21813526.

doc Page 1 of 9

RUNNING HEAD: PROBLEMS FACED DURING THE ADOLESCENT YEARS.

21813526.doc

Angela Detter

Course: PSY 150: General Psychology

Instructor: Fred Bryson

Date: April 23, 2001

 21813526.doc Page 2 of 9

21813526.doc

"The Breakfast Club is about people, personality types, human behavior, strengths

and vulnerabilities. It is about stereotypes and breaking them down. It’s about prejudice

and gaining greater understanding through communication. It’s about rebellion, and also

about teamwork. It’s about life.” (Wright). Each person contributes some things to

society in their own way and they learn something about themselves during the

Adolescence years. “Adolescence is a time for experimentation, whether it be with sex,

drugs, hair color, or various kinds of rule breaking. It is also a time when certain kinds of

developmental problems are apt to arise, especially problems that have to do with self-

perceptions, feelings about the self, and negative emotions in general.” (Morris 418).

“Adolescence is a normal developmental stage when children begin to separate from their

parents and build relationships with their peer groups. It’s very important to allow and

encourage them to get involved in organized activities with peer groups to foster self-

esteem. Part of that development is discovering who they are, so having positive

relationships with a positive peer group is important to normal and healthy

development.”(Shely). First, a brief look at descriptions of the five adolescent characters

by the Internet critic, the Okielady.

“Claire Standish, the princess, reminds me of the girls that I couldn’t stand in

high school! She places herself above everybody else in the movie. Sure, she’s got her

problems, just like all teenagers. But somehow, to everyone else, her family’s wealth and

power and her alliance with the ‘in’ crowd seems to diminish whatever problems she may

have. To the other characters, she’s just conceited Claire.” (Okielady 1).
 21813526.doc Page 3 of 9

Allison is the opposite. “She’s a basket case. She’s wacko. She’s a nut. Or is

she? One thing’s for sure, Allison Reynolds LOVES attention. So she’s got her quirks.

She uses dandruff as ‘snow’ on a picture she’s drawn. She eats Cap’n Crunch and the

contents of Pixie Stix on bread as a sandwich. She doesn’t speak for the first half of the

movie, and when she finally does start talking, she doesn’t stop. Allison leaves you

wondering who she really is. But weirdo or not, she’s certainly likable!” (Okielady 2).

“Andrew Clark, the jock, always seems to be pleasing other people; his father, his

coach, his friends. They all see him as a person that he doesn’t necessarily WANT to be.

Rather than disappoint them, he simply becomes who they think he is. This creates a lot

of internal anger, which surfaces often throughout the movie.” (Okielady 3).

Andrew’s opposite is Brian. “Ah, the brain. The character I can relate to most,

based on my school years, is Brian Johnson. He excels academically, but in spite of that,

has little self-confidence. He tends to be hard on himself, and can’t handle failure.

Straight-laced and timid, he rarely bends the rules.” (Okielady 4).

Opposite of all the characters is Bender. “My favorite character in the movie, by

far, is John Bender. The character of John Bender kind of reminds me of myself. He has

a lot of issues he doesn’t care to talk about, and he deals with them by using dry humor

and sarcasm. Plus, he had the best one-liners in the movie!” (Okielady 5).

Each character on the surface seems to be living what the others consider the ideal

life. Each one sees things what the other person has that they long to possess. Each

character has their strengths and weaknesses.

Self-esteem is the main psychological problem faced by adolescents. From it

stems the roots of other problems. “To children, you are who you are: Identity is given.
 21813526.doc Page 4 of 9

To adolescents, who you are now is only one of many possibilities: Identity is a question

mark. ... Visionaries and idealists one day, adolescents can be harsh social critics the

next. Their harshest criticism is often directed at the ones who are nearest and dearest –

themselves and their parents.” (Steinberg 133).

This struggle with identity and acceptance is why Brian and Andrew are in

detention. Andrew plays a prank on a fellow student, but gets caught. This may not seem

like a self-esteem issue until you discover why Andrew played the prank. He states,

“And the bizarre thing is, that I did it for my old man … I tortured this poor kid, because

I wanted him to think that I was cool. He’s always going off about, you know, when he

was in school … all the wild things he used to do. And I got the feeling that he was

disappointed that I never cut loose on anyone … And I started thinking about my father,

and his attitude about weakness. … he’s like this mindless machine that I can’t relate to

anymore … You know, sometimes, I wish my knee would give ... and I wouldn’t be able

to wrestle anymore. And he could forget all about me…” (Hughes).

Brian, the brain, found his way to detention by bringing a gun to school. His

remarks were “It’s like me, you know, with my grades … like, when I, when I step

outside myself kinda, and when I, when I look in at myself you know? And I see me and

I don’t like what I see, I really don’t. … I’m here because Mr. Ryan found a gun in the

locker.” (Hughes). Allison, Bender, and Claire also struggle with the self-esteem issues.

Each character in their own way is struggling. Struggling to make parents happy,

struggling to look good in front of friends, struggling to discover who they are and who

they want to be as adults. Self-esteem problems can lead to alcohol and drug abuse,

suicide, and a number of other psychological problems.

 21813526.doc Page 5 of 9

Another teenage problem seen in the movie is the use of drugs. Although all the

teenagers in the movie smoke Bender’s pot, each approaches it differently. Bender, the

criminal, is open to the usage of drugs. In fact, the marijuana comes from his locker.

Brian is the brainy kid, who “knows” better than to use pot. Brian struggles with the

idea. He first turns to Andrew for support, frustrated Andrew simply tells him to shut up.

Andrew, the jock, seems tired of living up to everyone’s rules. Claire, although she

seems to be innocent and pristine, has already followed Bender down the hall, so Brian

turns to Allison for support. Allison, the basket-case, although unsure of what to do,

refuses to go against the group.. After returning to the library, the entire group proceeds

to smoke the pot. “In contemporary U.S. society, tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use

among youth may be thought of as functional behaviors – offering an opportunity to

challenge and demonstrate autonomy, gain entry into a peer group, or simply relieve the

stresses of growing up.” (Wong 918). Each character experiences different aspects of

these behaviors.

During the course of the movie, sex is discussed between the characters.

Although this movie first aired in 1985, it still hits home with teenagers' thoughts and

concerns about sex. “Teenagers do not see sex as a casual affair. They do not believe

that anything goes. And they do not approve of sleeping around. …Many teenagers find

it easier to preach than to practice these ideals, however. Sex has become a status symbol

for teenagers. Other symbols of maturity (supporting oneself, living independently,

marrying) have been postponed, leaving sex as one of the only available rites of passage

to adulthood: If you have had intercourse, you are an adult; if you are still a virgin, you
 21813526.doc Page 6 of 9

are just a child. Some teenagers see virginity as a ‘ball and chain of innocence’ they want

to cast off as quickly as possible.”(Steinberg 236-237)

By the end of the movie, we discover that Allison, Claire, and Brian are all

virgins. Brian and Claire are obviously ashamed of this fact as they try to hide it from

others in the group. Brian attempts to conceal that he is a virgin, while Bender inquires

about girlfriends and such. However, it is only after Bender states that Brian implied he

is having sex with Claire that Brian comes clean. Brian states, “only because I didn’t

want her to know that I was a virgin, okay?” (Hughes). This embarrassment about

virginity continues later in the movie as the group sits high on pot and playing a game.

Allison confronts Claire with the question about having sex. Allison points out the sad

truth about teenage sexuality. “Well, if you say you haven’t … you’re a prude. If you

say you have … you’re a slut! It’s a trap. You want to but you can’t but when you do

you wish you didn’t, right?” (Hughes). Claire defensively screams, “No! I never did it!”

(Hughes). After this, Allison admits that she is also a virgin. Allison’s statement is so

true about the teenager’s perspective on sexual intercourse. You are considered either a

prude or a slut. Moreover, regardless of the current place in the situation, neither is

favorable.

A psychological problem that almost falls through the cracks in this movie is the

problem of eating disorders. Claire struggles with the image of becoming fat, while her

counterpart Allison eats as if there will not be a meal tomorrow. Although I do not

believe Allison to be bulimic, some psychologist would point out that Allison has bizarre

eating habits, which is one of the characteristics of an eating disorder. Allison, if

allowed to continue her eating pattern would become malnourished, therefore exhibiting
 21813526.doc Page 7 of 9

an eating disorder. Nevertheless, this is only slightly mentioned in the movie and is left

to make one wonder about eating disorders.

By pushing adolescents to succeed, parents often push adolescents over the edge.

It is no wonder that many adolescents grow up to be confused and unsure about

themselves. “Adolescence is a time of increased emotionality, hypothetical thinking, and

empathy. As a result, it is a time for mood swings from the depth of depression to the

heights of elation.” (Behrman 525). It is no wonder that adolescent substance abuse

continues to increase. “Drug use, in the form of alcohol or marijuana, is experienced at

some time by more than 90% of teenagers.” (Behrman 526-527). It is no wonder that

adolescent suicide continues to be a problem. “Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death

among 15 to 19 yr olds in the United States and has been increasing in incidence during

the last 2 decades.” (Behrman 526). It is no wonder that adolescent sexuality is still an

issue. “The birth rate has leveled off for all other age groups but continues to rise for

young adolescents; they lead the nation in cases of sexually transmitted disease, such as

gonorrhea, chlamydia, and human papilloma viral infections." (Behrman 526). It is no

wonder that eating disorders still plague adolescents. “The incidence of anorexia nervosa

(AN) and bulimia has increased over the last 2 decades. It is estimated that 1 in every

100 females, 16-18 yr old, has anorexia nervousa.” (Behrman 533).

In the movie, we each see someone that reminds us of who we were. Each of us

remembers our strengths and our failures. Each of us remembers that we are all part of

the truth. Each of us should realize that we can all be a part of the solution. By watching

the movie, we discover "that each one of is a brain … and an athlete … and a basket case

… a princess … and a criminal."

 21813526.doc Page 8 of 9

References

Behrman, Richard E. MD. Textbook of Pediatrics. 14th ed. Philadelphia: WB

Saunders Company, 1992.

Morris, Charles G. and Albert A. Maisto. Psychology An Introduction. 10th ed.

New Jersey: Prentice Hall, Inc.

Okielady 1. Okielady's "The Breakfast Club" Page. Conceited Claire Page.

<http://www.fortunecity.com/meltingpot/regent/827/claire.html>

Okielady 2. Okielady's "The Breakfast Club" Page. Allison's Attitude Page.

<http://www.fortunecity.com/meltingpot/regent/827/allison.html>

Okielady 3. Okielady's "The Breakfast Club" Page. Andrew’s Frustration Page.

<http://www.fortunecity.com/meltingpot/regent/827/andrew.html>

Okielady 4. Okielady's "The Breakfast Club" Page. Brian – Intelligent &

Insecure Page. <http://www.fortunecity.com/meltingpot/regent/827/brian.html>

Okielady 5. Okielady's "The Breakfast Club" Page. Bender’s One-Liners Page.

<http://www.fortunecity.com/meltingpot/regent/827/bender.html>

Shely, Tyler. “High Self-Esteem Promotes Healthy Growth In Children.” Health

First. Catawba Memorial Hospital, Hickory, North Carolina. February 2001.

Steinberg, Laurence, and Ann Levine. You and Your Adolescent: A Parent’s

Guide for Ages 10 to 20. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1990.

The Breakfast Club. Dir. & Writer John Hughes.

<http://www.screentalk.org/moviescripts/BreakfastClub.pdf>. 1985.

Wong, Donna L. Whaley and Wong’s Nursing Care of Infants and Children. 6th

ed. Missouri: Mosby, Inc., 1999.

 21813526.doc Page 9 of 9

Wright, Donna. Neo Maxi Zoomdweebie Essays!.

<http://members.nbci.com/_XMCM/breakfstclub/essay.htm>