has to worry about his life at home and specifically his father, and Allison goes to detention for fun—that says it all for her. These five kids are worried when they are adults and parents they are going to look back on their high school lives and regret the pressure they had—and for the characters that don't want to be like their parents, those characters' parents made their high school lives so pressure filled.
1) I think I identify with each one of the characters in some way, but out of the five, the ones that I most obviously relate to are Claire, Brian, and Bender. Claire is sensitive and cares what others think of her, Brian is very hard on himself, naïve, and easily manipulated, Bender is willing to speak up about blindly following and conformity, even if it makes others uncomfortable, but puts on a tough act to cover up his insecurities. However, I think I can relate to any of them simply because they are in high school, and have to navigate a social and academic life all at once.
ReplyDelete4) Paideia definitely has defined friend groups, but they all cross over in some way depending on what friends you make in classes and such. There are definitely jocks, smart kids, trouble makers, etc., but usually most people are a combination of many attributes and the “stereotypes” are dispersed pretty evenly among groups. There is a sense of some being cool and others being less so, but its definitely a lot less than other high schools and no one really cares too much.
5) I think I’ve already lost some of my heart, and I’m definitely scared that eventually I’ll lose all of it and become so indifferent, bitter, and cold that I won’t be able to find meaning in life at all. I also fear growing up, having to be responsible and realistic, to stop dreaming. I think I fear most of all being unsatisfied or unfulfilled because of my failures and once again becoming bitter because of it. I think this fear exists somewhat in my generation. Due to the heavy influence of technology and the obsessive need to plan every moment, we often forget to live.