Sound of Music

PRODUCED BY: ROBERT WISE

DAVID SALIBY
Summary
The Sound of Music musical drama takes place in the early 1940s just preceding the second World War, in which Hitlers rule
was rapidly changing Austria . Based on the story of a real family by the name of the Von Trapps. The family had just lost a
mother/wife and was in desperate need of a nanny. Georg Von Trapp (Father), a navy captain, wrote to the nearby convent
asking for a governess to handle his seven, motherless children. Georg ran his house very strictly while often being away for
long periods of time. The kids went through a couple of nannies, all of which didnt work out because they resented the idea of
a nanny taking the place of their deceased mother. Maria, who was sent over by the convent after having failed to become a
nun just before, made her first appearance at the luxurious, Von Trapp home. Although met with the same hostility as the
previous nannys, Maria, with her kindness and endless compassion, began to help the family make some much needed
changes. Georg and Maria end up falling in love despite Georgs recent engagement to a rich and entitled woman. All the
children, as well as Georg, experience positive changes due to Marias influence.

Georg later decides to marry Maria and she decides to give up her dreams of becoming a nun to pursue a life with Georg and
his family. Austria was slowly being taken over by Germany, and Georg was at risk of being drafting into the German army,
thus making him fight against his own people. He quickly decides to escape to Switzerland in hopes of having a peaceful life as
a family.
Adolescent Introduction
Liesl is the oldest daughter of Georg Von Trapp. Into her late teens, she lost
her mother to Scarlett Fever. During the movie, she is sixteen years old and is
struggling with having to assume a motherly role to her six siblings. Although
she believes she is old enough to know everything, she is still very nave. She
is also trying to win over her fathers love. He has always kept her at an arms
length and has never really shown anything towards her except stern
discipline. She has an intense relationship with a seventeen year old boy who
would deliver telegrams to the Von Trapp family. Throughout the movie, we
can see the relationship grow until the boy eventually turns his back on the
family. As the movie ends, we can see a definite change in the maturity level of
Liesl. She has learned much from what she had gone through.
Elements of Analysis
Liesl goes through a time of
questioning in regards to her
Autonomy and Identity.
Autonomy refers to the ability to think about and
perform everyday activities without the input
and/ or assistance from an outside source.
During adolescence, there is a movement away
from the dependency typical of childhood and
toward the autonomy typical of adulthood(
Steinberg 286).
All through the context of her
rough family life.
Conflict between parents and children may
increase in early adolescence because adolescence
change their perspective on many issues that they
had previously viewed as ones their parents had
legitimate authority to regulate (Steinberg 122)
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Identity usually refers to the idea of a person

beginning to have a change of view in regards to
the way they view themselves, and the actions
that follow that changed view. Researchers have
traditionally distinguished among the three
aspects of identity development changes in self
conception, changes in self-esteem, and changes
in the sense of identity (Steinberg 255).
Family in the context of Adolescent Development
Leisl has a very hard time getting along
in her family. She is at a point in her life
where she desires complete autonomy.
Yet she still doesnt have the mental
compacity to be able to handle it.
Early in the movie Liesl is introducing
herself to the new nanny by saying, I'm
Liesl. I'm sixteen years old and I don't
need a governess. This shows typical
defiance of authority that happens
among most adolescents.
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Maria: Spiders? Liesl, were you out walking all by yourself? If we
wash that dress tonight, nobody would notice it tomorrow. You
could put this on. Take your dress and put it to soak in the
bathtub. Come back here and sit on the bed, and we'll have a talk.
Liesl: I told you today I didn't need a governess. Well, maybe I do.
This quote shows a sort of humbling in Leisls thoughts and
views. She begins the initial engagement with Maria (the nanny)
with hostility. At this point in the movie, she is starting to see the
various reasons why Maria is needed in her life and what she
(Leisl) still needs to learn. She is recognizing herself as a learning
adolescent rather than a know-it-all adult. She is also realized
the importance of her family and what they can offer her.
Leisl struggles for the love and affection of her father throughout
the movie. During the film Leisl asks Maria how to get her father
to show love again, since loosing his wife to Scarlett Fever.
Liesl: How else are we supposed to get Father's attention?
Brigitta: Yes.
Maria: Well, we'll have to think about that one.
Book quotes for the context of Family.
Adolescence is a time of
reorganization in family
relationships, with adolescents
gaining increasingly more power
and becoming increasingly more
assertive.(Steinberg 129)
Liesl shows this when she says
she doesn't need a nanny
because she is old enough to take
care of herself.
They (authoritarian parents) tend
not to encourage independent
behavior and, instead, place a good
deal of importance on restricting the
childs autonomy. Authoritarian
parents place a premium on
obedience. (Steinberg 129)
This was shown when Leisl came
into the house wet, something her
father would have been upset about.
Maria covered for her because she
knew that Leisl really didnt do
anything wrong.
 Book quotes continued
Indifferent parents try to do
whatever is necessary to minimize
the time and energy they must
devote to interacting with their
child. In extreme cases, indifferent
parents may be neglectful.
(Steinberg 122)
This was exemplified when Leisl
was longing for her fathers love and
attention after the death of her https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=oYZKvqyr&id=672FF004569500B4D947A3FD94B1A0279CC9C664&thid=
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loss by distancing himself from the

people he cared about.
 Autonomy in the context of adolescent development
Liesl: Mother, what do you do when you think you love
someone? I mean, when you stop loving someone or he stops
loving you? Maria: Well, you cry a little. Then you wait for the
sun to come out. It always does. Timid and shy and scared am I,
Liesl: There are so many things I think I should know but I
don't. I really don't. of things beyond my kin.
This clearly shows the change in the way Liesl is starting to
think. She is humbling herself as she is realizing that she has Leisl is saying here that she is shy
much to learn, despite being the eldest child of the family. about the things that are beyond
her scope of knowledge. Most
I am sixteen, going on seventeen. I know that I'm naiveTotally adolescents like to pretend like
unprepared am I, to face a world of men.
they know everything about
Liesl wants the independence that adulthood brings, yet she is
saying she isnt ready for it yet. This seems typical of most everything in hopes that they can
adolescents and their way of thinking. They tend to want things show why they deserve complete
they dont have, then later on changing their mind when they autonomy.
actually find out why they dont have it yet.
Book quotes for the context of Autonomy development
The growth of independence is
surely a part of becoming
autonomous during
adolescence Autonomy has
emotional and cognitive, as well
as, behavioral components.
(Steinerg 287)
This was shown when liesl was
talking to Maria and telling her
that she doesn't know much about
a lot of things. Liesl wanted
autonomy, but she lacked the
emotional and cognitive attributes.
Adolescences interest in turning
away from the parents and turning
towards their peers. (Steinberg 287)
Leisl begins to rely on Maria for her
emotional needs rather than her
siblings or father. She had also began
to rely on her boyfriend for the love
her father didnt give her.
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Book quotes continued
The coginitive changes of
adolescence also provide the logical
foundation for changes in the young
persons thinking about social,
moral and ethical problems
(Steinberg 288)

We see Liesl radically change her

perceptions about herself throughout
the movie. She problem solves
differently, and looks at events in new
and different lights.
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Identity in the context of adolescent development
Another example of Leisl experiencing a
change in her identity comes from the
middle of the movie when she is singing a
song. [singing with the children at the Villa]
So long, farewell, au revoir, auf Wiedersehen!
I'd like to stay and taste my first champagne.
Yes? She is clearly thinking of herself as
grown up by asking to try an alcoholic
drink. This is a staple of adulthood, where
one can drink alcohol legally. This could
also be an example of a cognitive change in
the way she views her sense of identity.
Leisl was longing for the love of her father. It is
common for adolescents to try to fill that gap in
their lives with someone else who can show them
similar types of love. Leisl demonstrates this
when she likes this seventeen year old boy,
claiming she could rely on him to love her in the
way her father wasnt.
I need someone older and wiser telling me what to
do.You are seventeen, going on eighteen. I'll depend
on you.
Identity in adolescent development continued..

Liesl: [upon receiving her first kiss

from Rolfe] Wheeeeeeeeeee!

Liesl begins to have a relationship

with a boy who delivers mail to the
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Book quotes for the context of Identity development
Changes in the individuals social
definition at adolescence typically
involve changes in status. When they
become adults, individuals are given
greater privileges but are expected to
take increased responsibility for self-
management and participation in adult
society.(Steinberg 250)
Leisl desired to drink champagne because
she considered herself a young adult. Her
father struck down the idea by saying no.
her father reminds her in a subtle way
that she isnt quite at the age where she
can be responsible with alcohol.
Typically, the roles adopted in the process of
identity foreclosure revolve around the goals
set for the young person by parents and other
authority figures. (Steinberg 269)
Because of her family situation, Leisl was in a
sense, forced to become autonomous. As the
movie progresses, she begins to rely on others,
including her boyfriend for that attention she
needs. She forecloses her original idea of being
completely autonomous to become happy. She's
learning that she can rely on others while still
maintaining happiness.
Book quotes for identity development continued
The changes in social roles that
occur at adolescence open up a new
array of choices and decisions that
were not concern previously. In
contemporary society, adolescence
is a time of important decisions
about school, work, relationships,
the future. (Steinberg 255)
Leisl is experiencing new feelings of
love and being in a relationship. With
this comes new decisions that she has
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 Main Problem facing Liesl

Leisls main problem in the movie has to do with loosing her biological mom at a
young age. In the beginning of the movie, she puts on a front, being brave and
grown up and not needing guidance. Maria shows, as well as confronts, her dad that
the kids are desperate for his love. Maria ultimately uses music to touch his heart.
Later in the movie, leisl spends time talking to maria, now her mom, about her
problems with her boyfriend, rolfe. She explains that she is glad that she has a mom
to talk to about those sorts of things.
Is she a typical adolescent?
I believe Leisl is a typical adolescent.
She displays multiple internal conflicts.
Her desire for autonomy and her having
a new found love interest seems to be
very consist with how most people
experience their adolescent times. She
is also rebellious against a dad who is
over disciplinary. She disobeys because
she believes her ideas are superior to
her fathers. This mentality is also very
common in most teens today.
Id
After reviewing multiple websites regarding the actions
of a typical adolescent, I can conclude that Leisl is in fact
a typical adolescent. According to Lifestyle.com, typical
adolescents go through times of Exploring and trying
new things as he/she explores new identities as well as a
time of Searching out new role models (as opposed the
parents).
Also according to the American Academy of Child and
Adolescent Psychiatry, kids during the adolescent years
experience Frustration stemming from what he/she
can't yet do. Leisl exhibits this when she couldn't drink
the alcohol, or when she didn't want or feel like she
needed a nanny.
 Works Cited
1. Steinberg, L. (2008). Adolescence (8th ed.) New York:
McGraw Hill.

2. http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0008783/quotes

3. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059742/quotes

4. http://www.great-
quotes.com/quotes/movie/The+Sound+Of+Music

5. https://www.teenhelp.com/parenting-teens/typical-
teenage-behavior/
6. https://middleearthnj.wordpress.com/2011/04/04/typical-
https://www.google.com/search?q=sound+of+music&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS7
38US738&site=webhp&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKE
wirp_6GwK_TAhVKxmMKHRfsCogQ_AUICCgD&biw=1368&bih=762#imgr
c=naL3PkfCS3FnLM:&spf=235

vs-abnormal-teen-behavior/

7. http://www.apa.org/monitor/apr07/teenage.aspx

8. http://lifestyle.howstuffworks.com/family/parenting/tween
s-teens/typical-adolescent-behavior.htm