Frances Farmer Thesis

Frances Farmer gained notoriety early on through her unconventional ways; from writing a high school award-winning paper revealing her atheist beliefs to traveling to the Communist Soviet Union in thick political tension, she was a beautiful intellectual put on the map. Farmer quickly became a talented movie star and Hollywood began to groom both her outside and inside appearance into something she was not. Farmer’s same unconventional ways that brought her into the spotlight pulled her tumbling down. Her outspoken manner on set “for a woman” nd her defiance for authority challenged the Hollywood studios. She began to lose parts of her identity as she gave in to Hollywood, society, and her overbearing mother. Farmer was soon swept into alcohol,

prescription drugs, and reckless behavior.

The justice system and her overbearing mother stepped in and institutionalized Farmer. She was stripped of her legal rights and trapped into a cycle of mental institutions, where she was wrongfully diagnosed as mentally ill and mistreated.

Throughout Farmer’s life there were outside forces that contributed to her tragic story. One being, that she was an eccentric woman forced to conform to society’s norms to survive in the spotlight. During Frances’ time in the film industry, women were to be represented as sexual objects, there for the pleasure of a man’s eye. Therefore, the Farmer was belittled and objectified by the Hollywood studios. She learned that for her career to survive she must give in to the conventional ways of beauty and behavior of a woman. Naturally, this type of resolution rendered a loss of self-identity. Additionally, it deeply bothered Farmer that she was not being portrayed realistically in movies, she wanted to truly act the part rather than being a feminine prop. Her primitive nature favored creativity, non-conformity, and strong curiosity, all which society frowned upon for women. Furthermore, the intrusion of her personal life was an additional force

that led to Farmer’s problem. The press took every chance they got to exploit a scandal out of Farmer such as leaving Hollywood, drunk driving and, being arrested and institutionalized. They twisted Farmer’s character by portraying her in the worst possible light, making Farmer withdrawal socially. An additional example of an intrusion of Farmer’s personal life is the stripping of all her legal rights as an individual. This dehumanized her by dividing the line between the mentally ill and the mentally healthy. Moreover, perhaps the most betraying force that proved to be a factor in Farmer’s problem was her relationship with her mother, Lillian. Lillian used Farmer’s career as an outlet to live out her own selfish desires and dreams. Farmer repeatedly tells her mother that Hollywood is exhausting her mental health however, her mother continues to accept movie deals and interviews. Countless times Lillian institutionalizes Farmer. This devastates Farmer, an independent woman at heart, with her identity being ripped away from her.
The tragedy of Farmers situation is if she were alive today she would not face the same issues.

Most of the factors that fueled Farmer’s problems were contextualized to her time. Today, Farmer’s eccentric nature coupled with the evolution of social freedom would have allowed her to self-actualize rather than be forced to conform to norms. The media and society have evolved to value gender equality. Today in Hollywood women are being casted in complex roles and challenging stereotypes, such as characters like Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games and Wonder Women. Farmer would be able to portray herself realistically in movies because of the increasingly, diverse array of women identities today. Also, her artistic voice that was ignored during her time due to sexism would now be valued for its creativity. Moreover, in regards to the intrusion of her personal life Farmer would possess legal rights that would inhibit her from being trapped in a cycle of mental institutions beyond her will. Today psychiatric patients have explicit rights such as to refuse treatment. Unfortunately, she would still experience intrusion with the press and media, even more so due to the rise of advanced technology. American culture idolizes celebrities because they feel a connection to them through witnessing their career and legacy grow. However, it is that same connection that renders an expectation and obligation to be intrude on the private aspects of a celebrity’s life. Additionally, there are

increasing amounts of gossip columns and television shows dedicated to scrutinizing celebrities. In regards to Farmer’s relationship with her mother, the toxic relationship would still internally effect Francis today. However, the only difference is her mother would not have the authority to control her life to the same degree. Her mother would not be able to arrange a series of hospitalization stays at mental institutions because the newly outlined rights of psychiatric patients. Also, it is now easier for a woman to become financially, legally, and socially independent; this would weaken Farmer’s dependency towards her mother.
Farmer’s story conveys how mental illness was defined and treated from the 1930s to the 1940s. First, it suggests that abnormal psychological functioning has physical causes through biochemical and anatomical malfunction. Therefore, it must be treated in a biological capacity. For instance, Farmer was treated for biochemical malfunction with insulin shock therapy and electric shock therapy. This was intended to correct how information is passed to and from cells by rewiring the thinking of the brain. Farmer was also treated for anatomical malfunction through a lobotomy which disconnects the frontal lobe and makes one unable to organize and carry forth impulses. Nevertheless, her story also shines light on the societal position of defining mental illness. Once an individual is labeled they become dehumanized and society’s ethics and morals are changed. Society creates a subdivision within humanity and everything a mentally ill individual does becomes abnormal and dangerous to an outsider. This created an unspoken treatment: learning the “way” to get out through mentally healthy statements.