Analysis Of The Film Precious

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Horney’s theory focuses on neurosis and the ideal self of the individual. Her theory plays an important role in the development of an individuals personality and can be applied to the film Precious directed by Lee Daniels. The film is based on an African-American teenager girl who lives in Harlem with her abusive and ruthless mother as well as the mothers revolting boyfriend. The role of the mother plays a significant role in Precious’ personality development and will be discussed further in the essay with regard to Horney and the following aspects of; social and cultural conditions, basic anxiety and basic evil, neurotic needs, coping strategies and the ideal self vs the despised self.

Horney suggested that cultural and social conditions contribute as a large influence for shaping personality, and especially those experiences from childhood (Karen Horney (n.d.)). In the movie Precious, we were not able to observe her early childhood experiences, although looking at the awful circumstances in which Precious lives now we are able to assume that her childhood experiences were not much different from her life now. Precious does not live in a caring environment, and her basic needs are not filled, instead she lives with an abusive mother and rapist father. Horney believed that security was a safety need which the child longed for, “ a childs security depends entirely on how the parents treat the child” (Karen Horney, cited in Schultz & Schultz, 2008), when looking at the movie its simple to establish that Precious’ mother does not provide security for Precious within their home environment. Precious was abused and raped from birth till her teenage years whilst her mother was either the one doing this action or sitting aside and watch...

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...infrey, O., Heller, T. & Perry, T. (Producers), & Daniels, L. (Director). (2009). Precious [Motion Picture]. United States: Transmission.
4. Fadiman, J., Frage, R. (1994). Karen Horney and Humanistic Psychoanalysis, in Personality and Personal Growth (pp. 130 – 150). New York: Harper Collins.
5. Frick, B.W. (1991). Personality theories: journeys into self: an experiential workbook. Teachers College Press.
6. Hitchcock, S.T. (2009). Karen Horney. Infobase Publishing.
7. Psychoanalytic Social Theory – Karen Horney (n.d.).
Retrieved from: http://www.ivcc.edu/uploadedFiles/_faculty/_mangold/Horney%20and%20Psychoanalytic%20Social%20Theory.pdf
8. Schultz D. & Schultz S. (2008). Karen Horney: Neurotic Needs and Trends. In D. Schultz & S Schultz (Eds.) Theories of Personality (pp. 158 – 180).
Downloaded from: http://cengagesites.com/academic/assets/sites/schultz_ch04.pdf

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